Public Fire Refuges and Bushfires

If you haven’t already figured, I’m very interested in this. In Marysville, during Ash Wednesday (1983) the Oval was the ‘safe’ place. Where the locals gathered, barrels of water, generators and general emergency type stuff. The same place I told my parents NOT to try and take my horse, because he was too unpredictable for them to handle. The roads were closed. I couldn’t get home, no buses running. The phone system was overloaded, mum somehow managed to get a message to my aunty to travel 2 hours to come and pick us up from school and take us back to her place. Horrible times. I was a mere child, but I’ve never forgotten those feelings of not knowing. NEVER.

Not long after that the Marysville Oval was deemed too risky to be used as fire refuge and Marysville was left without an nominated area. Some locals thought the golf Course, others the oval. The confusion was complete. Many did make it to the oval as per the news reports. Many were still there Sunday morning when I got into town.

Come Black Saturday (2009) when I lost phone contact with my parents, this time with hindsight I knew that things were bad. Just not how bad.

Public Refuges do have a place in EVERY township/settlement, I mean every and the councils of the area have no right to deny a township or settlement that peace of mind.

Residents in The Hills area in South Australia (Mitcham Council) are being denied Safe Refuges, because everyone is afraid of being made accountable. Hills & Valley Messenger Newspaper

Back in Victoria there are 9 designated ‘Neighbourhood Safer places’ in the Yarra Ranges area.

The state Government has allocated the amount of $500,000 for the state of Victoria to determine further ‘Neighbourhood Safer Places” That amount from what I can gather, covers the cost of signage ONLY. This is what a sign looks like.

It’s a standard size sign, approx 850mm x 200mm – blue background, white writing. The access to this particular ‘NSP’ was on a bend, and easy to miss on a clear, uncrowded road, I doubt I would be able to find it in heavy smoke or under stress. And the danger of accessing if coming from the north would be extreme, with the oncoming traffic coming around a blind corner.

There was no signage showing me where this site was located, I just happened to stumble across it whilst travelling.

I have just checked the CFA website and found this CFA - Neighbourhood Safer Places - I notice that the Murrindindi Shire/Council ONE NSP in their area. All the way up in Eildon. The Whittlesea Council has ONE NSP in their area. Too few for far too many people.

If the Council or State Governments won’t nominate an area that you will be safe in. Make sure you know where you will go on days of high fire risk. Failure to think about it might cause you to panic and do the wrong thing in times of stress.

Take care out there, no-one but you are responsible for you and your family.

The outcome of the Royal Commission and the bushfires of Black Saturday

I’ve read the recommendations, I’m no expert and I don’t pretend to be, but here is what I see:-

Recommendation 1:- “Enhance the role of warnings” This is very hard given the fact that wind changes (which can’t be predicted) caused many of the problems on Black Saturday. People MUST be prepared and accountable for days of high fire danger. It’s not the Governments responsibility.
Recommendation 2:- “Community education programs” I live in an area that was on high alert that day, due to the fires starting about 20km away. I have yet to see a letterbox drop. I have not seen any communication in relation to community education programs. I’m sure they are there, but I have not seen anything advertised.
Recommendation 3:- “evacuation and shelter for vulnerable residents” I’d be interested to know the locations of these shelters, as the general public have nothing put aside for them yet. What about neighbours? – On Black Saturday, our street ensured that the vulnerable residents were accounted for and removed or under the care of someone capable.
Recommendation 4:- “Replacing the 2005 Fire Refuges in Victoria” There were NO fire refuges in Victoria in 2005, all refuges were deemed unsafe due to public liability issues. Personal shelters for individuals, who will monitor these to ensure their ongoing safety compliance?
Recommendation 5:- “encourage individuals—especially vulnerable people—to relocate early” This is the leave earlier policy in different wording.
Recommendation 6:- “national curriculum incorporates the history of bushfire in Australia” We can't teach Australian History in schools, how can we teach bushfire danger to kids, without someone complaining we are terrorizing their children into fearing the bush?
Recommendation 7:- “to develop a national bushfire awareness campaign.” Isn’t that what the stay or go policy is? An awareness campaign about the dangers of bushfires?
Recommendation 8:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 9:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 10:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 11:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 12:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 13:- “introduce a graded scale of emergency declarations short of a state of disaster.” By avoiding calling a ‘State of Emergency’ the local government saves a lot of money. That is why the Black Saturday Fires were not declared a state of emergency because the funding that is provided once this has been declared is greater than if it had not been declared a state of emergency.
Recommendation 14:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 15:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 16:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 17:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 18:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 19:- “provide to all CFA volunteers an identification card” This is good, finally, even when clothed in CFA clothing, water tankers were unable to get through road blocks. Finally some common sense for support vehicles and support personnel.
Recommendation 20:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 21:- “aerial resources that are suitable for firefighting “ Considering we hire/rent/lease a fire fighting aircraft from the USA and that on Black Saturday it was claimed that most aircraft on Australian shores could not fight fires in any degree or fashion.
Recommendation 22:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 23:- these are internal issues for CFA (Why is the DSE not also mentioned here?)
Recommendation 24:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 25:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 26:- these are internal issues for CFA & DSE
Recommendation 27:- I agree with the replacement of the SWER lines, but this has been recommended for many years. Electricity linesmen have been saying this for years, because of the lack of maintenance performed over the years, and now the state of disrepair of the electricity cabling, we are going to be forced to pay for this, perhaps as high as a doubling of power bills to fund this upgrade.
I have a SWER line 20m from my house, that spans 1km of treed (and housed) area, how can that go underground? The aerial bundling won’t stop the cable breaking, but the replacement of may reduce the risk for many years.
Recommendation 28:- “change their asset inspection standards” This is a certainty and essential commitment that MUST be complied with, as discussed in a sitting at the Royal Commission
Recommendation 29:- is really just a re-hash of 28
Recommendation 30:- “to reduce the risks posed by hazardous trees “ I honestly thought that this would have been part of normal inspection process that is supposed to be carried out on a regular basis.
Recommendation 31:- “the identification of hazardous trees and notifying the responsible entities” is this a form of back-up insurance? To make sure that the electricity companies are doing their job? What other risk could trees be, other than risk to powerlines?
Recommendation 32:- “disable the reclose function” only 6 weeks? – The fire season doesn’t abide by dates or calendars, why only 6 weeks? Yes this will mean more power outages for regional areas, but perhaps it is for the greater good.
Recommendation 33:- Spreaders should be fitting on all lines, regardless of location, I thought this would have been standard practice.
Recommendation 34:- “The State amend the regulatory framework” and “to require it to fulfil that mandate” ummmmm, again I thought this would have already been in place and that being the case, why mandate that the mandate be fulfilled?
Recommendation 35:- “coordinated statewide approach to arson prevention “ The police can’t control arsonists. If arsonists are discovered, they go to court, they are released again on bail (as happened in the outer northern suburbs of Melbourne 2009) How can the police monitor that? – During peak fire season, if an arsonist is caught – they MUST be locked up for the duration of the fire season, it’s the only way to show a) we are serious, b) ease the workload on already stressed Police Officers.
Recommendation 36:- “National Action Plan to Reduce Bushfire Arson in Australia,” Relates again to Recommendation 35.
Recommendation 37:- These are internal issues for CFA and local Government.
Recommendation 38:- These are internal issues for CFA and local Government.
Recommendation 39:- These are internal issues for local Government
Recommendation 40:- These are internal issues for CFA and local Government
Recommendation 41:- These are internal issues for DSE and local Government
Recommendation 42:- These are internal issues for DSE
Recommendation 43:- These are internal issues for DSE
Recommendation 44:- These are internal issues for CFA
Recommendation 45:- “to urgently adopt a bushfire policy” Why is the Murrindindi Council singled out here? There were other townships affected. But I do agree with the principle of the idea
Recommendation 46:- “develop and implement a retreat and resettlement strategy” Good idea in theory, but non-compulsory? – What does this mean? We all know under ‘compulsory’ acquisition, that the value is well-under market value. What does this mean to landowners who choose this option?
Recommendation 47:- “reducing the risk of ignition from ember attack” is a MUST for buildings in high-risk areas. In fact common sense in reality.
Recommendation 48:- is really just Recommendation 47 worded differently.
Recommendation 49:- again Recommendation 47 & 48 reworded
Recommendation 50:- “develop a standard for bushfire sprinklers and sprayers” This is a MUST but in saying that – people can’t afford copper piping AND the cost is massive (and the risk of theft the same) – what else can be done?
Recommendation 51:- “existing buildings in bushfire-prone areas can be modified” This is a good idea – but again, the building owners should have already thought and put into action further protection means for the buildings.
Recommendation 52:- “the regular assessment of landowners’ compliance with conditions” The council will baulk at this – the cost and manpower required will incur cost and the councils will be reluctant to follow through.
Recommendation 53:- “amend s. 32 of the Sale of Land Act 1962 to require that a vendor’s statement include whether the land is in a designated Bushfire-prone Area” A good idea and allows for the potential purchaser to make decisions accordingly. The only failure of this, is that CFA are not compelled to attend properties in dead-end streets, This should also be commented on in the section 32, as a reminder of how alone you will actually be under the threat of fire.
Recommendation 54:- “issue fire prevention notices.” (Delegation is not a real issue) The CFA and MFB already do have this power, along with the council.
Recommendation 55:- “providing regular training and guidance material to planning and building practitioners” This should be encompassed under the council approval processes
Recommendation 56:- “a long-term program of prescribed burning” Correct, but there will be elements within society that disagree with this.
Recommendation 57:- “Department of Sustainability and Environment report annually on prescribed burning outcomes” again, as prescribed burning is done wholly within the domain of the DSE, This is covered within Recommendation 56.
Recommendation 58:- “long-term data collection to monitor and model the effects “ again, encompassed under Recommendations 56 & 57, with the reporting and increasing of burns.
Recommendation 59:- again encompassed under recommendations 56, 57 and 58. The use of wildfire was apt for the day of Black Saturday, but a ‘normal’ bushfire should be classified as such. A wildfire is just an increase in the strength of words, which is what the government wants.
Recommendation 60:- “the provisions allow for a broad range of roadside works capable of reducing fire risk” This decision (or change in rulings) will not appease some members of the community and cause Local Councils and Vicroads much hardship and possible confrontation in the field.
Recommendation 61:- “on resolving the competing tensions arising from the legislation affecting roadside clearing” addresses my exact concerns. Will the State and Commonwealth Governments have the guts to do this properly? The fires funnelled up the roadsides and creeks because of the quantity of scrub and rubbish in these areas.
Recommendation 62:- is just a rewording of 60 & 61.
Recommendation 63:- These are internal issues for Government and DSE and CFA
Recommendation 64:- “replace the Fire Services Levy with a property-based levy” This recommendation has long been fought for by insurance companies, the problem is will property insurance rates drop or remain stagnant because of this decision and what will be the effect on council rates?
Recommendation 65:- “a national centre for bushfire research” sounds like a good idea
Recommendation 66:- “assess progress with implementing the Commission’s recommendation” is definitely required, but will the time frames be fluffed to appease certain groups?
Recommendation 67:- “The State consider the development of legislation for the conduct of inquiries in Victoria” Is this a slap in the face for the Victorian Labor Government, in essence the governments response and knee-jerking regarding the interim report?

Now remember the above is MY PERSONAL views on the subject. I understand that CFA/DSE/MFB/Victoria Police policies along with Government rules and regulations, all have an impact on my life, but it’s not for me to dissect these decisions and possible outcomes. That is why I have avoided comment on recommendations encompassing those areas.

I still don’t think enough emphasis has been placed on personal responsibility; each and every adult who lives in a high fire danger area has a personal responsibility to every child and aged adult in their care. I don’t think this has been stressed enough.

Something that the media and the general public have been avoiding commenting on is the issuing of fire warnings. For three days prior to the tragic day of Black Saturday, the media was crawling with the Premier, the Chief of the CFA and others who stated quite clearly that Saturday the 7th February 2009, was going to be the worst day that Victoria had seen in many decades.

I understood that to mean that the risk of fire was basically inevitable and consequently could not be ignored. I was on alert and saw the smoke of the Kilmore fire long before anything was in the media. From that moment onwards I enacted our fire plan and ensured that everyone on the street was aware. Once the fire situation made it to the media my father was calling me, checking that we were organised, checking that we were okay.

The public were warned, perhaps not on the day – things were moving too quickly, I could only follow the fire from what I could visually sight. Not from the media, or the CFA website simply because the information must have been coming in too quickly.

I have blogged previously about the events after this time. I have no wish to re-visit that ground, it has been done and nothing can be changed.

Remember this blog is MY PERSONAL VIEW.

Royal Commissions and Arse-Protection

I’m not going to pretend I’ve been following all the goings on in the Royal Commission for the last 150 days, I’ve had other things to deal with.

But what I have seen from the media and the transcripts doesn’t make for pretty reading.

One thing that has upset me from the day the fires hit was the removal of the fire refuges, due to public liability issues. The State Government passed this responsibility onto the councils and the councils promptly shut down 99% of the fire refuges, due to public liability issues. When people needed somewhere to turn, there was nowhere.

Then the State Government steps in at the release of the interim report from the Royal Commission and instigates a whole raft of proposals, regulations and rules with little thought for the consequences.

One example was/is the release of the “Code Red” days and warnings and the closing of schools, education centres. Fine in theory – but in real life will not work.

Then there are reports in the media of some councils closing council properties on these declared days in the hope of avoiding responsibility in the case of another fire like Black Saturday.

It is now 18 months after the fact, there has been no real change in protection of the communities previously affected, nor those that weren’t affected, but need protection.

In 18 months, a Royal Commission started by the State Government, has now become a ball and chain for the Labor State Government and possibly the Federal Government, especially with the election looming on the horizon.

People that they placed in command that day have openly lied about their whereabouts on that fateful day. How could a serving member forget their whereabouts on a day now labeled the worse in Victoria’s History?

I’m sure if you think back you could remember where you were and what you did. Given 20 years things may be different, but 18 months after the fact the memory will still be fresh. So explain how someone so heavily involved could forget?

Then there is the lost fire path prediction maps – thrown out by the cleaners? – I don’t think so.

The half-arsed CFA pager system – No wonder the CFA volunteers were struggling. Between the metropolitan digital system and the analogue country system. They had no chance.

Until recently (like April 2010) there was an open URL that could be used to trace all the CFA pager messages that went out from the search and rescue messages, to road accidents, out of control fires, to admin messages advising where keys were located for stations. I’m not sure who else was aware of this ‘leak’ but it got patched once the CFA pager problems were made public. That URL had been operational since March 2009 that I am personally aware of – as I am the person who located it.

The Royal Commission has resulted in many people in many areas falling into self-protection mode and not telling the WHOLE truth for fear of retribution, be it from their bosses or the public. A public office position is highly coveted and thus many people will forgo morals and ethics in favour of public opinion or they will do as they are told by those higher than themselves.

I foretell now that many recommendations put forward by the Royal Commission into the fires of February 2009, will not be implemented, just as the Royal Commission into the fires in 1939, sees many recommendations not implemented today, some 70 years later.

Therefore the Government, both State and Local need to step back. An example of a resident trying to do the right thing before the fires. He requested (four) 4 trees be felled and had to pay a fee of $94.00 and was prohibited from removing others from the same block.After the fires the owner was allowed to removed 194. Can anyone see a problem with this? – I know I can. Oh and the removal permit of $94 was also overlooked in the aftermath of the fires. That’s local government for you.

Australians have always liked the bush, therefore many of us choose to live in the bush, amongst nature, amongst the tall trees, amongst the animals. It is OUR responsibility to ensure we are safe, to ensure that we survive, not the governments, not the councils.

Fire Bunkers in The News Again – Are They Safe?

Thursday saw the release of first state government accredited fire-bunker. I understand people are looking for ways to protect their families, pets and valuables but I am not sure that fire bunkers are the answer.

Personally and this is a purely personal thing – I am against bunkers of any sort. I would never use a bunker – but that is MY personal choice. I am concerned for people, perhaps not this year, perhaps not next year, but in 10 or 20 years time, when maintenance has not been done correctly and perhaps the neighbours have moved and no-one knows the location of said bunker.

If the bunker is a commercially purchased bunker, the companies providing these bunkers, clearly state that “ABC does not claim this product will save lives. There is NO Guarantee of personal safety. Nothing works better than timely and safe evacuation.”

It concerns me greatly that people may be putting their lives in the hands of things that may not provide the protection they are expecting.

Some comments from people who know far more than me state:-

From the Master Builders Submission to the Royal Commission
1. Master Builder has participated in discussions with the Building Commission and the State Government’s Building Advisory Council (BAC) regarding bunker installation in high risk bushfire regions.
2. Master Builders does not support mandating bunker construction on private property. We believe that the decision to construct a bunker on private property is a risk management decision for individuals. Thus, we do not believe government has a role to play in restricting individual freedom of choice in this area.
3. Master Builders also does not support the introduction of regulations for bunker design in Victoria. We consider the development of such regulations to be fraught with danger as this could engender the incorrect belief that bunkers will guarantee a persons safety.
4. Master Builders instead recommends the Building Commission develop a voluntary checklist for consumers. Such a checklist would help improve consumer awareness without unnecessarily regulating an area of policy where few absolutes exist. Matters which could be included are:
• Maintenance of tenable conditions;
• Suitable location (ease of access and exit and proximity to vegetation / trees);
• Size, strength and occupancy level;
• Bunker entry and locking mechanisms;
• Capacity to observe fire threat;
• Bottled oxygen supply;
• Appropriate signage to locate the bunker;
• Separation requirements if adjacent to other buildings; and,
• Resistant to embers

From Consumer Affairs – Victoria
Consumers should note that research conducted under Australian conditions has yet to prove that bunkers save lives. They are not compulsory for properties in fire-threatened areas and should not be considered as a substitute for a comprehensive fire safety and evacuation plan.

Not one organisation is prepared to say that these bunkers replace any sort of forward fire preparation and planning and all state that early evacuation is the BEST OPTION IS ALL CASES.

Some experts even fear that a fire bunkers when not being used as a fire bunker – may pose another threat and that is entrapment and suffocation of children and this is something that the authorities are extremely concerned about

My greatest fear is not for tomorrow but in 10-20 years time or even longer, when the location of these bunkers is forgotten by neighbours and when people remove any indication of a bunker or allow trees and shrubs to grow near the bunker, that the existence of the bunker will be forgotten by all except the householders and when the fire approaches, retreat into these bunkers.

What happens if they are trapped? What happens if the air runs out? What happens if smoke does manage to enter the bunker?

Will these people be lost forever, killed by something they thought would save them and people and companies (long since out of business) have proclaimed these bunkers safe to protect human life?

I have spoken to many people from areas affected by the fires of Black Saturday and EVERYONE I spoke to have declared quite loudly that next time (if there is a next time for them) they would prepare their house, stay as long as possible and then move to cleared ground. This is not what I call an ideal solution, but it is a solution they are prepared to take on.

Many people in the Narbethong/Marysville area survived the night by remaining on cleared ground, people in Marysville on the oval and people in Narbethong on ploughed soil. Many residents in both areas declare they would do the same thing again.

They would not retreat to bunkers, they are fully aware of the dangers of what may go wrong and would rather die in the open, where are least they have a chance of surviving or being found after the fire front has passed. It is a well-known fact that the fire-watchers bunker on Mt Gordon in the Marysville/Narbethong area melted. If the proposed occupant had decided to stay he would be dead now. The locals are well aware of this fact and have made their decisions accordingly.

NOTHING AND I MEAN NOTHING is more important than you and your families safety. If you are not 110% prepared both mentally and physically or have previously suffered health problems GET OUT AND GET OUT EARLY.

DO NOT rely on bunkers to save your life. By the time you realise something is wrong it may be too late and too dangerous to exit and you may perish.

Black Saturday - Royal Commission – Some Sense until tomorrow?

John Brumby has come out and said that banning building in fire-prone areas is not feasible. Hooray for someone seeing the light of day. The only problem is that I think this may be all politician speak and nothing more.

The Shire of Murrindindi which was one of the hardest hit areas is predominantly a Working Class area – Which although the seat of McEwan is currently held by the Liberal Party,The last election was very close and saw the seat contested for 7 votes.

John Brumby is quoted as saying "If you say in Victoria that you can't build in any area that's heavily forested you'd be removing close to a million Victorians from their homes - that's the reality.'' [1]

Where do 1,000,000 people go? 90% of them would be unable to afford to move, as I discussed here Black Saturday - Royal Commission Experts The fact that John Brumby is not only referring to the area of Marysville, but state wide, from Bendigo to Ballarat, shows that someone has seen the light.

I can’t make political comment on areas that I don’t know and to tell you honest truth, can’t be bothered checking out. (Yeah I know lazy) – I don’t get paid for this – unless you want to donate!!!!!!!!!

John Brumby is also quoted as saying "This is all about, I think, living with the risk of fire and we are a dry continent, we're also a very beautiful continent, our eucalypt forests are stunning places and they're beautiful places to live.”

Which is 100% correct, since the day that Australia was settled; there has been a battle for water, some years are good, some years better and some years very poor. At other times there is so much water, we are literally swimming in it, while standing on what was previously dry land!

John Brumby is also quoted as saying "So this is about making places as safe as possible while recognising the beautiful amenity that we've got in so many treed areas across the state."

So, let’s make the state safe, if that is the case, get off your backside and nominate the areas deemed to safe, places that the population can evacuate to if they choose to. Not leave these people and communities hanging around waiting for you to make a decision.

It’s been 12 months since the fires of Black Saturday, and most fire-prone areas still remain without ‘safer places’

Drop the fancy terminology also, either we are in danger or we are not. The old fires index signs, run and operated by the CFA – clearly showed at 100kph what the state of the area was you were entering – now we are presented with a tiny little sign that shows NOTHING. CFA signage

The Government needs to stop talking the talk that people think they want to hear and start actioning some of these so-called good ideas. Kick the bureaucracy in the backside and start doing SOMETHING.

The sooner the government stops meddling and bringing false hope and starts actually doing something and bringing real hope, will be the day that people and townships start pulling and putting themselves together again.

[1] The Australian February 16th 2010

Black Saturday, Royal Commission - Experts, Messperts, - What do they know ‘perts?

I have a vested interest in this topic for many reasons, some of which are contained in this blog. Others are too personal to be written about in the public domain.

The last 24-48 hours has seen so-called experts claiming that places like Marysville (notice they ONLY cite Marysville as the example) should not ever be re-built. My first bone of contention is that Marysville is, was and will not be the only place ever threatened/destroyed by fire.

Other places also affected:-Kinglake, Flowerdale, Bendigo, Narbethong, Strathewen, Steeles Creek, Yarra Glen, Humevale, Wadong, St Andrews, Callignee, Taggerty, Koornalla, Beechworth, Long Gully, Maiden Gully, Redesdale,

I’ve made comment before and I’ll make it again, places closer to the CBD receive more support from the media and social services than those places ‘out of the way’ I know for a fact that several families in the township of Strathewen ONLY see 1 person on a daily basis. Nobody else bothers, because it is too hard and they are forgotten. People in Marysville and no doubt other places are in the same boat, yet Kinglake and Flowerdale get all the accolades for re-building, and fighting etc.

This fire was perhaps a once in 100 year event. Yes lives were lost. Yes, people’s lives have irrevocably been changed. Yes, children have been affected by what they saw. But this trauma has been occurring since man became self-aware. At some point in life we all suffer something that changes us forever; some people suffer more than once.

Experts, like Roz Hansen have been quoted as saying “I was disappointed and somewhat alarmed about allowing those communities to go back and resettle. And I think we've really got our hands full in terms of guaranteeing them their safety in the future, unless we change the major considerations around those areas in terms of bushland setting," [1]

Another ‘expert’, Michael Buxton is quoted as saying “a large scale government buy back should be considered to move people away from areas of unacceptably high bushfire risk.” [2]

These people probably live in the yuppyland, sipping on skinny soy decaf latte with no thought for those that live in these areas, that work in these areas and that put the food on the tables that they eat from. Without people in rural areas, there would be no food, and if this was the case, the Greenies would be screaming blue murder about the emissions caused by the people driving to and from the place of employment because there is no public transport. Isn’t that the rage these days – work, live and play in your local area and source your food from the same area?

People choose to live in these areas and work in these areas, because they like the people, they like the environment, they like the lifestyle. They like having their horses nearby. They like hearing the birds in the morning. They realize the danger, they accept the danger. If a person cannot accept the danger then they shouldn’t live there – that I do agree with. There are dangers living in the suburbs, from assaults, to burglaries, to not knowing your neighbour. In the country there are different dangers, which more often than not, pose less danger to the person and just means you have to be more self-aware.

How dare these so-called experts claim that perhaps for the greater good places (like Marysville) should not be rebuilt.

Other areas in exactly the same position are not mentioned, not even touched upon. Is it only ONCE the devastation occurs that the spotlight is turned on these townships? Had the prescribed back burning been done, then perhaps things would not be so bad. Perhaps if the communication between the fire agencies had been better, things would have been different, perhaps if the people in charge had more experience things would be different. There is little purpose in looking back now, only forward. To dwell on the past means you live in the past.

You can’t change what happened, but neither can you destroy further the lives of the people affected. People need to stop jumping to solutions that won’t work, either in the past, present or the future. Instead offer solutions, like safe havens, like ovals, with water supplies that can never run out, open spaces. Bring back the fire sirens and don’t let the Sunday tourists turn them off. I grew up in Marysville and if the siren sounded, you headed to the oval. The siren could be heard in the valley and all except for Sunday at 10am – you went to the oval, you knew something was happening. You could be out on the horse; you could be at a friend’s place. IF that siren sounded, something was wrong.

Bring back the sirens, bring back the safe havens, stop trying to destroy townships, livelihoods and what people know and accept.


[1] The Age 16th February 2010

[2] The Australian 15th February 2010

MFB meets CFA and they disagree

Today for the first time this year (2010) a fire "Watch and Act "was issued for a Melbourne Metropolitan area. This was unfortunately expected and the public warned many months ago.

This is not the issue – but it would appear that a turf war broke out between the CFA and the MMFB today and I have the pictures to prove it.

Here is the incident page for the CFA website – notice the RED squares? – you will see to the far right – that is the advice (after it was contained) it clearly says “Doncaster East” and yet below it clearly says Warrandyte. So is there two fires or are they one in the same? (noting that NO reference on the incidents page to Doncaster other than the "Advice" which was previously a "Watch and Act")

Now here is the Advice page – It clearly says Doncaster East – notice the RED Square again?




Alright – so someone must have made a mistake – mistakes happen, we are only human after all.

But………. Something seems to be going on – here is the map for area concerned. Noting 3 marks,
1. The red letter ‘A’ – this indicates the approx location of the fire as per the advice, which states Doncaster East.
2. The circle at the top of the page shows Warrandyte.
3. The circle at the bottom shows Doncaster East.

Just to clarify what you are seeing – is that the same fire appears to have two locations if you use the suburb. So let’s look a little closer - The fire was located on Target Road. Let’s see where that is, using the information provide by the Advice – which is Beasley’s Nursery.

A search reveals:-
Target Road is located in Warrandyte NOT Doncaster East refer below for confirmation of this

So let’s look at other factors. How would this ‘human error’ possibly occur – It has to be human error – It can’t be anything else can it?

The advice clearly states that areas of Doncaster East and Templestowe are likely to be affected. Where does Warrandyte come into this?

The only conclusion I can come to is that the site I am looking at is CFA operated and Warrandyte is a CFA area – whereas Doncaster is MFB operated and since the fire was possibly going to impact Doncaster, that is why Doncaster was listed.

ONCE AGAIN CONFUSION REIGNS SUPREME

The Alert/Advice should have looked like this:-
Warrandyte – Targets Road (Doncaster East/Templestowe)

That way it ties in with the CFA incident reporting AND the correct location AND also the area possibly being impacted.

From the Royal Commission INTERIM REPORT

RECOMMENDATION 4.2
The State ensure that the content of bushfire warnings issued in Victoria reflects the principles set out in the Commonwealth policy paper Emergency Warnings — Choosing Your Words (2008).
In particular, all bushfire warnings issued in Victoria must use clear language, avoid euphemisms, and contain explicit information in relation to:
■■ the severity, location, predicted direction and likely time of impact of bushfires on specific communities and locations; and
■■ the predicted severity of impact of the bushfire and whether a specific fire poses a threat to human life

According to the interim report This warning FAILED to comply with 4.2 of the interim report, The advice, which is what will be broadcast in the general media - failed to recognise that areas of Warrandyte MAY also be affected by these fires - It is NOT possible for areas between the two suburbs NOT to be impacted.

I would very much appreciate your thoughts and ideas as to how you would fix the problem.

My blogging regarding fires.

I have now come to the end of what I consider to be a vitally important, possible life-saving part of this blog. I believe I have covered everything that I can.

If you think I have omitted something, please drop me a note. I would be only too happy to cover further information or details as requested.

Some people who have read this blog are aware that I was involved in the fires. To what extent I am hesitant to reveal as I am not a hero. I did what had to be done.

The heroes in the events of “Black Saturday” are those men and women who turned out on the day as both paid and unpaid volunteers and assisted those in need and fought the fires and saved the lives of many people.

This is my way of saying thank-you.

I am sorry that the Royal Commission seems to portray you, the people at the front of the firing line as people who did not know what you were doing. I don’t believe this to be the case. You did what you were ordered to do and had to do to save lives and property.

I have heard first-hand many stories of self-less acts of bravery, which saved the lives of many men, women and children.

If you are a reader of this blog, please leave a note of thanks to the boys and girls in the emergency services, who may have saved a friend, a family member or even your dog. Be it now, or in the future.

Thank-you

And please stay tuned for more posts tomorrow, the day after and the day after that!

HS

Small business and your duty of care

Small business is about to be hit with another hurdle with parenting rights and responsibilities, as parents we do everything we can to protect our children, as business owners we do everything to protect our (and our employees) interest in the business.

With the awful events of Black Saturday, the government is doing everything possible to prevent massive public liability claims should anything happen. And who can blame them? These decisions will affect both large and small businesses. It will impact businesses at all levels.

An extract from the interim findings from the Royal Commission into the Bushfires that occurred on February 7th 2009, states:- 8.143 a new procedure for school closures on TFB days and days of extreme fire risk

The implications of this are enormous, using the 2009 Central Victorian Fire District as the template. There were 16 days declared days of total fire ban, of which 13 days occurred on a weekday.

The fire season runs from November to March - a break down on that is 151 days, 43 of those days are weekends, 5 public holidays, 10 days Annual leave - so from 151 days you have already lost 58 days (or 38%), now add to the mix a further 13 days for total fire ban days (8.5%), worst case scenario of an employee taking every sick day when due - that is another 3 days (2%) lost production - as an employer you have lost a further 8.5% more than budgeted of possible productivity that you, the employer has to pay for. When employees are forced to take time off work to care for children when the schools are closed, who will fill their position? Will the remaining staff become stressed at the unfairness?

The Royal commission interim report stated that parents didn’t seem to mind the schools closing due to fire risks this year. But I think the shock of the whole event, forced people to re-think priorities for a short period of time. Eventually people will have to put finances before safety.

As an employer, does this leave you open to litigation if something happens and it is claimed that you forced the employee to attend work that day?

Will you be forced to look at the address of a prospective employee to avoid issues with absenteeism? What happens if the employee moves into a high risk area and have a young family?

So many questions and so little time – in fact only 14 days to the next fire season.

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/documents/debrief_report_final.pdf
http://www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/Interim-Report