COMMISH’S CORNER

Thursday 6 September 2007 Number 421. NSWFB
The Rumour Mill No (02) 9265 2627

CURRENT NATIONAL SECURITY ALERT LEVEL : MEDIUM

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