Someone else was assumed to be in charge
So for a period of time, which I will come to,Ms Nixon was not present, Mr Fontana was not present and Mr Walshe was not present. So the substantive hierarchy in relation to this state’s emergency response plan were not present at the IECC, the SERCC or the POC to coordinate the state’s emergency response plan.
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She indicated that at the time she left that briefing with the fire chiefs that the State of Victoria, on what she had been told, was facing a disaster. Soon after that meeting Ms Nixon left the IECC and went home. Ms Nixon’s justification for leaving was that she had an understanding that Mr Fontana was in place and Mr Walshe would be arriving in the not too distant future. It is unclear how she got that understanding. Despite her earlier evidence, the state coordinator of Displan had not spoken with her delegated deputy, Mr Walshe, at all on 7 February prior to her leaving the IECC at 1800.
No contact was made, as indicated, between chief and deputy. Mr Walshe was not on duty. At 1800 there were no arrangements for him to go on duty. He in fact believed Ms Nixon was on duty.
So everyone assumed that someone else was in charge; even in the face of a disaster.
