Emergency response upgrade for Horsham

Emergency response capability in Horsham will be improved by the opening of a new incident control centre at Forest Fire Management Victoria’s depot.

The multiagency response facility has the latest design and compliance standards — providing more functional space for all emergency management staff.

The state government’s $1.65 million upgrade will provide improved radio, telephone and data communications infrastructure to sustain communications in significant multiagency incidents, and ensure the reliability of back-up power during outages.

The new centre is now set up and ready to respond to fire and floods, and will also provide systems and equipment to allow for expanded use of digital information technology during large and complex incidents.

“The Horsham Incident Control Centre is one of the largest in the state covering about 2.7 million hectares — this upgrade is a vital step in better managing severe fire and floods,” said Minister for Energy, Environment and Climate Change Lily D’Ambrosio.

During the last four years it has been the management centre for the 35,000-hectare Victoria Valley Complex, 50,000-hectare Northern Grampians Complex, 4500-hectare Moyston and 4000-hectare Black Range-Rees Road fires.

Consultation on the design of the facility was carried out with Forest Fire Management Victoria, the CFA, Victoria Police, State Emergency Services, Parks Victoria, VicRoads, and Department of Health and Human Services, who all form the emergency management team for an incident.

Image credit: ©stock.adobe.com/au/thanarak

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