SES Manningham Unit

26/08/2026

It’s International Dog Day 🐶🐾
We’re happy we don’t have any dog disaster stories to share, but we do have some important dogs that we want to acknowledge today.

Manningham unit have furry friends among our members, but we wanted to highlight one special member who has been a volunteer puppy carer with Vision Australia Seeing Eye Dogs for 12 years.

We’re not sure where she finds the time to train these “working” puppies while also being a Manningham SES member, but she wanted to share this message with our community:

“ I love teaching them to be calm, well behaved puppies in public spaces. One thing people may not know, is that they need to pretend that the puppies aren't there - they need to learn that they are not the centre of attention. Which is ridiculous, because they are so gorgeous they can't help but draw everyone's eyes!”

We thank these four-legged heroes (and their volunteer partners) who lend a paw to people who are blind or have low vision to offer their person a chance to live an independent life.

24/08/2026

☔ More rain this week!
Flooding can happen anywhere, at any time. Even if you don't live near a waterway like a river or creek, your area may still be prone to flooding.
Read your local flood guide today to understand the risks in your neighbourhood and how to prepare:
https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/plan-and-stay-safe/flood-guides/manningham-city-council

19/08/2026

Be aware and prepare for damaging winds today:
* If driving conditions are dangerous, safely pull over away from trees, drains, low-lying areas and floodwater. Avoid travel if possible.
* Stay safe by avoiding dangerous hazards, such as floodwater, mud, debris, damaged roads and fallen trees.
* Be aware - heat, fire or recent storms may make trees unstable and more likely to fall when it's windy or wet.
* Check that loose items, such as outdoor settings, umbrellas and trampolines are safely secured. Move vehicles under cover or away from trees.
* Stay indoors and away from windows.
* If outdoors, move to a safe place indoors. Stay away from trees, drains, gutters, creeks and waterways.
* Stay away from fallen powerlines - always assume they are live.
* Stay informed: Monitor weather warnings, forecasts and river levels at the Bureau of Meteorology website, and warnings through VicEmergency - Central VicEmergency

Damaging winds are expected across Greater Melbourne and the central ranges tomorrow morning, Wednesday 19 August 2026.

📍 Central ranges
Winds averaging 60 to 70 km/h with peak gusts of around 90 km/h are possible from early Wednesday morning.

📍 Greater Melbourne
After sunrise, these winds may extend into Melbourne and parts of the Mornington and Bellarine Peninsulas.

🕝 Conditions are expected to ease by the afternoon.

You should prepare tonight:
🚗 Park your car undercover.
☂️ Secure outdoor furniture, umbrellas and trampolines.
📲 Stay informed by creating a watch zone on the VicEmergency app.

Take care when travelling tomorrow morning. For emergency storm assistance, like fallen trees on roads or blocking access, call the Victoria State Emergency Service on 132 500.

17/08/2026

VICSES volunteers provide crucial assistance to their communities during storms, flood events and other emergencies

13/08/2026

This week’s training was run by one of our newer volunteers, with support from the training team.

The evening focused on two winching activities designed to simulate situations our volunteers may encounter in the field. The aim was to build confidence in setting up and operating winching equipment, while also challenging crews to assess the situation, communicate effectively and adapt their approach.

For the training organiser, it was also a valuable opportunity to put their planning and teaching skills into practice. The biggest lesson from the evening was that you shouldn’t change too many variables at once — when teaching a new skill, use a familiar environment, or when using an unfamiliar environment, stick with a skill the team already knows.

A great learning experience for everyone involved, and another example of our volunteers learning from each other while building the skills needed to safely support our community.

08/08/2026

😸 Happy International Cat Day!
Today, we’re celebrating the ‘meowvelous’ cats we’ve rescued from all sorts of tricky places.
And, yes, this one had a happy ending too. It was safely retrieved from under the house and returned back to its pawrents.

06/08/2026

Calling all local legends! 🧡

The SES Manningham Unit is on the lookout for new recruits to help protect our community through storms, flooding, rescues and more. As a VICSES volunteer, you’ll work alongside like-minded people to gain a whole new skill set while making a real difference in our community.

Come on down to our upcoming information session to meet our awesome crew, ask any questions and find out more about what it’s really like to be a VICSES volunteer.

📅 When: Tuesday 11th August
🕙 Time: 7:00pm - 8:30pm
🗺️ Where: 620 Blackburn Rd Doncaster

More information and how to apply: www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us

03/08/2026

It's National Missing Persons Week - a time to raise awareness of the issues surrounding missing persons, as well as attempts to reduce the number and the impact of missing persons in Australia.
VICSES volunteers play a crucial role in supporting Victoria Police in search operations across the state. They are highly trained to navigate specialised terrain in remote and harsh environments.
🔎 Find out more about search and rescue roles at VICSES on our website:
https://www.ses.vic.gov.au/join-us/volunteer-opportunities/search-and-rescue

03/08/2026

🚨Car into building - Call out 🚨

Around 1:00 am this morning SES Manningham volunteers were called out along with CFA, Victoria Police, Ambulance Victoria and Fire Rescue Victoria to a car that had driven into the side of a residential building.

Crews were quick to respond and assist with repairing the structural integrity of the building.

Thankfully there were no injuries and minimal damage to the front of the property.

02/08/2026

On another beautiful winter morning around 9:00 am, SES Manningham turned out to local property where the pump to a external water tank had failed and already flooded the cellar and basement.

Volunteer crews quickly set up a submersible pump to relocate the now eight thousand litres of water following from the tank. A main concern was the rising water level reaching in the kitchen above and surrounding electricity outputs which would have caused further damage but was avoided with the crews quick actions.