Coates has been appointed to the National Emergency Management Stockpile (NEMS) Panel.
The NEMS Panel is an Australian Government initiative that brings together trusted local suppliers of essential emergency goods and services under a streamlined purchasing system. It enables Commonwealth, state, territory, and local government agencies to quickly access critical resources, such as generators and flood mitigation equipment, before and during crisis and emergency response situations.
Through this panel, Commonwealth, state, territory, and local government agencies can now engage Coates to provide the following equipment and specialist services:
- 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
“Being selected for the NEMS panel reinforces Coates’ role as a trusted partner in Australia’s emergency response efforts,” said Stephen Cowan, Chief Commercial Officer, Coates. “With our national branch network, logistics capability, and proven experience providing equipment and temporary infrastructure for natural disasters, we’re ready to help emergency services respond quickly and ensure communities receive the support they need.”
Coates has a long history of working with emergency response agencies, including the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) and NSW State Emergency Service (SES), to provide hire equipment and end-to-end site solutions during major natural disasters.
During the 2022 Northern Rivers floods, for example, Coates established a 500-bed base camp for the NSW RFS at Wollongbar, between Lismore and Ballina, in just 48 hours. The team delivered a fully equipped site with toilets, showers, air-conditioning for tents, flooring and walkways, lighting towers, generators, fuel and essential consumables to support frontline responders at a critical time.
Coates also provided equipment, services and expertise to other organisations and agencies involved in the response effort, including Resilience NSW, Department of Communities and Justice, NSW Health, local councils and Veolia Waste Management.
“Australian communities hit by disaster, along with the emergency workers supporting them, need access to vital resources, including emergency power, clean water and sanitation facilities, to protect lives and begin the recovery process. Our teams are on the ground – often within hours – ensuring emergency response agencies have the equipment and support they need to assist affected communities.
“The last thing agencies want to worry about during an emergency is services like sewage pump outs, cleaning and even the basics like toilet paper. By providing these services, we can reduce the operational burden on agencies and allow them to stay focused on frontline response,” said Cowan.
Coates is signed to the panel effective immediately through to June 30, 2027.
If you are a Commonwealth, state, territory, or local government agency preparing for, or dealing with, an emergency or crisis and seek access to the Panel to hire or purchase goods and services available under the Panel, contact: NEMSpaneloperations@nema.gov.au | (02) 5127 8353.