State Emergency Service

The State Emergency Service (SES) is the name used by a number of separate civil defence organisations in Australia that provide assistance during and after major incidents. Specifically, the services deal with fires, floods, storms and tsunamis, but can also assist in other emergencies, such as vertical and road crash rescues, missing person searches and medical evacuations. The SES also has the capacity to respond to man-made disasters, including nuclear, biological and chemical incidents. In other scenarios, the SES may act in a supporting capacity to assist other agencies, such as police and fire brigades. Most SES divisions are operational 24 hours a day. The SES is constituted as separate organisations under the various Australian states and territories. Eight of the SES organisations co-ordinate through the Australian Council of State and Territory Emergency Services (ACSES).