Winds keep SES busy

By Lia Bichel
THE Narre Warren SES unit was flat out after strong winds on Tuesday evening caused minor damage across the City of Casey.
Members of Narre Warren SES attended 43 incidents across the municipality from 4pm Monday to Tuesday afternoon.
Unit controller Tim Howell said the unit was prepared for a busy evening after receiving reports that there would be strong winds.
He said about 80 per cent of incidents were traffic hazards, from fallen trees.
“We had some building damage with tiles blowing of the roof, but most of the incidents were fallen trees,” Mr Howell said.
“Because most of the damage occurred during the evening, most people were asleep in bed and the roads were really quiet, so there were no serious injuries.”
Mr Howell said that while many calls they received were legitimate, some people did not understand that the Narre Warren SES was an emergency service.
“Some people think that we are a building service but we are a professional emergency service that attends incident with the CFA or police.
“To us an emergency is something that could cause serious damage or is life-threatening. If a tree has fallen in the backyard and is lying on the ground and not going anywhere, it is not classed as an emergency,” he said.
“But if it is a call from an elderly, disabled or disadvantaged person and they are concerned about something then we are more than happy to attend.”
Mr Howell said the Narre Warren SES was continuously educating the community about flood and storm emergencies and urged people who have serious concerns to contact the SES on 132 500.