EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN VICTORIA SUMMER 2007-08 ISSUE 21 AGEING POPULATION A PRIORITY THE AGEING OF THE POPULATION NOT ONLY DEMANDS ACTION NOW BUT ALSO DEMANDS PARTNERSHIPS THAT ARE STRATEGIC, SUSTAINABLE AND PRO-ACTIVE. MFB Firefighters working closely with older people. OLDER PEOPLE aged 65 years and over are one services are commonly referred to as IN THIS ISSUE: of the highest fire risk groups in the community. community care and can include: homecare; In Australia, people in this category currently personal care; assistance with shopping; comprise about 13% of the population, yet transport assistance to appointments and From the Desk 2 represent nearly 23% of fire fatalities. This high socialisation; access to home maintenance; fire risk continues to grow each year as they home modifications; equipment and aids; in State Government age, almost doubling by the age of 80. home and residential respite; day activity Announcements 9 Over the coming decades, the number of people groups; and allied health services. in this age group will rise to unprecedented For fire services, these changes will translate levels and they will increasingly opt for into the growth of the highest fire risk group, community ‘in home’ care, over that provided in who will remain living in the community with Climate Change 6 facility-based care. The convergence of these higher levels of disability than ever before. This two trends will have significant implications for situation presents a clear imperative for fire fire services in every developed nation. services to act. CURRENT AND FUTURE TRENDS SUSTAINABLE STRATEGIES Major changes are projected for the The community education department of the Training 10 composition of Australian society. By 2031, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board people age 65 years and over will represent (MFB) identified that the way to reach older nearly a quarter of the population. people most at risk was through the people who As people age, they are more likely to suffer provide care to them. from illness and disability, and require support The Commonwealth Department of Health and Awards & Events 14 and assistance to maintain their independence. Ageing advises that there are in excess of 5,000 By 2016, the single largest cause of disability in separate agencies providing community care older people in Australia will be dementia. services in Australia, with 1,000 in the state of Regardless of what disability is experienced by Victoria alone. They include local, state and older people, those requiring support – including federal governments, religious, community, not- EM Projects 13 people with advanced dementia – are choosing for-profit and private agencies. EM Movements 16 to remain in their own homes, rather than accept facility-based care. These ‘in home’ Continued on page 8 1 FROM THE DESK This year we must continue to engage with There is no one answer to this question, no communities and redouble our efforts to one right approach. Many organisations and ensure the community hears and understands agencies have fantastic programs to reach the message of personal responsibility, that communities whether they are aged or they too have a role in their own safety. culturally and linguistically diverse. It is my hope that we will be able to learn from each It is well recognised by emergency service other and lead the way in community agencies, that no longer do we work for the engagement. community – we work with the community. The challenge for the sector now is how do we For emergency sector agencies, personal engage the disengaged – the disinterested? responsibility is the new safety frontline. Empowered communities and engaged Many of our rural communities are a fantastic individuals are the only way the sector is going example of resilient Victorians who understand to be able to cope with the demands of the personal responsibility message, who modern emergency management. protect their homes from bushfire, and who don’t expect a fire truck at every house. More I look forward to working with you this year, as A new year is always a chance to pause and than 31,000 people attended bushfire we seek to rise to the challenges and reflect on the year that was and of course on preparedness meetings last year to find out opportunities 2008 will bring. the year ahead. Much was achieved in 2007, what they had to do to play their part. as a sector we faced our share of emergencies and approached the challenges and The engagement and the willingness of rural opportunities with a sense of determination and regional communities and individuals to and enthusiasm. help themselves and each other, and to partner with the emergency service organisations I see 2008 as the ‘year of the community’. should be an inspiration for all Victorians. This Bruce Esplin The communities that as an emergency sector same spirit of personal responsibility should Emergency Services Commissioner we seek to serve who also represent our apply to all, city, or regional, no matter what greatest challenge and therefore our greatest age or creed and should extend to all opportunity. emergencies including house fires and drownings; and not just bushfires. RED CROSS VOLUNTEER SAVES A LIFE ‘Around the Bay in a Day’ is a cycling event that took place in October have to do my job, I have to do everything in my power to make sure he 2007 and attracts thousands of participants each year. Red Cross survives,” said Mohamed. provides all the first aid for the event, and in October 2007, a Red Cross The patient was taken to the Alfred Hospital where he underwent first aid volunteer Mohamed Alam and Red Cross staff member Brett triple–bypass surgery, walking out of the hospital five days later. Fraser provided life saving first aid to a participant. Mohamed said that being a first aid volunteer gave him opportunities to Red Cross First Aid volunteers attend major events all around Victoria help when individuals and communities faced trouble. and Australia every year, and ‘Around the Bay in a Day’ was no different. Thirty Red Cross First Aid volunteers manned eight static posts along the “I wish this didn’t happen, but I’m glad I can help out. I’m a Red Cross route, with further support from mobile first aid crews on bikes and in volunteer because I like its Fundamental Principle of Humanity; it’s vehicles. Several volunteers started the day at 4.30 am; others stayed amazing what Red Cross gives me the opportunity to do,” he said. onto until 6pm to ensure that every last rider and event support personnel had first aid available to them. Mohamed and Brett had been assigned to the finish line first aid post in the Alexandra Gardens. In the mid-afternoon a man presented at the first aid post complaining of chest pains after completing the 250km ride. Although he received appropriate treatment for his symptoms he suddenly went into cardiac arrest. “I began CPR compressions while Brett used the defibrillator,” said Mohamed. “The man came to after CPR but he had gone into shock and was panicking at all the people who were surrounded him. I was trying to keep him calm when the paramedics arrived. It was a very tense environment.” As a trained paramedic, Brett was able to administer drug treatment but it was the cardiac pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) initiated by Mohamed, and the use of a defibrillator (which shocks the heart back into a normal First aid volunteer Mohamed Alam (centre), in action at the Gippsland bushfires rhythm) that successfully saved the man’s life. “I just kept thinking that I last summer. 2 CANADIAN FIREFIGHTERS ON THE SCENE IN EAST GIPPSLAND East Gippsland is already benefiting from the Andrew commented that the conditions are a value of overseas firefighting experience as lot drier in Australia than in their homeland. two Canadian firefighters left winter behind “There is so much water at home. It rains to join crews in the Cann River and Bendoc every third day, so we can dig a shallow hole fire districts. right at the edge of a fire and pump from that Logan Truman and Andrew MacPherson from to the fire,” he said. Alberta saw the Project Fire Fighter positions Andrew works with 14 other Project Fire advertised online and have brought their vast Fighters covering an enormous area in the experience to regional Victoria and the high country around Bendoc, preparing roads Department of Sustainability and and tracks for the season and controlling any Environment. outbreaks of fire. “The vegetation is totally Logan said they work as seasonal Helitac different, but the terrain is very similar to firefighters in Alberta. “It is a similar job to the home,” he said. hover exit crews here. We can jump out of a Logan has been to Australia twice before and helicopter into waist deep water.” We use a worked in the outback. “I knew what I was lot more water in Canada. The majority of the getting into when I came to Cann River. It’s time we are guaranteed a helicopter to use as nice around here. There’s lots of tall timber a tool, and we don’t often fight fires at night. and as I studied at Forest-Tech back home I We use the rakehoe a lot more here to create enjoy being out in the bush here.” On the left, Mr Andrew MacPherson and on the right, Mr Logan Truman. hand lines. CAMPFIRE SAFETY ON THE FLOOD MANAGEMENT PLANNING FRAMEWORK AGENDA AGAIN THIS FIRE PROJECT SEASON The Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner will undertake a project to develop a The Department of Sustainability and structured flood management planning framework along similar lines to the Integrated Fire Environment and Parks Victoria commenced Management Planning Framework a Campfire Safety Campaign in 2006 which The project has two key objectives is continuing this bushfire season.