Preparing for an emergency takes time. Being part of a team responsible for preparing hundreds of people responding to an emergency takes a lot of time and energy.
Project Leader Emergency Management Amy Barnes said her role in regional emergency preparedness has led her to be part of a multiagency working group, who worked together to organise and deliver the Level 3 Incident Management Team and the Regional Control Team/Regional Emergency Management Team briefings for Loddon Mallee.
"A lot of time and energy goes into making the briefing and exercise components engaging and valuable to our attendees, and this year a huge amount of effort went into the exercise with the creation of content through video.
“Pre-season briefings and exercising is really important to ensure our people are up to date on relevant changes within the sector ahead of our response season. It also gives a really good opportunity for people from all agencies to come together and interact outside of a high-pressure response situation so that when we are called on for events, even if you don’t know everyone, there are some familiar faces.
“Since starting as a Project Firefighter in 2011, I have always held an emergency role and really enjoy this side of our business and being able to support community. My current roles are operations officer level 1, incident controller level 1 / District Duty Officer, situation officer level 2.
“While I’m no longer a Lieutenant with CFA Huntly, I’m still involved. It’s more challenging to drop everything and respond now that I am a mum, but I like to go when I can and I often take my daughter with me for truck checks, she loves to see the ‘nee naws’.”
