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Emergency Planning Committee - Membership and Terms of Reference

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Section 1 - Establishment

(1) The Emergency Planning Committee was originally established by the Vice-Chancellor in 1997 in accordance with the then Australian Standard. The committee continues to operate under the current Australian Standard, AS3745 Planning for emergencies in facilities; with extended responsibilities.

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Section 2 - Purpose

(2) The purpose of the Emergency Planning Committee is to provide strategic planning and policy formulation for emergency and critical incident management activities relating to staff, students, visitors and premises under the control of Charles Sturt University (the University).

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Section 3 - Glossary

(3) Critical Incident Response Groups (CIRG) - are created on University premises as determined by the Emergency Planning Committee to plan and organise responses to Critical Incidents in accordance with the Critical Incidence Response Group Procedure.

(4) Emergency Control Organisation (ECO) - is the Committee of persons responsible for the documentation and maintenance of the emergency plan including the establishment and maintenance of the University's Emergency Control Organisation and Critical Incident Response Groups.

(5) Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) - is the Committee of persons responsible for the documentation and maintenance of the emergency plan including the establishment and maintenance of the University's Emergency Control Organisation and Critical Incident Response Groups.

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Section 4 - Scope

(6) The Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) is responsible for developing, implementing and monitoring emergency preparedness at Charles Sturt University.

(7) As part of its charter, the EPC will approve amendments to the Site Emergency Procedures, Site Emergency Plan and the Critical Incident Response Group Procedure.

(8) The EPC will report to the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of the University Council through the University Health and Safety Management Committee (UHSMC) on the status of the University's emergency preparedness.

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Section 5 - Membership

(9) The regular members of the Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) shall be:

  1. Director, Operations and Maintenance, Division of Facilities Management (Presiding Officer);
  2. Executive Director, Human Resources;
  3. Manager, Work Health and Safety;
  4. Executive Director, Division of Marketing and Communication;
  5. Executive Director, Division of Information Technology;
  6. Director, Inclusion and Indigenous Strategic Practice Leader, Office for Students;
  7. Manager, Student Central;
  8. Manager, Operations and Maintenance, Division of Facilities Management,;
  9. Manager, Campus Services, Division of Facilities Management, Albury-Wodonga (Chief Warden);
  10. Manager, Campus Services, Division of Facilities Management, Bathurst (Chief Warden);
  11. Manager, Campus Services, Division of Facilities Management, Wagga (Chief Warden);
  12. Manager, Campus Services, Division of Facilities Management, Orange and Dubbo (Chief Warden);
  13. Manager, Work Health and Safety (Facilities), Division of Facilities Management; and
  14. Representative, Academic (Head of School).

(10) The EPC will be serviced by the Division of Facilities Management.

(11) Nominees for the above roles who have the appropriate delegated authority may be appointed to the Committee on the approval of the Executive Director, Division of Facilities Management and the Presiding Officer, EPC.

(12) Right of Audience: The following persons shall be entitled to attend and address meetings of the EPC:

  1. Executive Assistant, to the Executive Director, Division of Facilities Management, (Minutes Secretary); and
  2. Other persons on the approval of the Executive Director, Division of Facilities Managementand the Presiding Officer, EPC.
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Section 6 - Conduct of Meetings

(13) The Presiding Officer shall be appointed by the Executive Director, Division of Facilities Management. The Presiding Officer will usually be the Director, Operations and Maintenance, Division of Facilities Management.

(14) Decisions of the Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) shall be by consensus wherever possible. When this is not feasible, decisions shall be taken by a majority vote.

(15) The EPC shall meet quarterly, or at any other time when considered necessary by the members, subject to reasonable notice. Meetings may be face to face, at venues to be agreed, or by teleconference or videoconference.

(16) The EPC may co-opt expert advice from other persons within or external to the University as required from time to time.

(17) A quorate meeting shall consist of a minimum of half the current membership plus one.

(18) Minutes of meetings of the EPC shall be prepared by or at the direction of the Presiding Officer and shall be transmitted to the EPC members as soon as possible after each meeting. Minutes shall also be made available to:

  1. Executive Director, Division of Facilities Management
  2. Minute Secretary, University Safety and Health Management Committee's
  3. Reports: Standing Emergency Planning Committee agenda items will include the following reports:
    1. Performance against established objectives
    2. Minutes of meetings of each campus Critical Incident Response Group
    3. Manager, Work Health and Safety (Facilities)on the status of the University's Emergency Control Organisation compliance and other related activities.
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Section 7 - Terms of Reference

(19) The Emergency Planning Committee (EPC) will exercise the following functions for and on behalf of the University:

  1. set the standards in emergency and critical incident management through policy, guidelines and template plans;
  2. determine performance indicators and measure outcomes against these indicators;
  3. provide an annual report on all aspects of emergency and critical incident management within the University. The report will be forwarded to the USHMC for the information of the Finance, Audit and Risk Committee of the University Council;
  4. ensure a consistent approach to emergency and critical incident management across the University;
  5. receive and act upon issues that cannot be resolved at campus level;
  6. ensure that adequate resources and training are available to maintain the campus Emergency Control Organisation and Critical Incident Response Groups to enable them to perform their roles;
  7. coordinate the promotion of emergency and critical incident management functions across the University; and
  8. identify and rectify deficiencies and opportunities for improvement, in the emergency plan and critical response procedures.