Victorian bushfires
Today, I have been in Victoria at the Country Fire Authority (CFA) command centre. Like all of Australia, I am shocked and dismayed at the
level of death and destruction that the bushfires have caused.
Firefighters, other emergency service personnel, government agencies and
volunteer organisations have been working around the clock to respond to
the disaster and help bushfire affected communities.
On Sunday, we deployed two Strike Teams crewed by 40 retained firefighters from Regional South and West to Victoria to assist with the
fire fighting effort and NSWFB firefighters have been predominantly located near the township of Yea.
We have also provided liaison and logistics staff to the CFA Headquarters in Victoria, incident management team personnel, and a team
of fire investigation and research experts.
On Wednesday, firefighters from the same areas headed to Victoria to relieve their colleagues, and the CFA has indicated the likelihood that
a further 72 hour deployment will be required.
Our offer of a USAR response team has been declined, however any other
requests received from our Victorian colleagues for fire fighting or other forms of assistance will be filled if within our capability.
This is by far Australia’s worst bushfire disaster. Victoria has seen
many bushfire emergencies, with major fires in 1851, Black Friday in January 1939 (more than 1 000 homes destroyed and 50 dead), and Ash
Wednesday in 1983 (around 2 000 homes destroyed and 49 dead). In 1967 fires in Hobart destroyed 1 400 homes and left 62 dead. However the
weather conditions experienced last week were the worst ever recorded,
and the ferocity of the fires unparalleled. The staggering loss of life
and property will be studied and no doubt many lessons will be learned.
We will assist in the research and seek to adopt the learnings that come
from this terrible disaster.
Bushfire appeal
We have also set up an account with the NSWFB Credit Union and all staff
can make contributions to the Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund. As at Friday morning, we have raised an incredible $16 641. At an appropriate
time we will make a one off donation on behalf of all firefighters and
staff to the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Appeal Fund and I am sure that all
NSWFB staff will contribute generously to help our fellow Australians in
their hour of need.
NSWFB commemorates 125 years of service to the community
This year, the NSWFB commemorates 125 years of service to the NSW community since the formation of the Fire Brigades Board on 14 February
1884, and 100 years since the creation of the Board of Fire Commissioners under the Fire Brigades Act, on 1 December 1909.
We have come a long way since our humble beginnings and are now Australia’s largest urban fire and rescue service and the world’s fifth
largest, with 339 fire stations located across the state, more than 600
fire appliances, 6 800 full‑time and part‑time professional
firefighters, supported by 380 administration and trades staff and 5 500
Community Fire Unit volunteers.
Our firefighters now do much more than just provide rapid response to fires and other emergencies. We attend rescues, chemical spills, storms
and floods and firefighters are making people more aware of fire safety
with education programs such as FireEd, RescueEd, and the Smoke Alarm Battery Replacement scheme for the Elderly. In a handful of locations we
also operate as community first responders to provide rapid life‑saving
response until arrival of the NSW Ambulance Service.
The NSWFB is the lead agency for hazardous materials incidents and managing the consequences of counter terrorism where they involve fire,
CBR or USAR operations. We have 180 accredited rescue units and our
expertise in urban search anWe also work with other government agencies to minimise the impact of
bushfires, storms, floods, landslides, building collapse, car accidents
and other emergencies.
The NSWFB has responded to some of Australia’s most devastating fire and
emergency situations and is a vital part of the state’s emergency response capability. Major incidents including the Granville rail
disaster, the 1994 Bowlers Club fire in Sydney’s central business district, the Waterfall and Glenbrook derailments, the Down Under
Backpacker Hostel fire, the Newcastle Earthquake, Thredbo landslide, Sydney hailstorm, and major bushfires in 1925, 1939, 1944, 1957, 1968,
1977, 1979, 1990, 1994, 2001, 2002 and the present emergency in Victoria
highlight the expertise, courage and dedication of NSWFB firefighters.
We have also been called on by other states and international neighbours
to assist them in their time of need and we have been able to assist the
USA, Taiwan, Turkey, Thailand, New Zealand, The Maldives, Sri Lanka, the
Solomon Islands and Indonesia in sharing our fire investigation skills,
administering training to foreign fire departments and helping to tackle
major incidents such as bushfires in the USA, earthquakes in Taiwan,
Turkey and Indonesia, and the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.
A key part of our work is to continue to expand our work in community education and fire prevention, targeting all sectors of the diverse NSW
community as we strive to build community resilience by providing the people of NSW with the skills and knowledge they need to prepare for and
prevent fires and other emergencies. Community Fire Units in particular
are providing communities living on the state’s urban fringe with the
skills and equipment to defend their homes against ember attack.
We have a proud history and traditions and are highly respected by the
community because of the reliability, professionalism and courage of
firefighters. Through the efforts of today’s firefighters and support
staff and those who follow, the NSWFB will prosper and continue to serve
and protect the people of NSW. Thank you and congratulations to all members of the service.
5th Alarm bushfire in Lane Cove National Park
NSWFB firefighters have also been dealing with bushfires around NSW. On
Friday 6 February, firefighters from 10 stations across Sydney responded
to a bushfire in the Lane Cove National Park. This was a challenging fire due to variable wind conditions, several fires burning in areas
which were difficult to access, a heavy fuel load and numerous properties requiring protection. By nightfall, firefighters had
contained the blaze and crews patrolled the area throughout the night.
The following day firefighters extinguished the remaining pockets of fire and carried out blacking-out operations. Several NSWFB Community
Fire Units were activated, providing firefighters with excellent support
in extinguishing spot fires and protecting their homes from ember attack. In total, 22 stations from across Sydney, assisted by
firefighters from the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the RFS,
including water-bombing helicopters, responded to this fire.
Peat’s Ridge bushfire
On Saturday 7 February, firefighters from the Central Coast responded to
a bushfire on Nardoo Road, Peat’s Ridge, to provide assistance to the
RFS. On arrival, firefighters were immediately tasked by the Wyong RFS
Group Officer to provide urgent assistance to a farmer whose paddocks were under ember attack. Sheds, farmhouses and equipment were all
threatened. Firefighters battled a number of spot fires, and with the
assistance of a Heli Aust Helicopter which was water bombing the area,
the crew were able to gain the upper hand and control the outbreaks. With numerous fires burning in the area, firefighters conducted some
back-burning operations and were assigned to taskforce duties, with firefighters from nine stations on scene for a 24
hour period.
Clean Up Australia Day 2009
Clean Up Australia Day 2009 will be held on Sunday 1 March and all NSWFB
firefighters are encouraged to get involved with this worthwhile community activity. If you are involved in activities that might make a
good photo opportunity please contact the Public Affairs and Communications Strategy Unit on 02 9265 2907. You can also use the media
release template available on the intranet to promote your involvement
with you local media. To register your station’s involvement in Clean Up
Australia Day please contact Luke Pickering, Environmental Risk Advisor
on 02 9265 2908 or luke.pickering@fire.nsw.gov.au
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