Response, recovery and resilience

For over 80 years, The Salvation Army Emergency Services have been trusted by Australians in need, thanks to our rapid response and tailored solutions in times of crisis. Recognised as a fully compliant and top-tier service, we deploy response and recovery personnel to support immediate, life-sustaining needs in large-scale crises — all made possible through the generosity of the Australian public, volunteers, and our partners.  

We value a strong relationship with government and first responding agencies, and engagement with business, not-for-profit and academic forums strengthens our advocacy voice. Our data collection provides rich opportunities for research and program development, as well as highlighting the impact a dedicated workforce has on life-reclaiming outcomes for the people we serve.

Through years of experience in helping people through crisis, we understand that emergencies can have a destabilising and traumatic impact on those affected. No one should have to go it alone. That’s why when a disaster strikes, we are ready to meet people at their point of need. As with most emergencies, those in the line of impact often have little or no time to react, and often need immediate help.  
 
Emergency Services can provide immediate financial and practical assistance, with no long forms to fill out or long waiting periods.  
 
We focus on the restoration of physical, emotional and economic wellbeing of those affected. To achieve this, we collaborate seamlessly with other Salvos services to offer a national network of community services, drawing on experts in a range of areas to assist in the recovery journey.

These collaborations include: 

• Catering teams, who are among the first relief teams to respond in the impacted area after disaster strikes.
• Chaplains and support workers deployed to evacuation, relief and recovery centres, homes, schools or other community settings, to work alongside individuals or groups impacted.
• Recovery specialists providing immediate assistance with cash, hardship grants and goods.
• Financial counsellors who help people affected work through complex, longer-term financial challenges.
• Employment and training services.

When the emergency is over, we remain with communities to provide long-term support with services that reflect the needs of the community. This holistic care can be provided for months and years to those affected.

Emergency Services coordinates the immediate emergency response and essential recovery needs of families and communities impacted by a disaster through:

• Resilience — our aim is to integrate disaster risk recovery and resilience into our model of care. Our focus on resilience strives to collaborate with families and communities, to identify opportunities and risks, strengthen coping strategies and leverage their existing strengths to restore livelihoods amidst compounding crises.
• Response — deployed with first responders in the immediate aftermath of a disaster, we provide catering and establish safe and friendly rest areas. When the incident managers (usually government) establish evacuation or relief centres, we also provide refreshments, meals, material aid and a friend to talk to.
• Recovery — a coordinated process that can involve a wide range of Salvos services. At the invitation of incident management, our Recovery team provides essential assistance, including financial hardship aid, material support, chaplaincy services and helps navigate referral pathways. Throughout what can be a protracted recovery journey which can span months to years, The Salvos can provide financial counselling and case management. The Salvos have been and continue to be deeply committed to being there for the long haul, to help people rebuild their lives and livelihoods.