Emergency Help for Schools in WA: Services, Contacts, and What to Do Next

Imagine this scenario: a crisis hits your school in WA – a lockdown alarm sounds or a flood warning flash. In those first tense moments, seconds count. If you need emergency help for schools in WA, you must know exactly who to call first and what to do.

This guide explores who to call in school emergency in WA. We’ll highlight all the critical phone numbers and actions for school emergencies. We’ll even provide you with the downloadable one-page checklists to pin up in the staffroom.

Read on to stay prepared and act fast when every moment matters.

What Counts as a School Emergency in WA?

Not every incident is an emergency. Here’s what does qualify at school:

• Immediate threats to safety – Intruders, active shooters, or any violence on campus.
• Natural disasters – Bushfires, floods or severe storms affecting the school (WA is prone to extreme weather, especially bushfires and cyclones).
• Mental health crises – A student or staff member expressing suicidal intent or severe self-harm risk.
• Medical emergencies – Life-threatening injuries or conditions like anaphylaxis, severe seizures, or unconsciousness.
• Infrastructure failures – A collapsed roof, major gas leak, or burst water pipe that makes a building unsafe.

Anything in the above list demands an immediate emergency response. Routine incidents (like minor injuries or equipment theft) should be handled through normal school procedures. But if any person’s life or safety is at risk, treat it as an emergency – see the sections below on who to call first.

Emergency Contacts for Schools in Western Australia: Who to Call First

In an emergency, knowing the right order of calls can save time and lives. Follow these steps:

• Dial 000 (Police / Fire / Ambulance):

Always the first call for any life-threatening situation. Dial 000 and clearly state the nature of the emergency and location.

• WA Police (Non-Urgent Situation):

If the situation is serious but not immediately life-threatening (e.g. vandalism, intruder contained), call 131 444. Ask to dispatch an officer or School Liaison Officer as appropriate.

• Department of Education (Incident Reporting):

Next, notify your Regional Education Office. Each school region has an office (see the table below). Those numbers are in the DoE contact list. Alternatively, call the central DoE switchboard at 9264 4111 and ask to be connected to Crisis Management or your area Director.

• DFES / Emergency WA:

For large-scale hazards like bushfires, floods or statewide warnings, call DFES’s emergency info line 13 3337. You can also use the Emergency WA app or website for live alerts. In a storm or cyclone, remember SES is 132 500 (state emergency service).

• School Watch (after-hours security):

For urgent school property issues outside school hours (break-ins, vandalism), call 1800 177 777 (School Watch). They will liaise with Police if needed.

• Wihkum App (if implemented):

If your school uses Wihkum, staff can tap the HELP button in the app. This silent duress alert immediately notifies your whole team (and designated responders) with GPS location. The app logs each alert with a timestamp and can email a predetermined group to speed up response. See the Wihkum section below for how it fits in.

Source: Department of Education WA

Quick Emergency Contacts for WA Schools: Keep This Handy

Who to Call	When to Call	Number / Action
000 (Police / Fire / Ambulance)	First step for any life-threatening emergency	000 State the nature of emergency and location. Stay on the line.
WA Police (Non-Urgent)	Serious but not immediately life-threatening (e.g. vandalism, intruder contained)	131 444 Request officer or School Liaison Officer.
Department of Education (Incident Reporting)	After emergency call, notify your Regional Office or central switchboard	North Metro: 9285 3600 South Metro: 9336 9563 Goldfields: 9093 5600 Central DoE: 9264 4111 (ask for Crisis Management / Director)
DFES / Emergency WA	Large-scale hazards: bushfire, flood, storm, cyclone, statewide warnings	DFES Info Line: 13 3337 SES (storm/cyclone): 132 500 Emergency WA app/website for live alerts
School Watch (After-Hours Security)	Urgent property issues outside school hours (e.g. break-ins, vandalism)	1800 177 777
Wihkum App	For silent duress alerts to notify staff & responders instantly	Tap HELP in app – sends GPS location, logs alert, emails designated group

Emergency Mental Health Support for Students & Staff in WA Schools

School crises often include emotional trauma. If anyone is in a mental-health crisis:

• Immediate risk: If a student or staff member is actively suicidal or causing self-harm, call 000 immediately.
• 24/7 crisis lines: Encourage affected individuals (or staff assisting them) to call Lifeline (13 11 14) or Kids Helpline (1800 55 1800). These nationwide services provide immediate counselling. CAMHS Crisis Connect in WA is also available at 1800 048 636.
• School-based support: Alert your school psychologist or counselor right away. If you have a chaplain or trusted senior staff member trained in de-escalation, involve them. They know the student’s history and can guide next steps.
• Internal procedure: For a potential risk (no immediate danger but serious concern), follow your school’s referral steps: notify the psychologist/counselor, and have a safe-plan meeting. Also, inform parents with care.

Now, let’s explore how to report damage & file a school damage report:

Emergency Building Repairs & Infrastructure Support for WA Schools

For emergencies involving your school buildings and grounds:

• Who manages school buildings:

Public school facilities are owned by the State. Day-to-day maintenance is handled through the WA Department of Finance – Building Management & Works (BM&W), via external contractors like Programmed. The Department of Education oversees school sites, but BM&W does the heavy lifting for repairs.

• How to submit an emergency maintenance request:

Contact your regional facilities coordinator or use the DoE maintenance portal (if you have one). When logging a work order, mark it clearly as “Safety critical – Urgent”. If the contractor is separate, call the 24/7 service line and state the urgency. Always document who you spoke to and when.

• School damage report:

Keep a precise record. Note the exact time the issue was discovered and fixed, describe the damage (e.g. “floor collapsed in Room 12”), and take clear photos of the damage. Include the names of staff or students present. This information will be needed for maintenance logs, insurance, and funding claims.

• Emergency building repairs for schools WA:

For example, if a water main bursts or electrical fault occurs, the on-call contractor should respond within hours for critical faults. If progress stalls, escalate to your District Office or the DoE’s Facilities Manager.

According to WA Gov’t maintenance practice, services include breakdown repairs and on-site tradespeople (electricians, plumbers, etc.).

• Temporary classroom options (WA):

If a classroom is unusable, immediate solutions include renting a portable (modular) classroom or reusing an existing portable. The Dept. of Finance can supply relocatable units on short notice (via its contractors). Some schools also use marquees or community halls as stopgaps.

To pursue this, contact your Regional Office or DoE Property branch and request “temporary accommodation” – they handle procurement for modulars.

Quick Contacts:

• BM&W (Department of Finance) – Ask your regional office for the 24/7 contractor number.
• DoE Procurement (Perth) – Call: 9264 4111 (ask for Property Services).
• Local contractors – In regional WA, check with BM&W for approved urgent-work suppliers.

Funding & Grants for School Emergencies in WA

Repairing and recovering from an emergency can be costly. Here’s where to look for financial help:

• State emergency relief funding:

The WA Government has disaster relief funds. For major events (declared bushfires or floods), schools can apply through WA DFES disaster recovery grants. Check the DFES website or contact your regional director to see if your incident qualifies.

• Natural disaster funding:

If your school was hit by a natural disaster, you may be eligible for the Australian Government’s Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (administered by DFES) or Lotterywest emergency grants for community facilities.

Application steps usually involve submitting your damage report (timestamped details, photos, insurance quotes) to the Dept of Education, who will coordinate with the State.

• School maintenance support (emergencies):

Some urgent repairs can be funded out of a school’s routine maintenance budget or an “emergency maintenance grant” if one exists. Longer-term capital works (like rebuilding a classroom) will require formal submission during budget rounds.

• How Schools Can Apply for Emergency Funding:
• Collect evidence:
• Incident report + timestamped details
• Photos of damage
• Repair quotes/costs
• Wihkum logs (if available) for an audit trail
• Submit with the official DoE incident/claims form (on DoE intranet).
• Principal approval required.
• If shared facilities are damaged, council approval may also be needed.

Need help?

• Contact the DoE Asset Management team or external consultants for assistance.
• The Wihkum app can export a timeline of actions/alerts to support your claim.

Preparing Your School for Future Emergencies

The best response is prevention and preparation. Strengthen your school’s readiness by:

• Emergency response plan: The WA DoE provides standard emergency management plan templates (often based on AS 3745). Download these from the DoE Policy library and customise them for your school. Many schools also integrate checklists in safety apps like Wihkum (e.g. auto-enacting lockdown on SOS triggers).
• Safety drills & communications: Conduct drills at least once per term – lockdowns, evacuations, fire drills and first-aid scenarios. After each drill, record how long it took to clear and note issues (communication failures, stuck doors, etc.) so you can improve. Maintain clear protocols for notifying parents: e.g. text alerts + automated email updates.
• Staff training and student awareness: Ensure staff are up-to-date on first aid (St John Ambulance WA offers courses for schools). Provide de-escalation or conflict resolution training (programs like Constable Care Kidsafe). Teach students basic emergency procedures (what to do if they hear a fire alarm, where to evacuate, etc.)..
• Communications plan: Decide in advance who speaks to parents and media. Prepare a brief template message for parents. Keep it factual and calm. Use the school’s mass SMS/email system to send updates, and post notices on the website or social media.
• Drill KPIs: Track metrics like “time to evacuate school” or “time to first response.” A good goal is that the entire school can evacuate or secure itself within a few minutes.

School Emergency Response Checklist

Print, laminate and pin these quick references in staff areas:

• FREE Download Emergency Contacts List for WA Schools
• FREE Download Quick Emergency Response Checklist

Use these resources to stay organised. Keep them up-to-date (review annually) and ensure everyone knows where to find them.

How Wihkum Integrates with WA Emergency Response

Wihkum’s school safety app is designed to slot right into these procedures. Key features include:

• Silent alerts & GPS: A staff member can discreetly activate Wihkum’s HELP signal, which immediately pinpoints their location and alerts pre-defined responders.
• Multi-channel notifications: Wihkum can simultaneously call an administrator by phone, send an email to the school’s emergency mailbox, and push a notification to all nearby trained staff.
• Incident logging & export: Every alert, acknowledgment, and action is logged by the app with timestamps. This log can be exported to PDF/CSV, providing verifiable proof of who was notified and when (ideal for DoE reports and funding claims).

Worried your school might not reach the right people fast enough when it matters?

Keep Your Schools Emergency Ready with Wihkum

Don’t leave school safety to chance. Wihkum gives instant, discreet alerts to staff and responders, GPS location for rapid assistance, and exportable incident logs that map to Department of Education reporting. Get a complimentary laminated checklist for your staff.

FREE Download Wihkum – School Safety App

FAQs

Q1: Who should WA schools call in an emergency?

• Dial 000 immediately for life-threatening emergencies.
• Call 131 444 for WA Police (non-urgent).
• Notify the Department of Education (9264 4111 or regional office).
• For bushfires/floods, call DFES 13 3337.
• For storm/cyclone damage, call SES 132 500.
• For after-hours school security, call School Watch 1800 177 777.

Q2: Is there a Department of Education emergency hotline in WA?

There isn’t a separate DoE “emergency line” beyond the school offices. First call 000 (if needed), then notify your Regional Education Office or the DoE switchboard at 9264 4111. Provide a full incident report to your district or the DoE Incident Management team as per procedure.

Q3: Who manages emergency repairs for school buildings in WA?

The WA Department of Finance (Building Management & Works) handles major repairs on school buildings. Day-to-day maintenance is contracted out (e.g. Programmed Facility Management). For an emergency repair, contact your Regional Office or DoE’s facilities team who will engage the contractor.

Q4: Can Wihkum help with official reporting and funding claims?

Yes – Wihkum logs every alert with timestamps and locations. You can export this incident log (PDF or CSV) to include in your damage reports, grant applications and insurance claims. It provides credible evidence of what happened and when, which strengthens any funding application.