What Is VICSES and When Should You Call It?

VICSES (Victoria State Emergency Service) is the control agency for flood, storm, tsunami, earthquake and landslide emergencies across Victoria, and it runs Australia's largest Road Crash Rescue network, with specialist teams in 104 of its 150 units statewide. Call VICSES on 132 500 for flood and storm emergencies that need assistance but are not life-threatening; call Triple Zero (000) immediately if a situation is life-threatening.

What VICSES is responsible for

VICSES describes itself as the control agency for these hazards across Victoria:

• Flood
• Storm
• Tsunami
• Earthquake
• Landslide

It also provides the largest Road Crash Rescue network in Australia, with specialist teams in 104 of its 150 units across the state. Alongside emergency response, VICSES works on emergency management and training, community resilience, and municipal and state-level emergency planning.

When to call 132 500 vs 000

The distinction matters: 132 500 reaches VICSES for flood and storm assistance, while 000 is for emergencies where life is at risk. For warnings and current incidents, VICSES points to VicEmergency warnings and BOM weather and warnings rather than its own phone line.

How VICSES fits with warnings and forecasts

VICSES does not issue all the warnings you will see during a hazard. Its site directs people to:

• VicEmergency warnings — for emergency warnings and incidents
• BOM weather and warnings — for weather forecasts and warnings

VICSES's own role is as the control agency for the hazards listed above, so its guidance focuses on what to do before, during and after those events rather than on being the single source of all alerts.

Preparing before an emergency

VICSES publishes planning material under "Plan and stay safe," covering what to do in an emergency and how to create an emergency plan. The planning pages are split by context:

• At home
• At work
• On holidays
• At school

There is also guidance on recovery after an emergency and information in other languages.

Local flood guides

VICSES offers Local Flood Guides so you can understand your local flood risk and prepare for a flood emergency. If you live or work in a flood-prone area, finding your local guide is a concrete first step, because flood risk varies by location rather than being uniform across Victoria.

Storm preparedness

VICSES notes that storms can occur anywhere and at any time, and that there are actions you can take to keep yourself and your property safe. Its storm preparedness material sits alongside campaigns such as "Are you storm ready?" and "Be Storm Smart."

Volunteering with VICSES

VICSES describes its volunteers as the backbone of the organisation, coming from all walks of life, ages and backgrounds, responding to floods, storms, rescues and more throughout the year. The site lists volunteer pathways including:

• Responding to storms
• Rescue boat
• Community engagement
• Search and rescue
• Road crash rescue
• Roles for juniors
• Training for new volunteers

There are also dedicated pages for employers of volunteers and families of volunteers, which is useful if you are weighing up the commitment alongside work or family responsibilities.

Quick reference

• What it is: Victoria's control agency for flood, storm, tsunami, earthquake and landslide, plus a statewide Road Crash Rescue network.
• Flood/storm assistance: 132 500
• Life-threatening emergency: Triple Zero (000)
• Warnings: VicEmergency; Weather: BOM
• Prepare: Local Flood Guides, storm preparedness, and emergency plans for home, work, holidays and school.
• Get involved: Volunteer roles range from storm response to community engagement and road crash rescue.