Thursday, 20 August 2009

The Premier, John Brumby, today announced that Victoria’s whole-of-state fire action week would take place from October 11 to October 18.

Mr Brumby said the Victorian Government would work alongside local councils and communities to lead a week of activities to boost awareness and preparedness for the approaching bushfire season.

“This week is a call to action for all of us. No one can afford to be complacent,” Mr Brumby said.

“It’s critical that all Victorians, no matter where they live, are ready for the bushfire season ahead, which after 13 years of drought is shaping up to be potentially worse than the horrific season we’ve just experienced – and it is only 69 days away.

“Our focus is to make Victorian communities as fire-safe and as fire-ready as possible. Individuals, neighbourhoods and communities have a significant role to play in this effort. Community planning and prevention are the first lines of defence against the fire threat.

“We are significantly boosting resources at a statewide level, all local councils have been called on to review their fire prevention plans; and on advice from fire agencies a list of the most vulnerable 52 towns and communities has been identified for enhanced township protection plans that will focus on the local needs of those communities.

“But individuals and households also have a major role in the fire preparation effort, and I call on all Victorians to be on alert and begin work now to prepare their homes and properties for the fire season ahead.”

Mr Brumby said activities under consideration for Bushfire Action Week included:

• CFA community fire guard meetings;

• Development of individual, neighbourhood, street and/or community plans;

• Education about triggers for leaving early (and a plan about where to leave to);

• Identification of work required around individual or community properties;

• Enhanced development of township protection plans in those areas where they will be piloted; and

• And clearing of vegetation from properties.

“This week will be vital because we all need to work together to ensure our state is as prepared as possible, and is as safe as possible so that lives can be protected this fire season,” he said.

“The week will culminate in a Prepare to be Fire Ready Victoria Day, which will be just one action where individuals, community groups, streets and neighbourhoods can come together and make sure that they have their plans in place and have thought through the process of what action to take if fire is in their area.”

Mr Brumby and Member for Monbulk James Merlino, who has recently provided fire preparation information to local households, today inspected a Dandenong Ranges household.

Mr Brumby said it was vital that Victorian households prepared their homes before the bushfire season through actions including:

• Keeping grass cut;

• Reducing ‘fine fuels’ – fine fuels include long, dry grass, fallen leaves and twigs;

• Clearing away dead undergrowth, and fallen branches;

• Moving wood piles away from your home;

• Cleaning leaves out of gutters;

• Placing weather stripping around the inside of doors and windows;

• Closing underfloor spaces and seal all gaps where embers could enter;

• Making firescreens to go over windows to prevent the glass from cracking in radiant heat;

• Ensuring access to adequate water supplies, such as tanks, dams, swimming pools or water reserves. Install a sprinkler system around your home;

• Gathering appropriate firefighting equipment such as ladders, hoses, buckets, mops, portable water pumps, a ladder, rake, a torch, and a knapsack spray to put out small “spot” fires; and

• Actively seeking advice about other actions recommended by the CFA.

Mr Brumby said the Government was putting in place measures to be rolled-out across the whole of Victoria for the bushfire season ahead including:

• A national telephone emergency warning system to deliver warnings to all fixed and mobile telephones, to ensure the system is place ahead of the fire season;

• An $11.5 million long-term behavioural change education and community engagement campaign to get communities ready for the fire season and a CFA online assessment tool;

• Bringing on 700 Department of Sustainability and Environment seasonal firefighters, with some to start a month earlier than last year and all to be on the ground by the start of summer;

• Revising the ‘prepare, stay and defend or leave early’ policy to place a far greater emphasis on the protection of life by leaving early;

• $28.9 million to upgrade pre-formed Incident Control Centres to new higher minimum standards and provide increased specialist capabilities;

• Establishing a single ‘behind the scenes’ website with same-time uploads to the Country Fire Authority and Department of Sustainability and Environment websites as well as boosting the capacity of the Victorian Bushfire Information Line;

• An additional 150 Community Fireguard Groups to be established across the state and a doubling of fire ready meetings with an additional 1100 Fire Ready meetings to be held.

The 2009 State Budget outlined $986 million towards the firefighting and reconstruction effort including:

• $56.2 million for the Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (ESTA) to improve its capacity to manage calls and dispatch units;

• $57.1 million to purchase new radios and upgrade radio and pager networks used by SES and CFA – building on $450 million investment in communications since 2000;

• $33.2 million to upgrade Department of Sustainability and Environment pagers and radios;

• $21 million to enhance emergency services communications blackspots;

• $21.1 million for 87 new CFA appliances and $21 million for additional operations officers and managers at CFA;

• $10.3 million to VICSES for 15 heavy rescue vehicles, 7 four wheel drive vehicles, 9 rescue boats and 11 road crash rescue kits; and

• $10.3 million to CFA for 42 ultra light tankers (slip-on units).

http://www.premier.vic.gov.au/premier/fire-preparation-essential-for-all-victorians.html