When disaster strikes it is very likely that the public communication systems will be overloaded. This may mean that important information describing the extent of what has happened may not get to the agencies that should be responding.
Civil Defence Centres have been established in strategic locations to provide community focal points from where direct community intervention can be facilitated, information can be collected and disseminated, and local incidents can be identified, monitored and resolved.
- Community Volunteers (like you, friends or neighbours) are the people that staff Civil Defence Centres.
Emergency Management: The operational role of the volunteers is to ensure that the appropriate people get informed that incidents have occurred, are responding and keeping the Civil Defence Emergency Management Operations Centre up to date with what has happened, how the incident has impacted on the local community, what response has been taken and confirm when problems are resolved.
Additionally Civil Defence Centres provide a valuable welfare facility where members of the local community can congregate, take comfort, receive shelter and gain assistance should it be needed. These provisions are facilitated by Civil Defence Volunteers and managed through a local Civil Defence Welfare Advisory Group.
At the Civil Defence Centre other agencies take responsibility for delivering welfare assistance. Anyone requesting personal assistance will be registered and his or her needs will be identified and managed by an appropriate agency, especially in instances where assistance may be needed after the Civil Defence Emergency response is over.