Emergency Procedures

The South Coast Bush Walking Club Inc. 

SCBW Emergency Process 

Preface: This document summarises the overall framework that provides the basis by which the Club manages emergencies, recognising that accidents are unpredictable and further judgements and actions may be required to meet the needs of a particular incident. 

Definitions 

Leader: the leader of the activity identified in the SCBW Program, who has primary responsibility for managing the activity and any incidents that occur. 

Personal Emergency Contact: the emergency contact nominated by each participant, as recorded in the activity notification lodged by the Activity Leader with the SCBW Secretary. 

Club Emergency Contact: an experienced member of the SCBW Committee designated as a point of contact for the Club in the event of an emergency or the late/delayed return of walkers. 

• SCBW Emergency Contact List
  The list of Club Emergency Contacts is made available to all members. It is emailed to all new members on joining the Club, published on the SCBW website and included in each SCBW Activity Program.
  In the event of any change to the list the SCBW Secretary informs all members of the change and ensures that the webpage is updated promptly.
  
  

• Standard actions prior to each activity. 

  1. The Leader submits a completed Activity Notification Form, which includes details of the activity, the participants, their Personal Emergency Contacts and estimated time of return, by email to scbw.secretary@gmail.com,for Club Emergency Contacts to access in case of an incident or overdue return.
     
     

  2. The Leader should leave a copy of the Activity Notification Form with a responsible person, normally their own Personal Emergency Contact, together with a current copy of the list of Club Emergency Contacts.
     
     

  3. The Leader should ensure that they have the phone numbers of the Club Emergency Contacts with them.
     
     

  4. When walking in remote areas the Leader should carry a registered PLB and ensure that this is recorded on the Activity Notification Form.
     
     

• Actions in the event of a decision to delay return 

  1. The Leader should attempt to contact one of the Club Emergency Contacts to inform them of the delay and the revised expectation for completing the activity.
     
     

  2. The contacted person then calls the Personal Emergency Contact of each participant to let them know the changed arrangements.
     
     

  3. On completion of a delayed activity, the Leader should ensure the Club Emergency Contact is aware of the safe return of the group.
     
     

Note: If contacted about a delay, emergency or other disruption a Club Emergency Contact should ensure other Club Emergency Contacts and the Club President are informed of the situation. 

• Actions in the event of serious injury or other emergency during an activity 

  1. The Leader should endeavour to ensure that the best first aid skills available within the group are promptly utilised.
     
     

  2. The Leader should seek to designate an adequately experienced member of the group to call emergency services. This may require that person to move to a higher elevation to acquire a mobile phone signal. That person should also contact a Club Emergency Contact to inform them of the situation.
     
     

  3. The contacted person calls the Personal Emergency Contacts of the participants to inform them of the situation, if deemed appropriate.
     
     

  4. If the incident occurs in an area with good phone reception the Leader may prefer that participants keep their own Personal Emergency Contacts informed of the situation, in which case the Leader should let a Club Emergency Contact know about the situation.
     
     

• Actions in the event of un-notified overdue return 

  1. On being contacted by a concerned personal contact of a participant, the contacted Club Emergency Contact reviews the Activity Notification Form for the activity and considers next actions in terms of the planned walk and extent to which the group is overdue.
     
     

  2. The Club Emergency Contact should try to contact the Leader by mobile phone and/or SMS to seek an update.
     
     

  3. If feedback is received from the Leader, the Club Emergency Contact calls the Personal Emergency Contact of each participant to inform them of the situation if deemed necessary.
     
     

  4. If no feedback is received from the Leader, the Club Emergency Contact should consider calling the Personal Emergency Contact of each participant to reassure them. If so, it may be appropriate, depending upon the planned activity, to point out that: 

     • sometimes, if a walk is significantly delayed, a Leader may decide to stay out overnight to safely complete the walk in the daylight, and
       
       

     • delayed bushwalkers normally walk out safely the following morning.
       
       

  5. .If the group is overdue by a number of hours and the Activity Notification shows that the Leader is carrying a PLB, the Club Emergency Contact should consider calling the Leader’s Personal Emergency Contact to check if they have been alerted to the PLB being activated.
     
     

  6. If the PLB has been activated the Club Emergency Contact liaises with the Leader’s Personal Emergency Contact and ensures that the Personal Emergency Contacts of all participants are kept informed to the extent necessary.
     
     

  7. If nothing has been heard from the Leader or any other participant by midday of the following day the contacted Club Emergency Contact should discuss the situation with other Club Emergency Contacts and/or the Club President and consider the need to alert the police that walkers are missing.
     
     

• Actions on completion of an activity 

  1. The Leader lets their responsible person, normally their own Personal Emergency Contact, know of the group’s safe return.
     
     

  2. On completion of an activity where an incident or significant delay has occurred the Leader should complete page 2 of the Activity Sign-on Form before lodging it with the SCBW Secretary and should consider submitting a more detailed incident report for consideration by the SCBW Committee.