Join us

Cockburn SES currently has a waitlist to join. Email your interest to: volunteer@cockburnses.org.au 

What SES volunteers do

SES volunteers help keep the community safe by undertaking a range of activities including

  • storm damage operations such as removing fallen trees from houses, tarping damaged roofs, and propping structurally damaged homes.
  • propping and securing homes damaged through other causes such as car accidents
  • assisting the police with searches for missing persons or objects of interest
  • providing logistical support to other agencies; for example transporting bushfire fighters and reloading water bombers.
  • please note that SES volunteers do not fight fires.

Each unit is responsible for a given area, but may be called upon to assist neighbouring units. Experienced members may also be called upon to help with disaster response anywhere in Australia.

In order to provide these services, SES volunteers undertake extensive training. Cockburn SES trains every Tuesday night 7pm–9:30pm. Weekly training nights usually involve informal training to reinforce knowledge, skills and teamwork. Formal training courses also run throughout the year, usually on weekends. Courses include

  • Urban search and rescue
  • Storm damage operations
  • Chainsaw operations
  • Search techniques
  • Air search
  • First aid
  • Map reading and navigation
  • Communications
  • Operations

For more details on course and qualifications, see the training page.

Why volunteer?

There are many benefits to becoming an SES volunteer. These include

  • the chance to help others
  • opportunities to gain new skills and attain qualifications
  • opportunities for personal development in areas such as initiative, teamwork and leadership
  • opportunities to make friends

Become a volunteer

Cockburn SES has a waitlist to join. You’re welcome to register your interest at: volunteer@cockburnses.org.au

SES volunteers generally join the unit that covers the area in which they live. If you live in the City of Cockburn, the City of Fremantle, or the Town of East Fremantle, then Cockburn SES is your SES unit. If you live outside this area, call DFES’s Recruitment Hotline on 1800 628 141 to find out which unit you should join.

Your first step to joining Cockburn SES is to make contact. Email us at: cockburnses@cockburnses.org.au

Cockburn SES has one to two intake nights each year usually at the start and during the middle of the year. Each intake session is followed shortly after by an induction course.  Prospective members are highly recommended to attend both, as these are specially designed to make your induction both efficient and great fun. However, if you are unable to attend one or both events, you can still join up. Just make contact and we’ll see what we can arrange.