The Queensland Police Service (QPS), Acting Commissioner Shane Chelepy, serves as the State Disaster Coordinator overseeing disaster response and coordination across Queensland.

In 2024, Queensland experienced a pivotal transformation in its emergency preparedness with the implementation of the state's most significant disaster and emergency management reforms. These reforms have fortified Queensland's ability to tackle fires, disasters, and emergencies with enhanced resilience and capability.

The QPS has expanded its functions to include the Emergency Management Coordination Command (EMCC), which collaborates closely with local, district, and state partners to support and manage disaster operations. Additionally, the integration of Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) and the State Emergency Service (SES) into the QPS has streamlined coordination and resource allocation, ensuring a more efficient and effective emergency response system. These changes have strengthened existing relationships across services and enhanced the state's coordinated response during natural disasters and emergencies. The reforms have ensured that Queenslanders continue to receive world-class emergency and disaster management responses.

Reflecting on the past twelve months since the reforms, Acting Commissioner Chelepy discusses the lessons learned from the recent disaster season including activation of the State Disaster Coordination Centre to respond to major flooding in North Queensland and to prepare and respond to Tropical Cyclone Alfred as it hovered and then crossed the Queensland coast earlier this year.