SAFECOM's Responsibilities

SAFECOM was established to provide for the governance, strategic and policy co-oversight of South Australia’s three emergency services agencies. Established as a stand alone agency to deliver crucial support and enabling services to the emergency services, SAFECOM also in some emergency situations leads the management functions from a strategic perspective, for example the Rapid Antigen Test Distribution Program across South Australia during the recent COVID Delta Strain outbreak of 2022.

SAFECOM’s core duty is to create systems and cultures that protect the safety and welfare of all fire and emergency services personnel - whether they be paid staff or volunteers. Working with the State Government, SAFECOM sets a program of priorities and is budgeted to provide service delivery against standards of performance set annually through the budget process.

Providing strategic leadership in whole of government emergency management at a state and national level, SAFECOM is a member of the Australia-New Zealand Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC) and the Senior Officials Group for the Ministerial Council on Police and Emergency Management. SAFECOM additionally represents South Australia in national emergency management, resilience and risk reduction policy development, strategic projects, reviews and other emergency management initiatives.

SAFECOM is a member of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC), all five SEMC Advisory Groups, leads and/or contributes to state strategic projects and is lead agency for disaster resilience in South Australia and also administers the Natural Disaster Resilience Program, coordinates the South Australia component of the Resilient Australia Awards, and leads and coordinates the State Logistics Functional Support Group.