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Emergencies

The Department of Justice is responsible for the planning, management and ensuring delivery of Victoria's emergency services and telecommunications.

This section provides information about:

• the range of Victorian emergency services provided by government agencies and other organisations
• Victoria's emergency planning and management arrangements involving the emergency services and many other organisations
• Victoria's emergency communications, which are currently experiencing major upgrades across the State's emergency service organisations.

What is an 'emergency'?

The Emergency Management Act 1986 defines an 'emergency' as an emergency due to the actual or imminent occurrence of an event which:

• endangers or threatens to endanger the safety or health of any person in Victoria
• destroys or damages, or threatens to destroy or damage, any property in Victoria
• endangers or threatens to endanger the environment or an element of the environment in Victoria, including:
  • an earthquake, flood, wind-storm or other natural event
  • a fire
  • an explosion
  • a road accident or any other accident
  • a plague or an epidemic
  • a warlike act, whether directed at Victoria or a part of Victoria or at any other State or Territory of the Commonwealth
  • a hi-jack, siege or riot
  • a disruption to an essential service.