In March 1939 Victoria formed the State Emergency Services based on the UK Air Raid Precautions (ARP) model. With the lessening chance of direct attack on Australia during the 1939-45 war the Service was disbanded in January 1942. Following the war, discussions took place between the States and the Commonwealth Government about civil defence, and a Civil Defence Directorate was maintained within the Commonwealth Department of the Interior. The Commonwealth also established the Civil Defence School at Mt. Macedon, conducting the first course in 1956.

The Victorian Government had maintained a Civil Defence Committee, and in 1958 appointed a coordinator of Civil Defence to the Premier's Department. From 1958.to 1961 effort was directed towards the attendance of selected personnel at the Civil Defence School.

A Civil Defence Office was set up in the Premier's Department in 1961. It consisted of the coordinator, a Civil Defence Officer, a clerk and a stenographer. From 1961 to 1972 efforts were made to form a Civil Defence Unit in each municipality Then in 1962, largely as a result of the disastrous fires in the Dandenongs, the then Premier directed that a State Plan was to be formulated to deal with peace-time disasters. The staff of the Civil Defence Office was made available to assist the Chief Commissioner of Police to prepare this Plan. The State Disaster Plan was drawn up by the coordinator, Civil Defence, who in 1964 was designated the Assisting coordinator, State Disaster Plan. The Plan was issued in 1965. It was modified slightly and re-issued in 1968. Meanwhile the Civil Defence Organisation was slowly taking shape.

By 1972 about 100 voluntary municipal units had been formed. Although some were nominal, the extent of counter disaster activity of volunteer members warranted the passage through Parliament of the Volunteer Civil Defence Workers' Compensation Act 1972. The following year, Headquarters Civil Defence Organisation was established at, 31 Queens Road, Melbourne. In the same year the Civil Defence Organisation was transferred from the Premier's Department to the Chief Secretary's Department, and the Headquarters staff was increased to eight.