Western Australia State Emergency Service (Australia)

Last modified: 2016-02-27 by ian macdonald
Keywords: western australia | emergency service |
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image located by Valentin Poposki, 25 August 2013

• Description of the flag

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• Australia
• Western Australia
• Index of Australian flag pages

Description of the flag

The State Emergency Service is a volunteer based service providing assistance to the community in natural and man-made emergencies. Best known for natural disaster response, they also have search and rescue responsibilities, especially in remote areas. (About the SES: http://www.ses-wa.asn.au/node/31).

This flag posted by Vanja (which can be found at http://www.ses-wa.asn.au/node/2026 was adopted after the SES became a division of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services in November 2012, which replaced the Fire and Emergency Services Authority. It has proportions 1:2, with an orange (PMS 165) and white Battenberg-style chequered pattern (5x2 squares) occupying 1/5 of the flag at the hoist. The pattern is used as a symbol of emergency services, with the colours orange and white being used by State Emergency Services across Australia, following the PPE wear worn by the volunteers.

The rest of the field is also orange, with the SES logo in the centre of the remainder of the flag. The logo is a yellow disk with a black swan, similar to the state badge, although in this case the swan is shown with wings upraised and mouth open in a threatening posture, and the text "WE SERVE" is included in black below the swan. The disk is contained by a black and white border, with the text "STATE EMERGENCY SERVICE" above and "WESTERN AUSTRALIA" below the disk.

The flag and its use are described by the Flag Protocols ratified by the SES Volunteer Association committee on 1 July 2013 (http://www.ses-wa.asn.au/node/2035 [which includes a misspelt reference to vexillology]). The origin of an orange flag for the SES goes back to discussions at a Volunteer Day celebration at Kings Park (Perth) on 5 December 2001 (the International Year of the Volunteer). The original flag can be seen in a photo of a flag presentation in 2010 at http://www.ses-wa.asn.au/node/747. It was different only in that the the logo of the FESA - the text "FESA" in white under two white arcs - appeared with the SES logo, above it. The removal of the FESA logo allowed the SES logo to be enlarged. The new flags were intended to be in use by April 2013.
Jonathan Dixon, 2 September 2013