The Hills Local Emergency Management Committee

The State Emergency Rescue and Management Act, 1989 recognises that the involvement of Local Government in all stages of an emergency is critical.

Accordingly the structure provides that a local government authority will establish a Local Emergency Management Committee and that a senior representative of the Council will chair the Committee made up of senior local representatives of each emergency service operating in the local area.

Council is also required to provide executive support facilities for the Committee and the Local Emergency Operations Controller (LEOCON) (Senior Police Officer) and this support is provided by a senior officer of Council who is known as the Local Emergency Management Officer (LEMO).

In The Hills Shire the local committee is made up of 14 organisations:

• The Hills Shire Council 
• NSW Police Service
• Fire and Rescue NSW
• Ambulance Service of NSW 
• NSW Rural Fire Service 
• NSW State Emergency Service 
• NSW Department of Community Services
• NSW Department of Health 
• NSW Department of Primary Industries 
• Western Sydney Area Health Service 
• Australian Red Cross 
• The Hills Private Hospital 
• Westmead Hospital 
• M2 Hills Motorway 

About the Committee

The Chairman of The Hills Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) is Michael Lathlean (Manager - Operations), who is also the LEMO.

The Local Emergency Operations Controller (LEOCON) is Superintendent Susan Waites, Commander – Hills Local Area Command.

The Committee meet three times during the year.