South Australian State Emergency Service

South Australian State Emergency Service (SASES)
Logo of the SASES
Agency overview
Formed1974
Preceding agency
  • Civil Defence (1962 – 1974)
JurisdictionSouth Australia
Headquarters37 Richmond Road, Keswick, South Australia, Australia
EmployeesApprox. 1,800
Annual budgetApprox. AU$18 million
Minister responsible
Agency executives
  • Chris Beattie, Chief Officer (October 2010 - Current)
  • Kristy Phelps, Deputy Chief Officer (March 2025 - Current)
Parent departmentSouth Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM)
Websitehttps://www.ses.sa.gov.au/site/home.jsp

The South Australian State Emergency Service (SASES, commonly known as the SES) is the South Australian branch of the State Emergency Service, a partner of the Australian Council of State Emergency Services (ACSES). The agency, founded in 1962, is a volunteer-based civil defence organisation that prepares and responds to both man-made and natural disasters within the state. It receives, on average, 10,000 calls for assistance per year. The SASES is a separate entity, independent of other state SES organisations, and reports to the South Australian Minister for Emergency Services. The service is funded by a levy imposed on every household in South Australia, and is currently led by Chief Officer Chris Beattie with assistance from the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM).