1 SSSUUUBBBMMMIIISSSSSSIIIOOONNN BBBYYY TTTHHHEEE EEEMMMEEERRRGGGEEENNNCCCYYY SSSEEERRRVVVIIICCCEEESSS BBBUUURRREEEAAAUUU TTTOOO TTTHHHEEE IIINNNQQQUUUIIIRRRYYY IIINNNTTTOOO TTTHHHEEE OOOPPPEEERRRAAATTTIIIOOONNNAAALLL RRREEESSSPPPOOONNNSSSEEE TTTOOO TTTHHHEEE JJJAAANNNUUUAAARRRYYY 222000000333 BBBUUUSSSHHHFFFIIIRRREEESSS BBBEEEIIINNNGGG CCCOOONNNDDDUUUCCCTTTEEEDDD BBBYYY MMMRRR RRR MMMCCCLLLEEEOOODDD The areas of South East Australia burnt in the periods following 8 January 2003 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS INTRODUCTION .........................................................................................................5 GLOSSARY...................................................................................................................8 ACRONYMS...............................................................................................................11 EMERGENCY SERVICES BUREAU STRUCTURE ..................................................13 ROLES AND OBJECTIVES....................................................................................13 HISTORY ...................................................................................................13 ORGANISATIONAL STRUCTURE ...............................................................14 MISSION..............................................................................................................17 VALUES ...............................................................................................................17 SERVICES PROVIDED...............................................................................17 GENERAL.............................................................................................................17 COMPLIANCE ......................................................................................................18 COMMUNITY EDUCATION, AWARENESS AND ASSISTANCE...........................18 PREPAREDNESS...................................................................................................19 RESPONSE ...........................................................................................................20 RECOVERY...........................................................................................................21 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS.............................................................................21 ACT AMBULANCE SERVICE ....................................................................23 STAFFING ............................................................................................................24 VEHICLES ............................................................................................................24 STATIONS............................................................................................................24 OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................25 ACT FIRE BRIGADE.................................................................................26 STAFFING ............................................................................................................26 VEHICLES ............................................................................................................27 STATIONS............................................................................................................27 OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................28 ACT BUSHFIRE SERVICE AND ACT EMERGENCY SERVICE MANAGEMENT STRUCTURE.....................................................................30 ACT BUSHFIRE SERVICE ........................................................................32 STAFFING ............................................................................................................32 VEHICLES ............................................................................................................32 STATIONS............................................................................................................33 OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................33 ACT EMERGENCY SERVICE....................................................................34 STAFFING ............................................................................................................34 VEHICLES ............................................................................................................34 STATIONS............................................................................................................35 OPERATIONS.......................................................................................................35 EMERGENCY SERVICES BUREAU SUPPORT FUNCTIONS......................36 COMMUNICATIONS UNIT..................................................................................36 INQUIRY INTO THE OPERATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE JANUARY 2003 BUSHFIRES 3 RISK MANAGEMENT UNIT ................................................................................38 REGIONAL SUPPORT SERVICES UNIT ...............................................................39 STAFF DEVELOPMENT AND TRAINING UNIT...................................................39 COMMAND AND CONTROL .......................................................................40 EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT FUNCTION .........................................................45 THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT ACT 1999..........................................45 THE EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE.......................................45 THE ACT EMERGENCY PLAN .................................................................46 COMMONWEALTH ASSISTANCE .......................................................................47 CO-OPERATIVE ARRANGEMENTS FOR BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT .............48 ACT INTER-AGENCY ARRANGEMENTS...................................................48 INTERSTATE AND NATIONAL ARRANGEMENTS .......................................50 BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT: FIGHTING A TYPICAL BUSHFIRE........................51 LEVELS OF READINESS............................................................................53 LEVEL OF RESPONSE...............................................................................54 DETECTION OF A BUSHFIRE ....................................................................57 RESPONSE TO FIRE REPORT ..................................................................59 TYPES OF ATTACK ...................................................................................62 PREPARATION AND PLANNING FOR THE 2003 BUSHFIRE SEASON ...........63 GENERAL ..................................................................................................63 RISK ASSESSMENT ..................................................................................65 COMMUNITY AWARENESS .......................................................................67 TRAINING ..................................................................................................69 EQUIPMENT READINESS ..........................................................................75 BUSHFIRE FUEL MANAGEMENT..........................................................................76 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................92 FIGHTING THE 2003 BUSHFIRES..........................................................................94 8 JANUARY 2003 .....................................................................................96 9 JANUARY 2003 ...................................................................................100 10 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................104 11 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................108 12 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................110 13 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................113 14 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................116 15 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................118 16 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................120 17 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................123 18 JANUARY 2003.................................................................................129 19 TO 30 JANUARY 2003......................................................................138 RECOMMENDATIONS AND THE FUTURE.........................................................141 ESB RISK MANAGEMENT CAPACITY....................................................141 GIS AND SPATIAL ANALYSIS CAPACITY ........................................................141 URBAN FIRE TRUCKS DEFECTS IN DESIGN..........................................143 PUBLIC INFORMATION AND ADVICE IN AN EMERGENCY ......................145 INQUIRY INTO THE OPERATIONAL RESPONSE TO THE JANUARY 2003 BUSHFIRES 4 URBAN INTERFACE FIRE FIGHTING AND PREPAREDNESS...................148 COMMUNITY FIRE UNITS ................................................................................148 COMMUNICATIONS .................................................................................151 COMMUNICATIONS UPGRADE................................................................153 PROJECT HISTORY............................................................................................153