APEC Australia 2007
The APEC summit is well underway and thousands of delegates, media
and support personnel from all over the world have been arriving in
Sydney over the past week. I would like to thank everyone involved
in preparation and planning in the weeks and months leading up to
the APEC summit. There has been a lot of work done behind the scenes
to ensure that the NSWFB was prepared to respond to fires or hazmat
incidents should they occur in the APEC precincts or other locations.
Hundreds of personnel have been and will be working in conjunction
with other agencies including the NSW Police Force and the Ambulance
Service of NSW to ensure our planning and operational response during
the summit is effective.
While we are all hoping for an incident-free summit, I am confident
that should we be called upon to respond, the NSWFB is prepared and
ready.
2007 AFAC Conference
From 19-21 September, together with 16 NSWFB delegates, I will be
attending the annual Australasian Fire Authorities Council and the
Bushfire Co-operative Research Centre conference in Hobart. The conference
provides a great opportunity to meet representatives from fire and
emergency services from across Australia, to share experiences and
knowledge with each other, and to listen to highly credentialed speakers
from Australia and overseas. The NSWFB will have three speakers at
this year's conference ' Superintendent Chris Lewis (House fires:
are modern contents and construction making them more dangerous),
Kathryn Heiler (Organisational implications of the discovery of asbestos
at the NSWFB USAR training site, Holsworthy) and Janine Bailey (Developing
and implementing operational safety and training in the NSWFB).
Presentation of awards in Tamworth
Today I travelled to Tamworth to present the NSWFB Commissioner's
Commendation to Ambulance Officer James Thompson and Senior Constable
Michael Moy, and the NSWFB Commendation for Courageous Action to RetF
Alexander Singh. On Monday 14 November 2005 RetF Singh, Ambulance
Officer Thompson, and Senior Constable Moy attended a fire at a restaurant
in Peel Street Tamworth. They entered the building following a serious
gas explosion and fire to rescue an elderly woman who was trapped
beneath rubble resulting from the explosion and partial building collapse.
The conditions these three men worked under were unstable and dangerous.
I congratulate each of them for their unselfish and courageous actions,
which saved the life of an elderly woman.
Tragic fires in Greece
Over the past weeks you have no doubt seen media reports of the tragic
fires in Greece which have claimed more than 60 lives. The Australian
Federal Government has offered $3 million in assistance as well as
access to firefighting expertise to assist with the situation. Greek
officials are yet to advise what resources might be required in the
recovery phase, and we will likely hear over the next two weeks if
any specific assistance is required from the NSWFB, although this
is highly unlikely.
Asbestos Register
The Asbestos Register has been updated and is now available on the
intranet. All buildings and sites owned by the NSWFB which were built
or upgraded prior to 1986 were surveyed to locate and identify any
suspected asbestos containing materials (ACMs), determine whether
there are any health risks and take all appropriate action. Sites
which received a high priority rating (of Priority 1 or 2) had remediation
undertaken immediately. Other sites rated as Priority 3 will undergo
remediation in 2007/08, while those with a Priority 4 rating will
be inspected and assessed annually with remediation undertaken in
conjunction with major building maintenance or upgrade. Thank you
to staff for their assistance and patience during the survey and in
particular to Property Services. To view the completed register visit
click here.
Spring Fire Safety Calendar launched
On Monday 3 September, CSupt Rob Lindsay, Insp Phil Treacy and firefighters
from 257 Coffs Harbour helped launch the joint NSWFB and AAMI Spring
fire safety calendar. The focus this season is on preparing for bushfires,
barbecue fire safety and spring cleaning the home to ensure any hazards
outside are minimised. I encourage all stations to distribute the
calendars at community events they attend and get active in the community
with these important fire safety messages. If you'd like to launch
the calendar in your local area see the intranet story for details
about the Coffs Harbour launch which included a BBQ safety demonstration.
Ride to Work Week
This year's Ride to Work Day on Wednesday 17 October has been extended
to a Ride to Work Week for the NSW Fire Brigades so that those not
on shift on the day and retained firefighters can also get involved.
I would like to encourage firefighters from around the state to take
part and to lead the way in promoting this worthy event in their local
community. See the intranet story for entry details.
Raymond Terrace Fire Station
I am happy to announce that a replacement fire station is to be built
at Raymond Terrace that will meet the future needs of the growing
Lower Hunter region and enhance our response capabilities. Today,
Superintendent Greg Adams inspected the site with Captain David Davies
and firefighters from 432 Raymond Terrace. Work will soon commence
on the new station at Leisure Way, Grahamstown which will replace
the existing fire station in William Street. The new station will
be double the size of the existing station and be better equipped
to meet the needs of growing communities in the region.
NSWFB assistance with equine influenza outbreak
Following the recent outbreak of equine influenza, the NSWFB has
been working with the Department of Primary Industries (DPI) and other
agencies to minimise the spread of the virus. The primary role of
the NSWFB is to assist with the decontamination and bio-security measures
of personnel, animals and equipment and, in consultation with the
Department of Environment and Climate Change, assist with the management
and disposal of contaminated waste. In Tamworth, firefighters have
been providing assistance to DPI and the Tamworth Rural Lands Protection
Board with 38 horses currently quarantined at Moonbi Showground, in
accordance with the NSW State Animal Health Emergency Plan. I encourage
all firefighters to familiarise themselves with guidelines on equine
influenza, particularly those who own horses or other equine species.
For further information see the intranet story.
Flood Awards
The assistance provided by firefighters in response to the devastating
storms that hit Newcastle, the Central Coast and Lower Hunter area
on the Queen's Birthday long weekend was outstanding. In recognition,
the NSW Government will be presenting commemorative medallions for
emergency services personnel involved in the response and recovery
operations. The NSWFB has put forward 721 nominations for firefighters
who responded to incidents, all of whom went above and beyond the
call of duty.
Central Coast (000) Cup
On Friday 21 September more than 30 teams from the NSWFB will take
part in the fifth annual Central Coast Triple Zero (000) Cup to raise
money for the Burns Unit, The Children's Hospital, Westmead and the
children's ward at Gosford Hospital. The football matches are being
organised by Umina Fire Station and will be held at Woy Woy Oval (number
2) from 9am. The NSW Ambulance Service, NSW Police and Broken Bay
Water Police have put in teams and there will also be a special Parramatta
legends team including Mark Laurie, Eric Grothe, Ray Price, Steve
Ella, Paul Mares, David Liddiard, Neville Glover, Steve McKenzie,
Craig Issard, John Peard and Terry Leabeter. For further information
contact FF William (Billy) Maclean from Umina Fire Station on 0412
318 681 or email william.maclean@fire.nsw.gov.au.
New uniforms for CFU members
New CFU members across the state will be issued with a new style
two piece uniform when they receive their CFU trailers during the
2007/08 installation program. The old style overalls will be replaced
by a jacket and work pants. The jacket and trousers will still be
coloured blue with the words NSW Fire Brigades CFU volunteer written
on the back. The uniform will be issued to each new member in a carry
bag with all relevant PPE. The new style uniform will be gradually
phased in for existing CFU members.
RUMOUR MILL
Rumour: Not so much a rumour, but a
question. What is the average length of service for permanent firefighters
in the NSWFB' You hear police are 3-5 years, what is our equivalent
figure?
Response: In the NSWFB the average length of service
is 13.9 years and the average age of a permanent firefighter is 41.3.
Rumour: Is it true that 405 Nowra is
soon to be getting a tele-squirt appliance, as there are numerous
medium-rise buildings being built in the Nowra area?
Response: There are no immediate plans for such
an appliance for 405 Station.
INCIDENTS
493 Wellington prevents local high school from being destroyed by
fire
Tamworth firefighters work with Department of Primary Industries to
combat equine influenza
Multi agency exercise at Sydney Airport for response to suspicious
substances
NSWFB and RFS respond to truck fire on Barrier Highway
EVENTS
Toughbooks issued for Counter Terrorism and Aviation
251 Cardiff B Platoon helps elderly resident
Convoy for Kids
City of Sydney firefighters form guard of honour to farewell retiring
police commissioner
All in the name of fun
New swap cards available
COMMISH’S CORNER
Commissioner’s e-mail: Commissioner@fire.nsw.gov.au
Cora Sarmiento, Commish’s PA: 9265 2930
PACSU: fax 9265 2882
Commish’s Corner Rumour Mill: 9265 2627
To contribute a story to the intranet, please contact Public
Affairs Officers: (West) 9265 2613, (South) 9265 2802 or
(North) 9265 2631