5 January 2013

So with fires all over Canberra today...

| johnboy
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Who decided we’d buck the national trend in keeping a middling fire danger rating?

And what sanction will they face?

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scorpio63 said :

and….while that girl on her P’s throws live embers on to roads/dry grasses… Where was she when this happened? Down the Coast and not a care in the world? Or perhaps moved from interstate and missed the whole experience?

I am not condoning the throwing of lit butts or other stupid acts however, based on your observation that she was on her Ps and a girl (I’m assuming you mean a young woman) she was possibly only 7, 8 or 9 years old at the time of the 2003 firestorm and may not really remember it.

Unfortunately many people in the community don’t pass on knowledge (in any meaningful way) that needs to be passed on these days.

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

Antagonist said :

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

… They do this without predigest but with pride.

Way to come across really edumacated, dude 🙂

oops “prejudice” Thanks “Antagonist” Its hard to keep a posting going while your working at the same time providing support to the firies in the back ground……….

Hang on. You’re trying to justify the importance of the SES role by surfing an opinion website WHILE AT WORK FOR THE SES?

and….while that girl on her P’s throws live embers on to roads/dry grasses, it will be young people her age risking their lives to protect in all probability her property/home or parents home attempting to extinguish it (hopefully not in the winds) as all people with common sense know from the 2003 Canberra firestorm. Where was she when this happened? Down the Coast and not a care in the world? Or perhaps moved from interstate and missed the whole experience?

Many trees are struck by Lightning causing spot fires initially undetected, winds come up a day or two later and off it goes hence the Helicopters doing checks the following day(s).

I have attended a few fires (one caused by a guy welding in a paddock on a 90k windy day) and others as a result of lightning strikes a day previously.

It upsets me when I see people tossing out live cigarettes on the roads (one on the Monaro Highway the other day) and took off past Royalla at 120ks going in the opposite direction. One sees the description of the vehicle but getting a rego plate at that speed a little difficult.

Said my prayers of a night for NSW/ACT to be protected – lives, creatures and properties along with all other states of Australia through Jan/Feb/March

Rawhide Kid Part35:32 pm 06 Jan 13

Antagonist said :

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

… They do this without predigest but with pride.

Way to come across really edumacated, dude 🙂

oops “prejudice” Thanks “Antagonist” Its hard to keep a posting going while your working at the same time providing support to the firies in the back ground……….

Rawhide Kid Part3 said :

… They do this without predigest but with pride.

Way to come across really edumacated, dude 🙂

So we should fine the people who burnt down their houses?

Rawhide Kid Part311:52 am 06 Jan 13

knuckles said :

knuckles said :

Why would the SES stand up for high fire danger days.

Surely the firies can call them in when they need someone to make their sandwiches.

Or run supplies to the fireground, fill and man quick fills, do reckies, road blocks, provide forward logistics, perform evacuations if necessary, provide search teams for victims, provide emergency repairs for damaged houses.

Couldn’t be arsed adding any more but if it all turned to s*** like in 2003 they’re be plenty for the SES to do

Whoops… There….

sigh…

1) Firies are required to be self sufficient in equipment and supplies for 24 hours before they attend the fire ground,
2) They include crews for quick fill appliances as part of their crewing levels
3)Reckies, road blocks, forward logistics, search teams and emergency repairs are not carried out as part of a 1st response emergency and crews can be called in for these if/when required.

SES are not part of an emergency response for fires, Fire & Rescue and RFS are. So other than making themselves feel important I still don’t see why SES would stand up on high fire danger days.

knuckles said :

knuckles said :

Why would the SES stand up for high fire danger days.

Surely the firies can call them in when they need someone to make their sandwiches.

Or run supplies to the fireground, fill and man quick fills, do reckies, road blocks, provide forward logistics, perform evacuations if necessary, provide search teams for victims, provide emergency repairs for damaged houses.

Couldn’t be arsed adding any more but if it all turned to s*** like in 2003 they’re be plenty for the SES to do

Whoops… There….

sigh…

1) Firies are required to be self sufficient in equipment and supplies for 24 hours before they attend the fire ground,
2) They include crews for quick fill appliances as part of their crewing levels
3)Reckies, road blocks, forward logistics, search teams and emergency repairs are not carried out as part of a 1st response emergency and crews can be called in for these if/when required.

SES are not part of an emergency response for fires, Fire & Rescue and RFS are. So other than making themselves feel important I still don’t see why SES would stand up on high fire danger days.

You don’t get it….. Do you. No SES, No follow up support. SES in the ACT have memorandum of understanding to provide support to all emergency service organizations with the ACT. They do this without predigest but with pride.

Rawhide Kid Part311:42 am 06 Jan 13

knuckles said :

Why would the SES stand up for high fire danger days.

Surely the firies can call them in when they need someone to make their sandwiches.

Or run supplies to the fireground, fill and man quick fills, do reckies, road blocks, provide forward logistics, perform evacuations if necessary, provide search teams for victims, provide emergency repairs for damaged houses.

Couldn’t be arsed adding any more but if it all turned to s*** like in 2003 they’re be plenty for the SES to do

Also provide staging area management, Remote area comms, Transport….. The list is long depending on the type and size or the incident.

SES stood up yesterday for storm damage. I think the ESA website said they had 17 callouts.

knuckles said :

Why would the SES stand up for high fire danger days.

Surely the firies can call them in when they need someone to make their sandwiches.

Or run supplies to the fireground, fill and man quick fills, do reckies, road blocks, provide forward logistics, perform evacuations if necessary, provide search teams for victims, provide emergency repairs for damaged houses.

Couldn’t be arsed adding any more but if it all turned to s*** like in 2003 they’re be plenty for the SES to do

Whoops… There….

sigh…

1) Firies are required to be self sufficient in equipment and supplies for 24 hours before they attend the fire ground,
2) They include crews for quick fill appliances as part of their crewing levels
3)Reckies, road blocks, forward logistics, search teams and emergency repairs are not carried out as part of a 1st response emergency and crews can be called in for these if/when required.

SES are not part of an emergency response for fires, Fire & Rescue and RFS are. So other than making themselves feel important I still don’t see why SES would stand up on high fire danger days.

This long run of hot weather will be drying out the fuel faster. Next week you’ll see a higher fire danger, we’re in for more hot temps, including some almost-40s going into the weekend. If we get very low humidity, and wind, then you’ll see the danger develop into something nasty.

Sun morning updates from ESA on two fires in Namadgi – Sentry Box Mountain and Mt Ginini here: http://esa.act.gov.au
According to the ESA, both fires have been assessed as low-moderate with no threat to property at this time. Ring 000 if an emergency arises.

I have heard several helicopters fly over my house this morning (Chisholm). I am glad to see this, as people are going to be understandably nervous given the closeness of the 2003 anniversary and the advice provided by certain authorities at that time (or the lack thereof).

Go firies, you are appreciated more than you know.

Why would the SES stand up for high fire danger days.

Surely the firies can call them in when they need someone to make their sandwiches.

That is a pretty inflammatory (no pun intended) question without doing any research into what a fire danger rating is. It is a specific set of indicators which determine both the likelihood of a fire starting and the ferocity of a fire should it begin (flame height, rate of spread, spotting distance). The FDR is not something that is just picked randomly from day to day. The indicators led to a Very High rating yesterday which was entirely appropriate given the predicted weather and fuel load in the ACT. Lightning caused a range of fires yesterday but as far as I am aware none of them posed a threat to life or property in Canberra and aside from those burning way out in the ranges were easily brought under control.

There is a wide range of material provided to the ACT community that correlates to these measures of fire danger. This material advises different courses of action depending on the FDR. On a Very High day like yesterday it is suggested that it is likely that a prepared property will provide adequate shelter and prepared individuals can defend their homes with a degree of safety, tick it over to the next level ‘Severe’ and people are advised to leave early, the next level after that ‘Extreme’ and people are advised that even a well prepared property may not provide shelter and you should leave early. So if you want to start a witch hunt against fire professionals for providing accurate advice to the Canberra community go ahead. I do enjoy the riotact for uniformed sensationalism.

I would think those that make these decisions know exactly what they are talking about and what all the risk factors are that determine the fire rating.

Fires all over Canberra?

FDI is based on an algorithm. If there was wind today the FDI would have been much higher.
http://www.firebreak.com.au/mcarthur_meter.html

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