NSW Government

About the SES

SES Brochure
SES Brochure

The State Emergency Service is an emergency and rescue service dedicated to assisting the community. It is made up almost entirely of volunteers, with 232 Units located throughout New South Wales. The Units comprise of more than 10,000 volunteer members, who are easily identified by their distinctive orange overalls.

While our major responsibilities are for flood and storm operations, the SES also provides the majority of general rescue effort in the rural parts of the state. This includes road accident rescue, vertical rescue, bush search and rescue, evidence searches (both metropolitan and rural) and other forms of specialist rescue that may be required due to local threats. The Service's trained rescuers also support the full-time emergency services during major disasters.

The SES also assists other emergency services when they are performing major operations. These services include the NSW Police Service, the NSW Rural Fire Service, the NSW Fire Brigade and the Ambulance Service of NSW.

Minister for Emergency Services
The Hon. Nathan REES, Member for Toongabbie » more
Community and Corporate Partnerships
The SES is grateful for the support of its' state-wide community partners and acknowledges their generosity. » more
The SES Story
The SES is the most versatile and widely used rescue and public safety organisation in New South Wales » more
Organisational Structure
Today's SES is made up of approximately 10,000 volunteers » more
SES & Councils
The SES is a community-based organisation that exists to protect lives and property. » more
Employment
Thank you for your interest in a career in the State Emergency Service. » more
Governance
The SES is comitted to best practice corporate governance in the NSW Public Sector » more
Annual Reports
Each year the SES prepares an Annual Report of its activities » more
Planning
The SES is responsible for preparing plans for flood and storm emergencies » more
Research Papers
From time to time, members of staff write papers relating to themes they deal with as SES Officers. » more
Links
Follow these links for SES related information and Websites » more