RESPONDING TO MAJOR BUSHFIRES
Report No 7 -
October 2004
What the examination is about.
The examination reviewed the effectiveness of preparing for, and responding to bushfires in the south west land division of Western Australia (from Kalbarri to Esperance, which includes 93 local government areas). This area reflects the highest level of bushfire risk, in terms of incorporating high population densities, and high agricultural, forest and environmental values.
Specifically, we examined the:
- coordination across fire fighting organisations for responding to major bushfires
- planning and other preparations needed to support fire fighting efforts.
What the examination found.
The current legislative framework for fighting bushfires assigns the authority to fi ght bushfires to each of the 122 local governments in regional Western Australia, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) and the Department of Conservation and Land Management (CALM). Each of these organisations has the responsibility to control bushfires within its own jurisdiction, which are delineated by geographical boundaries. Policy arrangements and memoranda of understanding have been established to manage the coordination of personnel and resources across jurisdictions during major and multiple bushfires, but currently, these are not supported by legislation.
The examination found that:
- Western Australia relies heavily on volunteers to fi ght bushfires with local government volunteer Bush Fire Brigades forming the foundation of the bushfire fighting system
- particularly at regional levels, there is a high level of goodwill and cooperation across fire fighting organisations which support fire fighting efforts.
However, the examination also found that organisational arrangements for fighting major bushfires need to be better coordinated. In particular:
- the authority for fighting bushfires being dispersed across 124 organisations poses inherent risks when multiple bushfires demand a coordinated response, or when major bushfires cross organisational boundaries
- the absence of a State-wide command structure across volunteer Bush Fire Brigades weakens the capacity for managing major bushfires effectively, particularly when there are multiple bushfires burning simultaneously
- the State's bushfire Emergency Management Plan (Westplan Wildfire) lacks supporting legislation and is not part of an actively supported planning framework, which undermines its effective implementation in major bushfire emergencies.
When confronted with major bushfires, firefi ghter safety and effectiveness depends on being adequately prepared. This includes ensuring all personnel are familiar with the same system for managing a bushfire, that they are well trained, and that there are plans in place for responding to the bushfire emergency. It also includes ensuring telecommunication plans and systems are reliable, and appropriate fire fighting equipment is available.
The examination found that, overall, fire fighting organisations need to be better prepared:
- the Australian Inter-Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) has been adopted by the State fire fighting authorities in Western Australia and throughout Australia, however, its adoption at local government level is varied, with some local government brigades fully embracing it, and others not
- there are key training and development issues to be addressed:
- there are barriers to the take-up of training by volunteers which impacts on volunteer safety during major bushfires
- CALM faces challenges in maintaining its current level of trained staff
- major bushfires have exposed local level planning weaknesses which have reduced the effectiveness of fire fighting efforts
- problems with telecommunications systems across organisations have hampered effective operations.
What the examination recommended.
Government should:
- establish a State-wide command structure across volunteer Bush Fire Brigades for fighting major bushfires, to more effectively manage the coordination of personnel and resources
- establish emergency management legislation which clarifies State and local governments responsibilities, and which rectifies the defi ciencies in the State's bushfire Emergency Management Plan, Westplan Wildfire.
FESA should:
- in addition to its current initiatives, develop and implement structured programs (with clearly identifi ed objectives, target groups and time lines for achievement) aimed at:
- increasing the level of adoption of AIIMS by local governments and volunteer Bush Fire Brigades
- improving local government bushfire emergency and response planning.
Fire fighting organisations should:
- address their key training and development issues
- resolve existing telecommunication problems and work with other emergency service organisations to establish compatible telecommunications system
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