From fires to floods: How Coates supports emergency response

From fires to floods: How Coates supports emergency response

When major climate events threaten homes, lives and communities, Coates supports the emergency response - find out how

From catastrophic floods, cyclones and bushfires to devastating droughts, every year Australia is plagued by a growing number of natural disasters. Recent reports show the significant impact these events have on communities - threatening lives, displacing people and destroying homes, businesses and infrastructure.

• In Australia, 23,000 people are displaced by disasters each year.¹

• 80% of Australians have experienced some form of extreme weather disaster since 2019, resulting from events such as heatwaves, floods, bushfires, droughts and storms.²

• Of the 10.9 million dwellings in Australia, approximately 5.6 million are currently at risk of bushfire; 953,000 are vulnerable to flooding; and 17,500 are threatened by coastal erosion.³

Behind every coordinated emergency response are the people, logistics, equipment and temporary infrastructure that make it possible.

"Responding to major environmental events requires an immense and highly coordinated effort, led by emergency services and supported by thousands of personnel and volunteers that put their lives on the line," says Jarrad Whitby, National Manager - Traffic and Events at Coates.

"Just as critical is the support that enables these teams to operate effectively - providing essential equipment and facilities to bring emergency situations under control, and to meet the response teams' basic need for food, shelter, hygiene and rest. We're proud to support emergency services, government agencies, local councils and communities when they need it most."

Accelerating the emergency response

Timing is critical during environmental disasters. Coates was recently appointed to the National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS) Panel, a federal government initiative to provide faster and more localised access to critical resources during emergency response situations.

Through this panel, local, state and federal emergency agencies can directly engage Coates to provide a range of specialist services and equipment, including:

• Power generation equipment (including establishment, installation, operation and demobilisation)

• Dewatering (flood) pumps

• Storage containers

• Fuel storage

• Marquees

• Setup and breakdown of semi-rigid shelters and tents in camps

"Coates has supported the response to major environmental events for more than 15 years, providing turnkey solutions that simplify operations; offer accountability; streamline coordination; and provide agencies with a single source and point of contact," says Jarrad. "Coates' selection for this panel allows us to continue this work, serving communities as a trusted partner in Australia's emergency response efforts."

Providing a rapid and reliable response

When disaster strikes, Coates works around the clock to get the right equipment, services and temporary infrastructure to where it needs to be. "We understand what's needed at every stage of the emergency response," says Jarrad. "Coates is also capable of delivering temporary infrastructure at scale and at speed, very quickly sourcing and delivering on almost anything that response agencies need."

Coates' complete site solutions include:

• Equipment hire: Generators, air conditioning units, lighting, portable buildings, ablution blocks, traffic management and much more

• Fuel solutions: On-site refuelling, including biofuel options; bulk fuel storage with fuel cells and tanks; ideal for brownfield sites

• 24/7 field support: Supply of consumables, daily sewage pump outs, cleaners, security guards, and other critical site services and amenities

• Turnkey project management: Key contact to manage the project from start to finish, including equipment hire, transport, installation, trades, site services and more.

Our rapid response is backed by:

• An experienced national team

• One of Australia's largest fleets across all key equipment categories

• An efficient transport and logistics network to quickly source and mobilise support

• National coverage with metro, regional and remote branches and established local contractor relationships.

"By providing these turnkey services, we reduce the operational burden on agencies, allowing them to stay focused on front-line response," says Jarrad.

Emergency response in action

When the Northern Rivers floods struck NSW in 2022, Coates mobilised quickly to support recovery efforts. In just 48 hours the team delivered a powered, fuelled and equipped 500-bed base camp for the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) at Wollongbar.

The site featured shower units; toilet blocks; 1,800 square metres of flooring and walkways; a large dining marquee; essential consumables; lighting towers; air conditioning for more than 50 tents; regular fuel supply and storage for 30,000 litres of diesel and 2,000 litres of unleaded fuel. "Our solution was vital to support the RFS' relief and wider recovery effort - whatever the RFS asked for, we supplied," says Jarrad.

As seasonal floods continue to impact communities across NSW in 2025, Coates is working with regional councils, local and state emergency response teams. "Coates continues to provide equipment and services to aid widespread recovery efforts and clean-up operations this winter," says Jarrad. "Our local branches are also supplying high-demand gear such as carpet dryers, wet/dry vacuums and more to residents from the Hunter to the Mid North Coast."

Find out how an end-to-end solution from Coates can support your next major event.

Sources

¹University of Queensland. 2024. Forecasting Australia's disaster migration future, UQ News, 2 October 2024

²Climate Trauma: The growing toll of climate change on the mental health of Australians

³Domain Research (2024). Perils - The risk to Australia's property market, 3 June 2024

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