Page 3582 - Week 11 - Thursday, 22 September 2005
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Parks and places are currently engaging 14 staff for this fire season to undertake fuel reduction activities and to be available for fire suppression. In addition, there will be an ongoing training program undertaken to ensure that firefighters are adequately trained and experienced for firefighting duties. A reminder needs to be sent to the public that it is time to clean up their yards and gutters in preparation for the coming fire season. The Emergency Services Commissioner is currently considering whether or not to declare the start of the official bushfire season on 1 October or to delay the declaration by a month. The commissioner will be seeking the advice of the ACT Bushfire Council when they meet later on today.
The ACT Rural Fire Service has spent the autumn and winter months planning for the hot summer months ahead. A lot of work occurs in the off-season, getting ready for the next bushfire season. ACT Rural Fire Service staff and volunteers have put considerable time and effort into training and preparation since the end of last season. These activities have included assisting additional ACT government land management agencies to carry out extensive fuel hazard reduction across the territory. All of this work has been conducted in accordance with risk priorities.
All firefighting vehicles have been put through their pre-season workshop checks. The ACT Rural Fire Service also expects the arrival of three new compressed air foam units in the next six weeks to boost tanker stocks. The brigades are taking stock of personnel and skill level checks and databases are being updated to reflect the new information.
Canberra residents should most certainly start turning their minds to their own preparations by making sure that their homes are well protected from the threat of bushfires. A full guide to achieving that level of personal and home protection is available through the free copy of Bushfires and the Bush Capital, which can be obtained from Canberra Connect shopfronts or by ringing Canberra Connect on 132281 or online at the ACT Emergency Services Authority’s website, www.esa.act.gov.au.
The government has invested considerably in new people and equipment over the past three years. We have appointed 35 new firefighters; 720 CFU volunteers have been trained, with 400 being fully equipped; the Rural Fire Service has 71 new volunteers; the ACT State Emergency Service has 50 new volunteers; and there are 16 new ambulance officers. We have developed our operational support with a new computer-aided dispatch system; a trunk radio network, phase one; and the emergency coordination centre, which has been activated five times. The ESA has practised devolved incident control processes and increased 24/7 media liaison capability. In addition to that, they have also established a new automatic weather station in the Brindabellas.
As members can see from this short description, the government has demonstrated to the utmost its commitment to community safety through the development of the Emergency Services Authority, providing it with effective legislation, ensuring it is well resourced and highly professional, as well as ensuring that other agencies are resourced adequately to deliver on their responsibilities for community safety. My colleague the Minister for Police and Emergency Services will give some details of the matching steps that this government has taken in relation to other areas of community safety.
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