Chief Minister Gallagher is thanking the volunteers and workers who worked through the recent flooding:
The Chief Minister and Mr Corbell officially thanked workers and volunteers at a special reception at the Legislative Assembly today.
“Our ESA workers, ACT Government staff and volunteers worked tirelessly throughout the flood event to help hundreds of residents in need, and [...]

Simon Corbell has announced the dispatch of 26 volunteers and 2 commanders to help the flood relief in the Riverina.
Two ACTSES taskforces will be deployed this week to the town of Hay, in the south west of the state, to assist the flood ravaged community, following a request for help from the NSW State Emergency [...]

Simon Corbell has issued a thank you to all the emergency services workers who put in the hard yards through the recent rain event.
“Our Emergency Services Agency (ESA) workers and volunteers have worked tirelessly since the rain started mid-last week, and have once again put their own families and safety on hold to help others [...]

Hi everyone,
I recently tried out for the SES and got as far as the information session when I got an email telling me that my application to join was unsuccessful – before I even got the application forms.
I was wondering if there is a Rural Fire Service or any other organisations that need volunteers? [...]

The Daily Telegraph is incensed with the rising wages of the top end of the public service:
Now comes shock news of further federal government largesse, this time directed towards Canberra’s ever-expanding top tier of public servants, some of whom will now haul in annual salaries beyond $700,000.
Once public service pay hits the half-million mark, surely [...]

The ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) has responded to Banks tonight where a large tree is in danger of falling on a house.
The ACTSES Tuggeranong unit is on scene in Pocket Avenue working with the help of the ACT Fire & Rescue Bronto aerial platform to cut down the 12 metre long tree that has [...]

Simon Corbell has announced the launch of the Stormsafe campaign.
“The campaign delivers a very important message for all Canberra households; ‘You don’t have to wear orange to be storm safe’, which encourages all residents of the ACT to think about what they can do to minimise the damage their home could sustain during the coming [...]

The Bureau of Meteorology is warning of a monster cold front coming through tomorrow:
Increasing northwest winds ahead of a strong cold front expected to move through southeastern New South Wales during Tuesday.
Destructive winds averaging 80 km/h with peak gusts around 130 km/h are forecast for parts of the Southern Tablelands and Snowy Mountains forecast districts [...]

ACT Policing and Emergency Services will ‘battle it out’ tomorrow (Friday, 25 February) as part of the Camp Quality’s Verti-COOL Challenge.
ACT Policing, ACT Ambulance Service, ACT Fire Brigade, ACT Rural Fire Service and ACT State Emergency Service will stage its second “Battle of the Badges” for the trophy in the race up the Telstra Tower—this [...]

The ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) is preparing to send another two taskforces to North Queensland to assist in the clean up following Tropical Cyclone Yasi after a request from QLD authorities.
Taskforce Five will depart the Canberra Airport for Cairns on Sunday 20 February, 2011 at 7am for a four day deployment, with the [...]

Simon Corbell is banging the drum for more SES volunteers.
“The ACTSES is seeking another six volunteers for its Pialligo Unit based at Fairbairn,” Mr Corbell said.
“We have seen a great demand for our SES volunteers this summer, and they provide a crucial service to the community in times of need,” Mr Corbell said.
“The Pialligo [...]

The 21 strong ACTSES deployment to QLD have left Canberra Airport to help in the aftermath of Tropical Cyclone Yasi.
ESA Commissioner Mark Crosweller and ACTSES Chief Officer Tony Graham farewelled the deployment who fly to Brisbane and then board a chartered flight to Cairns.
The deployment is due to return to the ACT on [...]

The ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) will send a second task force of ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) members to Queensland tomorrow (Tuesday) to help with the flood emergency.
The 21 person deployment (20 volunteers and one staff member) will replace ACTSES taskforce one and will fly out of Canberra for Brisbane tomorrow morning at [...]

As if the SES deployment to Wollongong didn’t offer enough hints, the Canberra Times today carries warnings that late January and February will see the floodwaters rise around Canberra.
Mr Crosweller said a long-range briefing provided by the Bureau of Meteorology in November had so far proven eerily accurate and the same forecast predicted that [...]

[Simon Corbell sends them off]
7:25pm Thursday 13 January 2011 – ACT to send ACTSES task force to Queensland flood emergency The ACT Emergency Services Agency will send a task force of ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) members to Queensland tomorrow to help with the flood emergency.
The 21 person deployment (20 volunteers and one [...]

This in from the ESA:
8:45am Wednesday 12 January 2011 – Two ACTSES members head to Wollongong The ACT State Emergency Service (ACTSES) has sent two members to NSW SES headquarters in Wollongong today.
The staff member and volunteer will monitor flood incident management operations in expectation of the wet weather making its way south towards [...]

Adam has sent in the above pic of the hail which has just lashed Tuggeranong.
Got more pix of it? Send them to images@the-riotact.com
Slideshow below. Thanks to Kazza The Blank One, Dave F, John Lafferty, Anthony Caffrey, Adam, AndyM and Mark for sending them in.
UPDATE: The ESA’s tale of woe is also below the fold.
FURTHER UPDATE: [...]

Bad news for all the EL2s out there.
The ABC reports that the burgeoning ranks of the public service’s Senior Executive Service are to be reviewed next year.
The Secretary of Prime Minister and Cabinet has flagged a review of the size and role of the senior branch of the Australian Public Service (APS) in the [...]

Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Simon Corbell, is thanking all the workers and volunteers who went out in the rain over the weekend.
“The efforts of the ACT State Emergency Service (SES), with support from the ACT Fire Brigade (ACTFB) and the ACT Rural Fire Service (RFS) were outstanding in assisting fellow Canberrans after several [...]

A reader’s sent in these pictures (slideshow below) of the SES out in this weekend’s glorious weather training in the Murrumbidgee.
I could do with some training myself!

Simon Corbell has today announced the winners of the National Medal for emergency service workers.
The National Medal was established on 14 February 1975 as one of the original elements
of the distinctive Australian system of honours and awards. The Governor-General awards
the National Medal, with nominations made by the Chief Officer of the nominee service.
Mr Corbell presented [...]

The ESA is warning of the risk of flooding tonight [although we note they're in an alternate universe where it's Thursday 13 October 2010]:
The ACT State Emergency Service (ACT SES) has called on the community to be
prepared for the possibility of flash flooding in the ACT and surrounding region in the next
24 hours.
“The [...]

The powers that be are unusually concerned about the forecast for storms over the next couple of months.
Today Simon Corbell is announcing a campaign enouraging you to be safe:
The campaign will feature advice on things Canberra householders can do to prepare their homes including:
– Clear your gutters;
– Secure loose roof tiles;
– Trim overhanging tree branches;
– [...]

Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Simon Corbell, just two days ago announced he was “further strengthening” governance at the Emergency Services Authority.
This morning it’s man overboard as the Emergency Services Commissioner, Gregor Manson, resigned last night.
Simon is thanking Gregor for his efforts over the last three years.
UPDATED: The Liberals’ Brendan Smyth is [...]

Good blow last night eh?
Sky turning weird colours, clouds straight out of a Spielberg movie, continuous rolling thunder, sheets of rain roping in from all angles. Who could ask for more?
But there’s a downside to such entertainment. The ACT Emergency Services Agency has pushed out a note on the work going into the cleanup:
The ACT [...]

[ 12 November, 2008; ] Simon Corbell has announced that you should all be wearing orange tomorrow.

Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Simon Corbell, today called on Canberrans to show their support for the ACT State Emergency Service (ACT SES) tomorrow (12 November) by taking part in the annual ‘Wear Orange To Work Day’.

“This is a great opportunity for [...]

This in from a reliable source:
A number of SES volunteers were on a call out on Saturday night at Mackellar where a house had suffered severe storm and fire damage. As such they set up a lighting tower as well as a number of flashing blue and red lights to warn people and motorists of [...]

Nothing online that I can find, but yesterday a large section (probably 50m by 10m) of steel roof was blown clean off a warehouse in Fyshwick by a very localised wind storm.
The building concerned was on Collie street.
SES volunteers from Belconnen, Woden, and Tuggeranong units, working with harnesses and safety lines due to the height [...]