OPERATIONAL
EXPRESSION OF INTEREST
Calling all volunteers with a bloody good attitude to work and desire to help others!
Disaster Relief Australia continues to respond to recovery efforts post disaster, right across Australia. Whether its floods, fires, cyclones, or drought- DRA teams are willing to get in the field to help communities get back on track post disaster.
To streamline our processes a singular operational EOI will be current for all active operations. You will be able to select your preferred operation in this EOI. Each wave is up to 7 days, and will likely include a travel day each side. Can’t do 7 days? Don’t worry, you can select preferences and parameters in your EOI.
BEFORE YOU DEPLOY
If you are a DRA Member, Check your Muster profile is at Deployment Ready, all skills and qualifications are up to date and emergency contact details are correct.
If you are a new volunteer, please sign up via our New Member EOI portal.
Remember to keep your tetanus injections up to date (ideally within the past 5 years). Done that? Then you are all set to throw your hat in the ring to be selected for a DRA Operation.
If you need a hand with your Muster profile, just let us know in the EOI and we can help you out! Before you get on the ground, we ask all DRA members to complete the Online Core Operations Course. This course can be accessed via the DRA Training Portal and is designed to help you prepare for your deployment and know what to expect on DRA ops.
Please also you are up to date with all Safe Work Method Statements which can be found HERE.
WHAT IS COVERED WHEN YOU DEPLOY?
- Meals, barracks style accommodation and PPE will be provided by DRA
- DRA transportation from designated RV zones to the Forward Operating Base
- Flights from major airports (operation budget dependent)
WHAT IS NOT COVERED
Taxis, ride-share, airport parking or private transport to/from designated RV zones. Sorry, no home pick ups.
HEALTH & SAFETY
Everyone has Legislated Health and Safety “Duty of Care” to:
- take reasonable care for their own health and safety;
- take reasonable care to ensure they don’t affect the health and safety of other people, for example, other volunteers, members of the public or clients they may be assisting;
- comply, so far as they are reasonably able, with any reasonable instruction that is given to them by the DRA organisation; and
- co-operate with any reasonable policy or procedure that the DRA organisation has provided to them.
Insurance Cover for Volunteers:
Volunteers are volunteers and not employees of DRA. This means they are not covered by workers compensation. Their first recourse of injury cover is Medicare and/or DVA. Any out of pocket expenses not covered can then be submitted through DRA’s Volunteer Insurance Policy.
COVID VACCINATIONS
In accordance with the nationwide relaxation of COVID-19 vaccination mandates, DRA is removing the pre-deployment requirement for members to be vaccinated against COVID-19.
Members who are currently symptomatic will be prevented from deploying and DRA will continue to strictly enforce isolation and testing of members with COVID-symptoms during operations.
DRA continues to recommend that all members be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and seasonal influenza, due to the proven public health and personal safety benefits.
DRA will also continue to monitor the public health situation and revise internal policies accordingly.
FITNESS
Ask yourself this: Are you physically and mentally fit for task? This is hard work and can be emotionally confronting working in communities with residual trauma that comes with living through adversity.
You will be working for up to 7 days straight sometimes in austere conditions. Be honest with yourselves! Please read through the requirements for operations as questioned in the EOI, and make sure you fit the parameters. As you can imagine, we need to look after safety of self as we provide service to those in need. The last thing any of us want is to inadvertently make a situation worse. Therefore you will see there are strong fitness guidelines around DRA deployments.
Your submission of an Expression of Interest (EOI) and acceptance of any Joining Instructions are making legally binding declaration of:
- Your fitness to work, and your own psychological and physical readiness to deploy;
- Your commitment to carrying sufficient personal medically prescribed medicines; and
- If any circumstances arise that change these declarations, that you will advise of the change ASAP.
FINAL NOTE
Please remember that submission of an EOI is not a guarantee of attendance. Check your spam and junk folders for missing communications! You may be contacted by the Mobilisation Team for further information.
Thank you so much for your interest in getting in the field with Disaster Relief Australia! If you have specific questions, drop an email to:
WELLBEING PROJECT DEPLOYMENT SURVEY
When you submit an EOI for deployment commencing after 16 November you will automatically be enrolled to participate in DRA’s Wellbeing Deployment Surveys. If you choose to participate a survey link will be sent to you daily for 14 days around the time of your deployment. Each survey will take approximately 1-to-2-minutes to complete.
The surveys are part of DRA’s Wellbeing Project, which is extremely important to DRA and your participation would be greatly appreciated; however, should you choose to opt-out you can do so when your first survey link is sent to you (it will include an option to opt-out).
Read full details about the Wellbeing Project on the DRA member’s website at https://members.disasterreliefaus.org/wellbeing-project/
OPERATION SALWAY
OPERATION NAME: Salway
LOCATION: Bega Valley
STATUS: APPROVED
WAVE DATES:
ADVON: 11 Feb to 15 Feb 2023
Wave 1: 15 Feb (14 for IMT) to 23 Feb 2023
Wave 2: 22 Feb (21 for IMT) to 02 Mar 2023
Wave 3: 01 Mar (29th Feb for IMT) to 09 Mar 2023.
Wave 4: 08 Mar (07 for IMT) to 16 Mar 2023
Wave 5: 15 Mar (14 for IMT) to 23 Mar 2023
Wave 6: 22 Mar (21 for IMT) to 30 Mar 2023
Wave 7: 29 Mar (28 for IMT) to 06 Apr 2023
Wave 8: 05 Apr (04 for IMT) to 13 Apr 2023
Wave 9: 12 Apr (11 for IMT) to 20 Apr 2023
DEMOB: 20 Apr to 23 Apr 2023 (TBC)
BACKGROUND:
Disaster Relief Australia is currently working with the Bega Valley Council to return to the region to complete long overdue works following the 2019/20 Black Summer Bushfires. This operation will be focussed around the Cobargo area.
In early 2020, Op Ryan was cut short due to COVID-19, DRA attempted to re-commence operations with Op Corkhill Phase 2 in Feb 2021, but these efforts were once again hampered by COVID-19 restrictions. This operation plans to build on the work done during Operation Ryan and Corkhill and return to the community to assist them in their recovery.
Social recovery and community resilience will be enabled by assistance to property owners to rectify remaining damage or debris and take significant steps in community recovery. Economic recovery will be supported by assisting the community, landowners and businesses to rectify property damage, reduce hazards and restore normal levels of activity and productivity.
DRA taskings will include general bushfire clean-up activities including damaged tree clearance, debris management and removal, property access clearing, chainsaw operations, minor fence line repairs, and spontaneous volunteer (Sponvol) management.
EOI Status: EOI’s are now open for this and all upcoming operations.
For any questions, please contact mobilisation@disasterreliefaus.org
OPERATION TBC
OPERATION NAME: TBC
LOCATION: Victorian Central Highlands
STATUS: PENDING
WAVE DATES:
ADVON: 17 April to 19 April 2023
Wave 1: 19 April (18 April for IMT) to 27 April 2023
Wave 2: 26 April (25 April for IMT) to 04 May 2023
Wave 3: 03 May (02 May for IMT) to 11 May 2023
Wave 4: 10 May (09 May for IMT) to 18 May 2023 (PENDING)
DEMOB: (TBC)
BACKGROUND:
DRA’s Field Operations team have announced a pending operation (to be named) in the Victorian Central Highlands Council areas to assist property owners with the damage sustained as a result of the storm events in June 2021.
DRA will be supporting the operation by working in the area in the wake of local contractors, who will have completed high level arborist & machinery work on the properties affected.
The response is scheduled to run for 3 waves and at this stage and will be open to members who are able to self-drive into the area, and who also have chainsaw qualifications.
DRA Volunteers who can self-drive and are chainsaw qualified will be given the highest priority for this Operation, but there will also be an opportunity for volunteers to participate in chainsaw training during the operation if you are looking to gain or increase your level of qualifications.
EOI Status: EOI’s are now open for this and all upcoming operations.
For any questions, please contact mobilisation@disasterreliefaus.org