Emergency management sector - what you can do

Awareness of family violence for the emergency management sector ensures that the workforce is equipped to identify and respond in emergency-affected communities.

Suggested actions

• Family violence awareness training is regularly offered, promoted and included as part of planned training within the emergency management workforce.
• Emergency management organisations review the Preventing Family Violence and Violence Against Women Capability Framework and Responding to Family Violence Capability Framework to self assess their level of capability and capacity against set criteria to determine what training and development may be required.

Related outcomes

The emergency management sector:

• Has an understanding of family violence in the context of emergencies
• Actively incorporates family violence considerations into emergency management policy, planning, decision-making and service delivery
• Is equipped to identify and respond to family violence in emergency-affected communities.

Tools, resources and approaches

The Gender and Disaster Pod website provides training modules that deal with family violence within the specific circumstances of the disaster or emergency context. The modules are targeted at the emergency management sector and the broader recovery sector.

For a wide range of training and resources regarding family violence, see Emergency management for family violence resources.

Clear key messages regarding family violence in the context of emergencies should be provided to emergency-affected communities.

Suggested actions

• Key messages regarding the risk of increased family violence and local support services are made available on recovery websites, at relief centres, in community newsletters, and at community meetings.
• Family Violence service provider information is regularly updated by councils and discreetly made available in relief centres and recovery centres. See Domestic and Family Violence Referral Options and Services (new page) for helpline and specialist referral services information.

Related outcomes

• Recovery communications from across the emergency management sector explicitly denounce family violence and its root causes, including poor attitudes towards women; aggression, and gendered views.
• Key messages regarding family violence are easily accessed in person in relief centres and recovery centres.

Tools, resources and approaches

See the 2019 Family Violence Framework for Emergency Management examples of a case and family violence key messaging  on pages 13 and 14.

Strong relationships with and alignment between the emergency management sector and the family violence sector will ensure that:

• Prevention activities and responses to family violence across the emergency management sector are enduring
• The emergency management sector works collaboratively with the family violence sector to respond to family violence in emergency-affected communities.

Suggested actions

• Family Violence Regional Integration Coordinators may be able to attend Regional Emergency Management Planning Committee and Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee meetings to:
  • Provide information regarding the current risk / presence of family violence in the affected community
  • Identify and propose prevention, and support initiatives that could help reduce the increased risk and impact of family violence
  • Support implementation of any identified family violence initiatives
• The emergency management sector works closely with the family violence sector to embed emergency management considerations into family violence policy, and the family violence sector works closely with the emergency management sector to embed emergency management considerations into family violence policy and programs.
• The department's regional emergency management staff may be invited to attend the regular Family Violence Regional Integration Committee meeting to share ideas on integrating family violence and emergency management, and to engage directly with local family violence service providers.

Related outcomes

• Recovery coordination agencies have embedded planning, preparedness and response networks that include local family violence sector representatives
• Strong alignment and strategic relationships exist between the emergency management sector and the family violence sector
• The Family Violence sector considers individuals affected by emergencies as a vulnerable cohort in addition to currently recognised cohorts, for example Aboriginal, people from culturally diverse backgrounds, elderly, children) within policy and program design.

Tools, resources and approaches

The inclusion and attendance of Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisors at Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees, Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees and recovery committees to provide information regarding the current risk or presence of family violence in local emergency-affected communities will provide the opportunity to identify community-specific initiatives that could reduce the risk of family violence.

Additionally, Family Violence Principal Advisors may then utilise this relationship to include representation from the emergency management sector within Family Violence Regional Integration Committees.

Embedding family violence considerations into emergency management planning processes based on local needs and ensuring information regarding local family violence services is maintained will support best practice response.

Suggested actions

• Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committees and Regional Emergency Management Planning Committees should work with the Family Violence Regional Integration Committees and Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisors to develop family violence actions and initiatives within regional relief, response and recovery plans and municipal emergency management plans to address family violence issues such as safety at relief centres and access to the Victorian government’s Family violence flexible support packages program .
• Family violence information, including information relating to risks, available support, and services at the local level is regularly reviewed and maintained by local government in partnership with the local Family Violence Regional Integration Committees and Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisors. 

Related outcomes

• Family violence actions and initiatives in the regional relief, response and recovery plan and the Municipal Emergency Management Plans are implemented during relief and recovery.
• Referral pathways and services are mapped and included in relief, response and recovery plans based on local needs (on advice from local Family Violence Regional Integration Committees and Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisors).
• Best practice family violence service design principles are reflected in local recovery arrangements (with the support of Family Violence Regional Integration Committees and Family Violence Principal Strategic Advisors).

Tools, resources and approaches

Protocol for agencies

The Macedon Ranges Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee Prevention of Violence Against Women in Emergencies Subcommittee has developed protocols for use when operating relief and recovery centres. The Protocol is an agreed set of principles that considers the correlation between emergencies and the increase in incidence and severity of family violence. They are designed to guide delivery of relief and recovery services to the community as well as support for response agency staff and volunteers.

When we open an emergency relief centre (ERC) we will:

• Aim to have all ERC staff trained to identify and respond appropriately to family violence
• Be open and frank about the correlation between emergencies and family violence when speaking with people seeking relief from an emergency
• If required, provide a safe space in the ERC for women and children impacted by family violence
• Where possible, provide separate toilets and bathrooms for women and men
• Have copies of the wallet cards with contact information for local services
• Have posters on display in the ERC
• If required, refer women to Family Violence support services for immediate support and assistance
• Seek Victoria Police assistance where family violence court orders impact one or both parties’ ability to attend a relief centre
• Have member of Victoria Police present to provide overt reassurance to victims of family violence and to enforce court orders if necessary.

When we open a recovery centre (RC) we will:

• Aim to have all RC staff trained to identify and respond appropriately to family violence
• Be open and frank about the correlation between emergencies and family violence when speaking with people seeking recovery services
• Have copies of the wallet cards with contact information for local services
• Have posters on display in the RC
• Where practicable, have staff from Family Violence support services present to enable immediate referral.  Where this is not possible, RC staff will contact services for immediate support and assistance if required
• Seek Victoria Police assistance where family violence court orders impact one or both parties’ ability to attend a recovery centre.

When we hold a community meeting we will:

• Include information about family violence in emergencies as part of the meeting format by reading prepared script
• Be open and frank about the correlation between emergencies and family violence and have a senior representative from Council or the control agency articulate this as part of the information presented to the community
• Have copies of the wallet cards with contact information for local services
• Where practicable, have staff from Family Violence support services present to enable immediate referral. Where this is not possible, staff will contact services for immediate support and assistance if required
• Have a member of Victoria Police present to provide overt reassurance to victims of family violence
• Seek Victoria Police assistance if it is known that family violence court orders impact one or both parties’ ability to attend a community meeting.

When we conduct an agency debrief we will:

• Be open and frank about the correlation between emergencies and family violence and have a senior representative from the control agency articulate this as part of the information presented to participating agencies by reading prepared script
• Have copies of wallet cards available for agencies to take for their staff and volunteers.