SES volunteers using own funds to pay for rescue equipment

The good will of SES volunteers is being stretched thin, as some units dip into their own pockets for resources while awaiting additional funds.

State Emergency Service volunteers are dipping into personal funds to pay for fuel and other key resources in the line of duty, with the organisation labelled the “poor cousins” of other emergency response groups such as the CFA.

It comes as the volunteer-led organisation responded to thousands of calls for help when wild weather lashed parts of the state in the past week, with the service responding to almost 5000 requests for assistance in a 40-hour period.

Colac SES unit control Steve Tevelein said circumstances for volunteers statewide were only getting worse, with both increasing frequency of severe storm events, and delayed resupply and reimbursement times post-storm events.

Mr Tevelein has in the past dipped into his own money to pay for SES resources.

“When I first started, after major weather events resupply for oils, chainsaws, fuel, we’d be reimbursed within four to six weeks. Now it’s six to eight months,” Mr Tevelein said.

“We make do with what we’ve got and we improvise. It never once hinders our ability for road rescue, but for storm recovery … a small unit could be brought to their knees in a matter of weeks.”

Mr Tevelein said the Colac unit – one of the largest in the state – received about $30,000 in state government funding, with any additional funds generated via fundraising.

“Some units are funded less than $10,000 a year,” Mr Tevelein said. 


“It costs me $20,000 a year to run my unit. I’d hate to be the finance person trying to balance their books.”

The SES responded to about 6000 tree-down emergencies statewide since August 27, with almost 5000 requests for assistance lodged in a 40-hour period from September 1.

In 2022-23 there were 4869 volunteers, who responded to just shy of 33,000 incidents, including 16,927 storm incidents and 1511 road crash rescues.

Storm and wind damage across Victoria early last week, which resulted in thousands of calls for assistance. Picture: Bendigo SES

SES Footscray unit controller Mike Bagnall is involved in the Fund VicSES group, which is calling for an improved funding structure for the organisation.

He said each unit receives one state-funded vehicle, but 63 per cent of the state’s fleet is purchased with fundraiser money, with most units running three to four vehicles.

“There is no money to spare whatsoever. We are seeing through climate change a massive increase in demand for our services, we are seeing a massive increase in assisting police and ambulance jobs,” Mr Bagnall said.

Shadow Emergency Services minister Richard Riordan said the SES was being treated like the “poor cousins” of other services, while volunteers work “flat out on their fundraising” to purchase large items of equipment while awaiting government top-up funds.