Victorian Emergency Animal Welfare Plan:
8.0 Operating Principles
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8.1 Incident Management Systems
An Incident Management System (IMS) is used by control and support agencies involved in responding to an emergency in Victoria. The foundation of the IMS structure is typically the Incident Controller and Incident Management Team (IMT) or project team which performs functions that include operations, logistics, and public information, in support of the emergency response.
Where DPI or DSE are the control agency, animal welfare activities will be undertaken as part of their control agency responsibilities.
Where DSE and/or DPI are a support agency in an emergency, both will ensure animal welfare activities are consistent with the control agency’s response structure and procedures.
Appendix 2 provides a generic example of the structure that could be developed in the case of a large scale emergency response that impacts on livestock, companion animals or wildlife where both DPI and DSE are support agencies.
8.2 State Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator
The State Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator (SEAWC) will be activated when an incident occurs that requires the statewide coordination of animal welfare service arrangements across multiple agencies and organisations.
The SEAWC is responsible for:
- Ensuring that the welfare of livestock and companion animals is appropriately considered during emergency response and relief operations, in accordance with the Victorian Emergency Animal Welfare Plan,
- Liaising with relevant animal welfare agencies and organisations (DSE, AVA, RSPCA, MAV, VFF, other Animal Welfare Organisations) to enable effective and timely preparedness and delivery of animal welfare services during an emergency,
- Actively identifying and seeking solutions to operational and policy issues relevant to emergency animal welfare,
- Managing direct reports within the State Emergency Animal Welfare Unit, and
- Provide expert advise to DPI Animal Welfare Liaison Officers operating at the local incident level.
The State Emergency Animal Welfare Unit when activated, will operate within a DPI state level incident management structure (when in place) or that of a control agency.
8.3 Preparedness and response
There are three tiers of incident control applicable for emergency response in Victoria and three categories of emergency response relevant to an Incident Management System (EMMV).
- Tiers of Control
The three tiers of incident control – state, regional (or area of operations) and incident (or local/municipal), are established to guide agencies to achieve commonality in emergency preparedness and response and to multiagency understanding. In situations where an emergency has, or has the potential, to involve more than one agency, a State, Regional/Area of Operations and Incident Emergency Management Team (EMT) may be activated. An EMT is comprised of representatives from relevant agencies and organisations and is established, among other things, to ensure a shared situational awareness regarding the emergency.
DPI and DSE will represent respective animal welfare interests at all tiers of control by either chairing (if the control agency), or participating in EMT’s that are convened, in the event of an emergency, or in preparation for an anticipated emergency.
- Categories of Response
In the event of an emergency occurring, respective animal welfare responsibilities will be triggered in accordance with the classification given to the event:
| Classification |
Characteristics (EMMV) |
|---|---|
|
Level 1 |
Resolved through the use of local resources only. Incident Controller typically performs all functions and first response teams based on local resources. Typically no deployment of resources needed beyond initial response. |
|
Level 2 |
More complex response either in size, resources or risk. Characterised by deployment of resources beyond initial response and/or sectorisation of the emergency and/or establishment of functional sections due to levels of complexity. |
|
Level 3 |
Characterised by degrees of complexity that requires a more substantial establishment for management of the situation. The Incident Controller will usually delegate all functions other than control. |
Prior to high risk days, DPI through the State Emergency Animal Welfare Coordinator will provide situational information to relevant animal welfare agencies and organisation that assists preparedness.
In the event of level 1 incidents involving animals, it is expected that issues will be resolved by local personnel, with key contacts listed in Municipal Emergency Management Plans.
In the event of more complex incidents that require or are likely to require the state wide coordination of animal welfare services and resources, DPI will convene a meeting of relevant animal welfare agencies and organisations to:
- Clarify the roles and responsibilities of agencies and organisations against this Plan and confirm contact details, and
- Confirm communication channels and reporting arrangements.
8.4 Rapid Impact Assessment
Control agencies are responsible for instigating and managing rapid impact assessment (RIA) for the purposes of capturing the nature and scale of the impact of an incident (EMMV). RIA is undertaken in the first 48 hours of an incident and may lead to the early identification of animal welfare issues.
The basic information required by DPI and DSE to respond to animal welfare issues relates to the location, type and approximate number of impacted animals. This should then be referred to DPI in the case of livestock and companion animals, and DSE in the case of wildlife. This information will be used to assist DPI and DSE to scope and prioritise the delivery of animal welfare services.
8.5 Responding to the needs of companion animals, livestock and wildlife
Emergencies, and in particular natural disasters, can impact companion animals, livestock or wildlife which may be found on public or private land. Any officer authorised under POCTA is obliged to address animal suffering or report animal welfare needs to relevant agencies regardless of species or land tenure.
In principle however:
- DPI will attend to livestock and companion animal welfare assessments and refer assessments involving wildlife to DSE,
- DSE will attend to wildlife welfare assessments and refer assessments involving livestock and companion animals to DPI,
- RSPCA, upon request may support DPI with companion animal welfare assessment, or DSE by providing wildlife assessment. In the course of these duties, the RSPCA will refer any observed or reported need for animal welfare assessments involving livestock to DPI and wildlife to DSE for action, and
- Local government will refer the need for animal welfare assessments involving livestock and companion animals to DPI and wildlife to DSE.
8.6 Processes for requesting supplementary resources
When supplementary resources (personnel, equipment or services) are needed to respond to animal welfare, the principles for accessing resources defined in the EMMV “State Emergency Response Plan” will be followed. Principles are based on an agency or organisation first exhausting all resources owned or directly within their control (ie. through a pre-existing arrangement) prior to requesting assistance from elsewhere.
Both DPI and DSE can access RSPCA and interstate government resources if necessary, and facilitate access to non government volunteer groups that may not already be registered with local government. Similarly AVA can facilitate access to volunteer veterinarians.
Requests for resources should be submitted to the Emergency Response Coordinator at either the municipal, regional or state tier in accordance with the resource supplementation process described in the EMMV. These requests can then be actioned by DPI (livestock and companion animals) or DSE (wildlife).
8.7 Access to impacted areas
To ensure the safety of paid or volunteer personnel involved in animal welfare activities, authorisation to enter disaster affected areas must first be obtained from the Incident Controller. Permission to enter areas will be based on the location of restricted areas (under the Coroners Act 2008), safety considerations and personnel meeting required competencies and standards related to personal protective equipment which will vary depending on the incident type.
8.8 Information Collection and Sharing
Organisations working under the direction of DPI or DSE will use established forms and reporting systems and processes to enable comprehensive and consolidated reporting of (depersonalised) loss and damage information and referral of specific animal welfare needs.
Referral of specific animal welfare needs, including those identified through control agency rapid impact assessment, may require disclosure of personal information to other agencies or organisations involved in the provision of these services.
To ensure information sharing is consistent with the Information Privacy Act, 2000 the following principles apply:
- Wherever possible, when collecting information from affected persons for use by other agencies or organisations, the collecting party will disclose the purpose of collection to the affected person,
- Personal information will only be disclosed to other agencies or organisations involved in the management of the emergency or for the provision of relief and recovery services, and
- Agencies and organisations are required to use and share information for the original purposes for which it was obtained only, unless the collecting agency or organisation believes the use or disclosure is necessary for law enforcement purposes (Schedule 1 of the Information Privacy Act; The information privacy principles).
8.9 Contacts and Communications
All agencies and organisations are responsible for updating emergency contact lists. DPI (for companion animals and livestock) and DSE (for wildlife) will assist this process by maintaining and distributing a key contact list of relevant animal welfare stakeholders.
8.10 Training and Exercising
Agencies and organisations are responsible for understanding the competencies and level of training required by their personnel to participate in emergencies.
Opportunities will exist to practice integrated animal welfare service provision through municipal, regional and state exercises.
8.11 Evaluation and Review
In the interests of continuous improvement, all agencies and organisations should evaluate their own operational performance in relation to animal welfare responsibilities following an emergency.
DPI will also lead the annual update of this Plan with a review including a consultation process every three years. The timing of the review will be such that changes can be reflected in the annual review of the Emergency Management Manual Victoria, the State Emergency Recovery Plan, the Relief Handbook, Municipal Emergency Management Plans and other relevant agency or organisation plans.
