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LIFT-OUT: HAY CATEGORY 6 TANKER BUSH FIREbulletinVOLUME 31 No.03 // 2009 THE JOURNAL OF THE NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE Facing our future NSW RFS takes the lead at the International Wildfire Management Conference Australia 2009 ADDITIONAL STORIES: LOST IN THE BLUE MOUNTAINS NSW RFS HELPING OUT IN AFRICA MORE FLOODS ON THE NORTH COAST PHOTO GALLERY: FIRST COFFEE4KIDS BALL EUROBODALLA FIRE REVEALS THE DEAD MAN’S ZONE OAKVILLE JUNIORS SHOW US HOW IT’S DONE CONTENTS 04 10 24 27 52 01 FoREWoRD 32 GENERAL NEWS cont’d 32-35 Region North Exercise 02 IN FoCuS 36 Spotlight oN VoLuNteers 04 INCIDENtS 36 In Focus: Volunteers 04 North hit with floods again! 38 Australian Fire Service Medal: Queen’s Birthday 2009 07 Heat at the Halfway Roadhouse 40 Brigade in Profile: 08 The Dead Man Zone Sutton Rural Fire Brigade 10 The manpower behind the search for 43 Officer in Profile: Jamie Neale Group Captain Ron Hardy 44 Oakville Juniors: 12-15 IN thE aftermath oF thE they are a great asset to us Victorian Fires 47 Another successful cadet program 12 Recommendations from the Royal completed in the Lower Hunter Zone Commission 14 Changes to the Fire Danger Ratings and public warnings 48 RESEARCh FRoM THE BuShFIRE CRC Are children the key to a fire safe community? 16 GENERAL NEWS 16-23 Facing our Future: 51 BOOKS The International Wildfire Management Conference Australia 2009 51 Black Saturday: Stories of love, loss and courage from the Victorian bush fires 24 C4K Ball: Oh, what a night! 52 WoRLD FIRE 26 MyRFS 52 Botswana: New to fire management 26 MyRFS: Building what you asked for 54 Values photo CoMpEtItIoN 27 OPERAtIoNS LIFTOUT: HAY CAtEGory 6 Tanker 54 Capturing the NSW RFS Values in action The NSW RuRal FiRe SeRvice (NSW RFS) encourages the availability, dissemination and exchange of public Disclaimer Statement information. You may copy, distribute, display, download and otherwise freely deal with this material for personal, While the material within this Bush Fire Bulletin is current at the time of writing changes in circumstances after the time in-house or non-commercial use, on the condition that you include the copyright notice © State of New South Wales of publication may impact on the accuracy of the material. individuals are responsible for ensuring they have the most through the NSW RuRal FiRe SeRvice [plus year of creation or first publication] on all such uses. in the event that you current version of this publication. wish to copy, distribute, display, download, store, or use this material for a purpose other than personal, in-house or non- commercial use, you must obtain permission from the NSW RFS by writing to the following address: The information and material contained herein is general in nature and is intended for your use and information. The NSW RuRal FiRe SeRvice (NSW RFS) disclaims, to the extent permitted by law, all warranties, representations or commissioner endorsements, express or implied, with regard to the material contained herein. The NSW RFS does not warrant or NSW RuRal FiRe SeRvice represent that the material contained herein is free from errors or omissions, or that it is exhaustive. users should locked Bag 17 exercise their own skill and care with respect to its uses. You must not assume that this material will be suitable for the Granville NSW 2142 particular purpose that you had in mind when using it. You must also obtain permission from the NSW RFS if you wish to: The NSW RFS disclaims any liability (including but not limited to liability by reason of negligence) to the users of • charge others for access to the work (other than at cost); the material for any loss, damage, cost or expense whether direct, indirect, consequential or special, incurred by, or arising by reason of, any person using or relying on the material and whether caused by reason of, any error, omission • include all or part of the work in advertising or a product for sale, - or misrepresentation in the material or otherwise. users of the Website will be responsible for making their own • modify the material; or assessment of the material and should verify all relevant representations, statements and information with their own • use any trade mark from this publication, including the NSW RuRal FiRe SeRvice crest, MyRFS logo, or the professional advisers. all photos, unless otherwise stated, taken and owned by the NSW Rural Fire Service, corporate Firewise logo. communications. Bush firebulletin // CONTENTS The views expressed in articles in the Bush Fire Bulletin do not necessarily reflect the views or the policies of theNSW RuRal FiRe SeRvice. FOREWORD ince the last edition of the Bush Fire Bulletin members from all levels of the Service have been heavily engaged in inter-agency, interstate and Sinternational cooperation and collaboration. The professionalism and expertise of the NSW RFS and its members has again been highlighted on the international stage. The NSW RFS hosted the International Wild Fire Management Conference in late June with more than 200 NSW RFS members attending. The positive feedback from members has been overwhelming. The year 2009 has brought some of the most significant changes to firefighting in Australia for some time. The tragedy of the Victoria fires has sharpened the focus of the general public, as well as governments and fire agencies, on the phenomenon of Australian bush fires. The weather predictions for NSW also suggest that we need to stay on the alert for a difficult fire season ahead. Since February 2009, stakeholders from all areas of Australian emergency management have come together to draw on the lessons from the Victorian fires and to respond to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission’s Interim Report. The NSW RFS has acted quickly and confidently and some of the early responses, such as the new Fire Danger Ratings and new public warnings systems are explained on pages 12 to 15. IN THE NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE Equally important has been the launch of the new ‘Prepare Act Survive’ public awareness campaign. The campaign began airing on television in October and has also included print, radio, outdoor and online advertising across the State. The campaign includes a Bush Fire Survival Plan, new Fire Danger Ratings and Alert levels. As a measure of the Service’s commitment to public safety, WE VALUE more than three-quarters of a million copies of the Bush Fire Survival Plan were distributed throughout NSW in November inside the Sunday Telegraph newspaper. I would ask you to encourage your family and friends to fill out community and environment the Bush Fire Survival Plan as well. support, friendship and camaraderie All of these changes and campaigns were launched in conjunction with other agencies and within short timeframes. I want to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all those involved. It is a testament to the flexibility of the knowledge and learning Service and the willingness of the NSW RFS to learn lessons from such tragedies as the Victorian fires. integrity and trust As I write this Foreword we are looking at a difficult fire season ahead. The Bureau of Meteorology measured some unseasonable record temperatures for Spring and is predicting above average temperatures and low rainfall for one team, many players and one purpose the rest of the fire season. The Bureau of Meteorology outlook is similar for much of south east Australia and we have already seen days rated as adaptability and resourcefulness ‘Catastrophic’ in South Australia and New South Wales. With the possibility of a strengthening El Nino event, 95 percent of the State affected by the drought and with little positive outlook for rain, we are potentially facing one mutual respect of the most difficult fire seasons we have seen in some time. I take this opportunity to thank you in advance for your efforts this coming fire season and to impress upon you the importance of your personal safety while you carry out your operational duties. Shane Fitzsimmons, AFSM NSW RFS Commissioner BUSH FIREbulletin // FOREWORD 01 infocus Racing for an emergency Photo by David Tease Instead of racing to an Volunteers from the local NSW their property for the bush fire guru himself, Superintendent emergency, Illawarra NSW RFS RFS Brigades, Farmborough season as well as take a look Richard Cotterill, Illawarra Zone volunteers spent Saturday 13 Heights and Dapto, were at at the NSW RFS trucks and Manager, fitting right into his June 2009 at the local horse the racecourse along with the equipment. role as one of the judges for the races spreading the Fire Safety Illawarra Community Safety competition. Richard is shown message. Wollongong City Brigade. While the children were Some of the Illawarra NSW RFS above with the winning horse Council held its annual Charity educated and entertained the staff enjoyed the day in style in of Race 2 - Illawarra Rural Fire Race Day at the Kembla Grange RFS Firewise board game and the AJ ‘Bert’ Lillye Lounge, with Service Race and jockey as well Racecourse with the Wollongong the smoke house, parents and tickets for the lunch raising money as Maree Larkin, Illawarra Fire RFS Brigades being the racegoers were able to obtain for the day. Fashions on the Field Mitigation Officer and Sally Belo, beneficiary of the day. vital information about preparing was a feature, with the fashion Illawarra Administration Officer. Turning lemons into lemonade Photo by Sue Hardy 02 BUSH FIREbulletin // IN FOCUS Reaching out across the ditch The Year 8 girls at the Carncot School for Girls in Palmerston North, New Zealand were so moved by the tragedy of the Black Saturday fires they decided to take action.
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