Emergency preparedness prioritised in successful Show activation

09/10/2025, 12:04 PM

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) has been recognised for its commitment to preparing Victorian communities for emergencies, receiving the Gold Award for Community Connection for the first time as part of the 2025 Melbourne Royal Show Exhibitor Awards.

Throughout the event, some 80 VICSES volunteers and staff from throughout Victoria came together to call on attendees to ‘do one thing’ which would ensure they were prepared in the event of an emergency, such as clearing gutters, planning for power outages, securing outdoor items, trimming tree branches or creating an emergency plan.

Having taken home the silver award in 2023 and 2024, VICSES was determined to top the podium this time around, debuting a purpose-built inflatable rescue boat and showcasing a host of other interactive exhibits to spark meaningful conversations around emergency preparedness as Victoria enters its High Risk Weather Season.

Developed in the months preceding the event, the inflatable rescue boat fitted out by AAMI was designed to be the focal point of VICSES community engagement activations into the future, allowing children and adults an insight into the variety of skills VICSES volunteers possess to affect successful rescues across the state.

VICSES volunteers Riley, Declan, Liz and Tracey were among 80 VICSES volunteers and staff who engaged directly with the community at the 2025 Melbourne Royal Show.

The site also featured a miniature VICSES truck built for children, a snakes (floods) and ladders game highlighting important storm and flood preparedness actions, and a colouring corner where kids could stay entertained while adults discussed how best to prepare their home for emergencies.

Minister for Emergency Services, The Hon. Vicki Ward made a special appearance to engage with VICSES members on site, while senior VICSES leadership including Chief Officer Operations Alistair Drayton and Deputy Chief Officers Greg Swindells and Ray Jasper also provided in-person support to the activation at varying times.

The Melbourne Royal Show is VICSES’ largest community engagement activation of the year made possible thanks to our community partnership with AAMI, with thousands visiting the VICSES site throughout and more than 900 making formal commitments to take proactive steps to ensure their home and family is prepared over the coming months.

VICSES' purpose-built inflatable rescue boat was the focal point of this year's community engagement activation.

This year’s show attracted approximately 400,000 visitors over its 11-day duration, highlighting the important opportunity it provides for emergency services to interact with Victorians and promote lasting behavioural change around emergency preparedness.

For more information about actions you can take to be storm and flood ready, visit www.ses.vic.gov.au/do1thing.