Page 497 - Week 02 - Wednesday, 19 February 2020
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However, the Canberra Times on 13 February stated that the ESA said that crews were not told they could use lights and sirens and were only granted exemptions to mount the verge to bypass traffic. Minister, given that RFS units were explicitly told to utilise their lights and sirens, how can the ESA say they were not given permission to do so?
MR GENTLEMAN: I thank Mrs Jones for the question. I can advise that ACT Rural Fire Service volunteers and staff do not currently undertake urgent duty driving, or UDD, following an ACT Rural Fire Service chief officer’s direction issued on 20 August 2019. WorkSafe ACT is working closely with the ESA on UDD policy.
The ACT RFS chief officer made a risk-based decision to cancel all urgent duty driving under lights and sirens for all ACT Rural Fire Service staff and volunteers. The direction was to address the fact that the ACT Rural Fire Service does not provide urgent duty driving training to members and there is no currency or skill to be maintained. UDD is a dangerous undertaking.
Mrs Jones: I raise a point of order on relevance, Madam Speaker. The minister is talking about the category of UDD, but I did not mention UDD in my question. The question was why they were told to use lights and sirens in a recording and then the minister’s own department stated that they were told they could mount the verge. Those are two totally different things. Can the minister please be directly relevant to that question.
MADAM SPEAKER: In the time you have left, minister, can you provide some clarification on that?
MR GENTLEMAN: Madam Speaker, I did say lights and sirens in my answer and I will refer Mrs Jones to that earlier answer. There was no change in policy during the Beard fire; however, an exemption, as Mrs Jones has indicated, was given to a select number of vehicles. They were not issued an exemption for full UDD. They were not given permission to go through traffic lights or increase speed. They were given permission to use the verge of the road to safely bypass heavy traffic on Pialligo Avenue. The exemption was granted due to their proximity to the fireground. (Time expired.)
MRS JONES: Minister, given that the order was to utilise lights and sirens with no mention of the verge, when was the direction clarified?
MR GENTLEMAN: I have not been given any update other than what I have just presented to the chamber, so I will seek further information from the directorate.
MR HANSON: Minister, will you now begin training RFS volunteers in urgent driver duty so that they can utilise their lights and sirens in future bushfires?
MR GENTLEMAN: I have had briefings from the chief of the Rural Fire Service. He has provided me with the information that, in his view, UDD is not required by the Rural Fire Service at this time. If there is a change in the advice from ESA then I am happy to pursue extra training for the Rural Fire Service. They receive very good
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