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BUSHFIREBULLETIN

VOL24#02

HAWKESBURYHOTEL FIRE

IN THIS ISSUE

03LISMORE BRIGADESSAVE SCHOOL

08LEETON TRAINCRASH

12PHOTO COMP

19EXERCISE ISGOOD FOR YOU

20

T H E J O U R N A L O F T H E N S W R U R A L F I R E S E R V I C E

01

BUSHFIREBULLETINVOL24#02

CONTENTS COMMISSIONER’S FOREWORD

1 GENERAL NEWS

03 Hawesbury Hotel fire04 Back to the days of steam04 Bazil Smith calls it a day05 Yellows on parade06 Hazelbrook Bash07 Record Bluey Day donation08 Lismore brigades save school10 Queens Birthday 2002 Honours

recognise Service members10 Service Awards 200212 Service moved by british bus12 Leeton “training” gets whole

new meaning17 On a clear day…

you can see Dungog17 Come and get it at Lugarno17 Service a major supporter of

Chidrens Hospital fundraising19 Photo Competition results20 Proving that exercise is

good for you21 Depot Beach says thankyou21 National Medals galore

at MullamudddyIBC Rate Card

2 OPERATIONS

13 T-Cards

3 EQUIPMENT

23 Burning fire trucks – deliberately

4 FIRE INVESTIGATION

24 Fire Investigation within RFS25 Fire Investigators

attracts global dollars25 NPWS Passes stetementt

5 RFSA

26 Yorke calls for more participationand unity in RFSA

Whatever happened to periods of respite between fire seasons? Perhaps they neverexisted. Perhaps fire seasons are starting earlier and ending later. Perhaps I’m justgetting older.

Perception or otherwise, it appears that we have barely emerged from the2001/2002 campaign before preparing for what might well be another testing season.

Having said that, we are better prepared than we were this time last year. Morenew equipment has been provided, training has continued at a high level, legislationgoverning fire suppression and prevention activities has been amended and, to oneextent or another, the restructuring in which we continue to be engaged is beginningto yield improved production and greater cohesion.

Nevertheless, it behoves us to be vigilant and to be ever mindful of how quickly aseemingly benign fire situation can test even the most stoic resolve.

The organisation is in good shape, the Government has provided yet anotherrecord budget, the redistribution of staff through zoning and staff consolidation isproviding a more skill-based distribution of resources to support our volunteerfirefighters, our membership remains reasonably static and becomes more skilled bythe day and technologies and equipment continue to improve.

Granted, not all brigades realise the benefits of a growing organisationimmediately. The reality is that we must prioritise and plan with a goal of ultimatelyhaving a universally well trained and well equipped firefighting force.

The RFS will not resile from the challenges that lie before it and, in so doing,values above all the volunteer nature of our enterprise.

In this context, I am pleased to announce that what I speculated upon earlier hascome to pass. The Manager Volunteer Relations is due to start during this month andI am particularly pleased that the position has gone to a serving RFS volunteer.Martin Surrey has had some 17 years as a volunteer in the RFS, the last three and ahalf as Captain of the Heathcote Headquarters Brigade. Martin brings to the RFS astrong project management background and coupled with his undeniablecommitment to volunteerism, is more than adequately equipped to take on the roleof enhancing the relationships within our organisation.

The legislative amendments to both the Rural Fires Act and the EnvironmentalPlanning and Assessment Act are critical to the long-term enhancement of firemanagement in this State. There is insufficient opportunity in this article to examineall of the implications, that will be done elsewhere.

Suffice it to say that the new legislation has three principal objectives. Firstly, tolay a firm foundation for development planning with bushfire risk a significantfactor, secondly, to streamline the procedures needing to be observed in order toengage in hazard reduction, particularly prescribed burning and thirdly, to provide amore comprehensive and cohesive system to ensure that hazards on all parcels ofland are managed and minimised to the best of the ability of responsible entities.A detailed examination of the provisions will demonstrate that the RFS is a pivotalagency and will provide the catalyst for improvement to the way in which wildfire ismanaged in the future.

The RFS will work closely with all land management agencies and otherGovernment entities as well as the private sector to ensure appropriate outcomes inboth development planning and fuel management.

Stay safe this coming season.

PPhhiill KKooppeerrbbeerrgg

Cover photo by Rolf Poole

02

1 GENERAL NEWS


both dams and commenced defensivefirefighting on the rear section of the building.

At stake was the hotel manager’s residence,which was attached to the main hotel, and 12separate rooms of an accommodation wing.

Oakville 1A pumped directly from a seconddam to the Ebeneza tanker. Oakville 1B was themiddle pump in the original relay started byTennyson 1. Oakville 2 was also on scene butremained on standby to respond to any otherincident that may have occurred in that part ofthe district.

The Hawkesbury Group Captain had by nowassumed the role of Incident Controller and,after a quick assesment of the situation,radioed a request for an aerial appliance.NSWFB Station 86 Penrith Skyjet wasresponded.

About an hour into the fight, the roof of themain building collapsed and there was a largeamount of damage to the interior. Water wasbeing pumped onto the roof and into the centreof the fire from the rear of the complex by RFScrews. The front section, including the bottle

MMiidd aafftteerrnnoooonn 2255 MMaarrcchh 22000022:: About 20 people had settled in for drinks at theTropicana Hotel Wilberforce (HawkesburyDistrict). Most patrons were unaware of theelectrical work being carried out in the hotel’smain switchboard. Without warning a largeexplosion is heard and fire breaks out from theswitch room.

At 1410hours NSW Fire Brigades SydneyCommunications sent the first call toHawkesbury Fire Control following numerous000 phone calls. The first fire truck on scenewas Wilberforce 1 with a crew of 4. The OfficerIn Charge (OIC) of Wilberforce 1began sizing upthe situation.

The Senior Deputy Capt of Wilberforce 1 tookcharge of the firefighting operations on thescene. On first inspection, the Senior Deputynoticed that the original fire had spread to theceiling of the main section of the hotel. The callwent out for an additional 5 units.

After confirming that the Hotel had beencompletely evacuated, the crew of Wilberforce 1went to work on trying to limit the spread of thefire. Freemans Reach 1 was the second unit toarrive at 1425 and their crew worked on a watersupply from one of two hydrants in the street.They also took on the initial protection of thehighly exposed drive-through bottle shop.

Hawkesbury Headquarters 1 and Tennyson 1were next on scene closely followed by retainedNSW Fire Brigades crews from Windsor 82 andRichmond 83. Hawkesbury Headquarters 1 crewassisted the Wilberforce and Freemans Reachcrews. With Oakville 1A and 1B, Glossodia andEbeneza tankers on their way, Tennyson 1 crewbegan the set up for a relay from one of twodams nearly 400metres away.

The building was loosely sectorised withNSWFB taking the front part, which consisted ofthe drive- through bottle shop and the switchroom. Crews using breathing apparatus wereable to protect the bottle shop from the fire.The two pumpers were using the secondhydrant in the dead end street. Water wasgoing to be a problem.

Wilberforce 1, Hawkesbury Headquarters 1,Freemans Reach 1 took up positions thatallowed for defensive structural firefighting atthe side of the complex. Glossodia 1 andEbenezer 1 were at the end of the relay from

03

DRIVE THURBOTTLESHOP

MANAGERSACCOMODATION

ACCOMODATION W

ING

MAIN HOTEL

SWITCH ROOM FIRE IGNITION POINT

1234

1234

1234

1234

1234

1234

H

HEADQUARTERS 1

FREEMANS REACH 1

1234

TENNYSSON 1

WILBERFORCE 1

SKYJET

PUMPERS

H

1234

OAKVILLE 1B

GLOSSODIA 1

EBENEEZA 1

OAKVILLE 1A

OAKVILLE 2

1234

300M

200M

200M

Continued over

HAWKESBURYHOTEL FIRE

04


shop, had been saved. The manager’s residencehad mild water and smoke damage but themajority of the rooms and the belongings of themanager and his family had been saved. Theaccommodation wing was also protected.

After approximately 2 hours of firefighting,RFS crew were able to enter the building andextinguish any remaining pockets of fire. Theentire roof had fallen into the centre of thecomplex. The Skyjet was used to completelyextinguish the switch room and some of theroof areas that were inaccessible to the groundcrews.

Even though the a "stop" message was sentat 1640 hours, it was several more hours beforethe last tanker left the scene. The coordinationof resources had resulted in the bottle shop,accommodation and residence being saved. Thehotel owner was able to trade from the bottleshop later that evening and, because this wasthe only pub in the area, no one was moregrateful than the locals.

SSttoorryy aanndd pphhoottooss bbyy CCaammeerroonn WWaaddee

Those of our older members will remember thedays of steam locomotives (that was when thefirefighting was done with wet bags and treebranches). The locomotives would regularlydrop burning embers into grass along side thetracks and yet another fire would start.

The same problem occurs at the IllawarraLight Railway Museum fairly regularly, so someof the members approached the Kiama-Shellharbour and the Wollongong Rural FireDistricts for a solution. An old tank, pump andhose reel that needed repair were gatheredtogether and the members constructed andpainted a rail wagon to be hauled around the

TWO RELAY LINES, OF SOME 400METRES EACH, WERE PUT IN PLACEWITH 65MM HOSE LAY FEEDING THETANKERS ON THE FIRE GROUND.

rail circuit as required.At present it is hauled by one of the

working steam engines, with a diesellocomotive presently being refurbished andpainted in the correct colours to make up acomplete fire train.

The unit is a popular talking point for themany visitors to the site and allows access toan area where fire appliances have difficulty.

The locomotive in the picture spent manyyears hauling coal around the coalminerailways in the Illawarra.

SSttoorryy aanndd pphhoottooss bbyy AAnnddyy JJaaffffrraayy

BACK TO THEDAYS OF STEAM

After thirty years in the Service where hestarted as a volunteer in 1973, Basil Smith,Superintendent at Wingecarribee, has decided

to hang up hisuniform.

Basil was born in1939 at Pretty Beachon the Central Coast ofNSW. After working asan Apprentice Fitterwith the NSWGovernment Railway

he moved into the refrigeration business,where he stayed for 23 years, with 13 of thoseyears being as a self employed person.

Basil joined the Mittagong Bushfire Brigadeas a volunteer in 1973. He progressed to theposition of Deputy Fire Control Officer and in1996 he became a Fire Control Officer.

Basil leaves the Service after overseeing thelargest emergency operation his District hasever had to deal with.

In his retirement Basil and his wife will goto Perth for a holiday before caravanningwherever the mood takes them. HHaavvee aa ggoooodd oonnee BBaassiill!!

BASIL SMITHCALLS IT A DAY

05


More and more RFS members in their "yellows"are being seen at activities where fire is not afactor.

Attendance at fetes, giving lectures anddemonstrations at schools and getting acrossthe fire safety "message" are among the rolesnow conducted by RFS volunteers.

This year increasing numbers of membersjoined other community groups to rememberthose who had served and fallen in war. Theyattended ANZAC services prior to April 25, ormarched in ANZAC Day parades.

Our picture, taken by Mrs Sandra Dean ofAsquith shows an RFS volunteer, along withrepresentatives of many other organisations,about to lay a floral tribute on the warmemorial at Hornsby.

"Les We Forget" ….. the "firies" aren’t.

SSttoorryy aanndd pphhoottoo bbyy GGrraahhaamm DDaavviiss

"YELLOWS"ON PARADE

Volunteer at Hornsby ANZAC memorial service.

06


Early in the year 2001 someone at HazelbrookRural Fire Brigade probably the Captain, cameup with an unusual idea. It was to enter theNSW Variety Club "Bash" from Beverly Hills toBroadbeach in QLD.

A few other members thought "what a greatidea! But won’t we need a car?" That caused abit of head scratching till someone, probablythe Captain, remembered that there was a 1943Model Chevy Blitz sitting in a shippingcontainer out the back of the fire station.

The vehicle was a restoration project, whichhad sought of slowed to a halt. Phone callswere made and letters written seekingpermission to use the old Blitz in the "Bash",having gained approval, and with the "Bash"starting in August there was a bit of work to do.

The vehicle had a great deal of historyattached to it, being built in Canada for themilitary, it was also believed to have served theRoyal New Zealand Air Force. It was privatelypurchased following WWII and was used to carttimber in the Megalong Valley. Its purchase andconversion to a Bush Fire Tanker by MegalongValley Brigade took place in the 1950’s. It thenbecame the first tanker purchased by the BlueMountains Council. The Blitz finished itsoperational life with Mt Tomah Brigade.

Getting the vehicle ready to travel a fewthousand kilometres on some ordinary roads

was not the only challenge facing Hazelbrook;there was also the small problem of raising therequired amount of $8,000 to make thestarting line. The money went directly to theVariety Club to fund their work in helpingdisabled and disadvantaged kids.

Further figures were done on the amount offuel required to get from Sydney to Broadbeachvia Lightening Ridge, Cania Gorge and Yeppoon,and people starting getting nervous.

While some members worked day and nighton the truck, basically rebuilding it from thechassis up, others set about raising funds andsome did both!

Hundreds of letters, Faxes and Emails later,sponsorship began to trickle in and it waslooking a lot better. A few fundraising eveningswere organised and by July it was looking verygood indeed. The vehicle was still to pass ablue slip and a rear cabin had yet to be built,time was getting a little short, as were a fewtempers, but everyone pressed on.

One of the fundamental requirements of all"Bash" vehicles was the need for two sparetyres. Strangely this was to prove quite aproblem. Our Blitz was one of we believe onlyten short wheel base models with sixteen inchrims, which came into the country. Trying tofind another spare took months, and caused abit of stress, but one finally turned up.

HAZELBROOKBASH

THE VEHICLE HADA GREAT DEAL OFHISTORY ATTACHEDTO IT, BEING BUILT|N CANADA FORTHE MILITARY, ITWAS ALSO BELIEVEDTO HAVE SERVEDTHE ROYAL NEWZEALAND AIR FORCE.

07


The vision was to end up with a vehicle thatwould not only do the distance carrying a crewof 5 in relative comfort (well as comfortable asa fifty year old ex military truck could get), butalso retain its firefighting capabilities. Armedwith a borrowed tank and pump a foam nozzleand a large quantity of donated shampoo, theBlitz was soon to become greatly feared byother "Bash" competitors.

The start date of August the 11th arrivedand having raised the $8,000 and quite a bitmore, the Blitz took its place on the startingline at Bankstown Square along with about ahundred and ten other entrants. Some of thework that had gone into some of the entrieswas very impressive, but there was only oneBlitz and it stood out from the crowd.

The crew of Allan Catt, Cris Hofland, BarryGordon and Trevor Lang, all of whom werealready gripped by mid life crises of varyingdegrees, became worried, not that the truckwouldn’t make the distance, but that theywould be slowed up to such a degree beatingoff the estimated thousands of women whowould be drawn like a magnet by the Blitz’ssleek lines and raw power, that they would takeweeks to complete the journey. Luckily theirfears were unfounded, with the support crew ofRobyn Catt and Alan Robinson not needed forcrowd control at any stage.

The week long trip to Broadbeach wasslow but mechanically the Blitz performedmagnificently, with only one major problem,that being a shot water pump nearTenterfield. The local FCO came to the rescueand a new pump was located in town. Theresulting delay meant the crew missed thenext overnight stop in Chinchilla they justkept driving through. The weather was fairlykind although with no side windows in eitherthe front or back, it was a bit chilly.

On Saturday 18 of August the Blitz rolledinto Broadbeach having done the distanceand time. Because of the Blitz’s lack of topend speed, the crew missed a few dinners,parties and a bit of sleep, but they made upfor that in the next few days!

The end result was the resurrection of afine old firefighting vehicle, the creation ofa few tales both tall and true and nearly

$14,000 raised to help make the lives of someNSW kids a little brighter. It was an effortthat all in the Brigade that played some part,were justifiably proud of.

Hazelbrook would like to thank everyonewho assisted with sponsorship, materialsand help in any way. There were too manyto list here.IIaann WWooooddhhaammHHaazzeellbbrrooookk RRuurraall FFiirree BBrriiggaaddee

The Children's Hospital, Westmead was the site ofthe Bluey Day cheque handover again this year.

The Service raised a record amount for theIntensive Care Unit thanks to the efforts of40 individuals who chose to have their hair cutrather publicly. Added to this was money raisedat the Community Education Conference andother donations.

The Hospital is one of two recipients ofsupport from the Service, as we believe that itis in the interest of all members to have aviable ICU for the benefit of our extendedfamilies and the general population, (the otherone is the Burns Unit Concord Hospital).

The Service's participation in this event wasrecognised when Mark Fullagar became theState Co-ordinator for the event, the first timethat the office has been held by someone otherthan a Police Officer.

The Service's Senior Chaplain Ron Anderson,is just one of the many people who haveregistered to take part in this year's event. Hewill be 'scalped' by Ian Stewart of the RegionWest Office using his racing axe! More on thatin another edition!

We are hoping to raise even more thiscoming year so why not register as a Bluey Dayparticipant. Simply contact Mark Fullagar atHead Office, 02 9684 4411.

RECORD BLUEYDAY DONATIONTO KIDS HOSPITAL

THE BLITZ IS CURRENTLY UNDERGOINGANOTHER RESTORATION THIS TIME BACK TOITS ORIGINAL CONFIGURATION, AND WILL BEUSED IN CEREMONIES AND LOCAL ACTIVITIES.

08


On 8 April a fire, believed to have been causedby an electrical fault, severely damaged aheritage listed school building at Blakebrook,11km north west of Lismore.

During "Play Lunch" a large plume of smokeemanated from the rear of the classroom whilemost of the children were assembled in anearby covered area. The children were veryquickly moved to the designated evacuationarea and all accounted for.

The sudden black thick smoke is believed tohave been caused by the fire initially burningin foam exercise mats.

A 000 call was passed to the Lismore RuralFire District.

The first responding Brigade wasGoolmangar with a Cat 7 tanker that was onscene in under 10mins of being notified.Resources were further bolstered with thearrival of two appliances from TuncesterBrigade two minutes after the arrival ofGoolmangar. Nimbin Brigade was alsoresponded to provide additional bulk water.

On arrival the Goolmangar Brigade found

the almost 100 year old building well alight.The storeroom, office and classroom were fullyinvolved with fire which extended through theceiling into the roof area. Brigadesimmediately began defensive firefighting.

With all children accounted for, a fleet ofthree ambulances and an Ambulance ServiceSuperintendent arrived and checked a fewchildren with minor respiratory complaintscaused by the instant thick smoke whichdrifted towards the other buildings. Of the80 children, three were checked further athospital and released a short time later.

The local RFS Community Education Teamhad visited the school a few weeks previouslyduring Term 1 and the fire had enabled a

validation of their program. Many childrenexplained to firefighters what they weretaught after the fire was extinguished.

With the fire extinguished and therealisation that all of their work was destroyed,the excitement for the children the schoolPrincipal and staff lessened. Many years’teaching aids were also destroyed.

The building was extensively damaged butnot beyond the point of total destruction.It is being rebuilt with a great deal of theouter structure and floor still in place and inreasonable condition thanks to the swift andprofessional actions of the attending brigades.

On 10 May 2002, the attending RFSBrigades, Superintendent Ray Collyer (LismoreFCO), Superintendent Boyd Townsend(Richmond Valley FCO, Acting FCO for Lismoreat time of incident) and the "CommunityFireguard" team were invited back to theschool for a thankyou presentation andsausage sizzle. Superintendent Boyd Townsendpresented the School captains with an RFSPlaque as a "Fire Safety Award".

LISMORE BRIGADESSAVE SCHOOL

BRIGADESIMMEDIATELYBEGAN DEFENSIVEFIREFIGHTING.

9


09

2002 Region East Championships held at Wyong. Photos by John Winter

10


The NSW Rural Fire Service congratulates the following Service members on receiving theAustralian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in The Queens Birthday 2002 Honours:

>> Group Captain Warren Bradley ARNOTT (Campbelltown District)>> Deputy Captain Donald George DUFFY (Murrurundi District)>> Superintendent Karen HODGES (Hawkesbury District)>> Superintendent John Garry HOJEL (Baulkham Hills District)>> Superintendent John William JENKS (Dubbo District)>> Superintendent Peter John KEARNEY (Wentworth/Balranald District)>> Group Captain Norman Francis MANN (Evans/Bathurst District)>> Senior Deputy Captain Ian McCROHON (Canobolas Zone)>> Captain Ronald Owen ROLLINSON (Shoalhaven)>> Assistant Commissioner Ross SMITH>> Inspector Frank Colin TURNBULL (retired – Cessnock District)

Regrettably, Col Turnbull passed away only a few weeks after receiving this distinction.

Australian Fire Service Medal was established in 1988 to recognise distinguished service bymembers of Australian fire services. Recommendations are made by the responsible Minister inthe Commonwealth and each State and Territory to the Governor-General for approval.Only one award is ever made to an individual and recipients are entitled to use the post-nominalletters "AFSM".

QUEENS BIRTHDAY 2002HONOURS RECOGNISESERVICE MEMBERS

SERVICEAWARDS2002

The Commissioner of the NSW Rural FireService, in recognition of acts of bravery andservice, and as authorised under the RuralFires Act 1997 and accompanying Regulation,established an internal Awards System on 1stFebruary, 1999. The Awards Ceremony is heldannually on 4th May, being the Feast Day ofSt Florian, Patron Saint of Firefighters.

The venue for this year’s Awards was OldGovernment House, Parramatta with awardsbeing presented to five recipients for theirmeritorious actions (John Waters was unable toattend the ceremony). The Service commendsall six recipients for the example that they setfor all Service members.

RECIPIENTS FOR 2002Captain John WatersCCoowwrraa HHeeaaddqquuaarrtteerrss RRuurraall FFiirree BBrriiggaaddee((CCoowwrraa RRuurraall FFiirree DDiissttrriicctt))

Commissioner’s Commendation for ServiceCaptain John Waters is an extraordinaryindividual. Not only has he been an activemember and officer of the NSW Rural FireService for 35 years, but he has also madelasting and important contributions to theService in a wide range of areas. Of particularsignificance was his selfless dedication andhard work, against some personal odds, tobuild a mobile smoke house for use in structurefire training across the region. This mammothtask, now successfully completed, involved over$15,000 of his donated labour and saw theconstruction of both the smoke house and atrailer to transport it. This resource is nowwidely used and is a significant contribution toboth training and community safety in westernNSW. Captain Waters has brought himself greathonour through this selfless contribution tothe NSW Rural Fire Service.

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Eligibility for these Awards is extended to allmembers of the Service.

The nomination sequence encompassesall levels of management or command. Forexample, in the case of a nomination beinggenerated by a brigade, the captain of thatbrigade must endorse the nomination form.The nomination must be forwarded to the nextlevel of command, being the Fire ControlOfficer who must also endorse the nominationand then forward it to the Regional Manager.This final nomination endorsement allows theform to be sent to the Awards AssessmentCommittee for evaluation and recommendationto the Commissioner.

The Awards Assessment Committee consistsof representatives from the volunteers andsalaried staff of the Service and is required tofully examine each nomination for eligibility.Once a nomination has been assessed anddeemed to be eligible, the Committee thenmakes a formal recommendation to theCommissioner. If a nominee accepts thenomination, full details of the incident oraction for which they are being recognised arethen officially listed in the RFS AwardsRegister. Individuals may be nominated for theMedal for Valour, Commendation for Service orBravery or the Commissioner’s Certificate ofCommendation. Brigades or formally comprised

units may be nominated for Unit Citations foreither Bravery or Service.

Nominations must be lodged on theprescribed nomination forms that are availablefrom Fire Control Centres, Regional Offices andthe Head Office of the Service.

All nominations are held in strictconfidence. Nominees are advised once anomination has been approved, though at notime is the nominee advised of the origin ofthis recommendation.

THE COMMISSIONER OF THE NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE, INRECOGNITION OF ACTS OF BRAVERY AND SERVICE, AND ASAUTHORISED UNDER THE RURAL FIRES ACT 1997 ANDACCOMPANYING REGULATION, ESTABLISHED AN INTERNALAWARDS SYSTEM ON 1ST FEBRUARY, 1999.

Captain Colin NoonCCaarroollyynn NNoooonnMMiicchheellllee NNoooonnWWoooollbbrrooookk RRuurraall FFiirree BBrriiggaaddee ((OOxxlleeyy ZZoonnee))

Commissioner’s Commendation for ServiceA man owes his life to Colin, Carolyn andMichelle Noon. At about 0900 hrs on 6th July1999 a neighbour of the Noon family wascritically injured after being struck by arotating aeroplane propeller. Using first-aidtraining learnt through the Rural Fire Service,Captain Noon and his wife Carolyn stabilizedthe patient, whose injuries were so bad that hislife was in the balance, while the paramedicswere being responded. Because of the remotelocation, the ambulance became lost and wasguided to the accident by the prompt andsteady assistance of Captain Noon’s daughterMichelle. Without the professional anddedicated intervention by the Noon’s, thepatient would surely have died of his injuries,which were so severe that he eventually losthis arm. The commitment and expertisedemonstrated by Colin, Carolyn and Michellebrought themselves great credit. The NSW RuralFire Service is justifiably proud of them.

Captain Philip BramichTTuummbbaarruummbbaa RRuurraall FFiirree BBrriiggaaddee((TTuummbbaarruummbbaa RRuurraall FFiirree DDiissttrriicctt))

Commissioner’s Commendation for ServiceAt 2210 hrs on Sunday 25th February 2001,Captain Philip Bramich and a crew of four RuralFire Service members responded to a StateEmergency Service search for three lostbushwalkers in the Tumbarumba District. Afteran extensive search in precipitous terrain anddense bushland, Captain Bramich and his crewsuccessfully located the lost walkers who bythis time had succumbed to exhaustion andextreme emotional distress. Unable to returnto a known path and presented with a tenseand agitated group, Captain Bramich displayeddiscipline, resourcefulness and courage byestablishing a night camp for them andkeeping them calm and confident until an airevacuation could be undertaken at first light.The crisis was successfully concluded at 1400hrs on the following day with the extractionof the rescue team. Captain Bramich broughtgreat credit to himself for his leadership and tohis team for their professional and effectiveexecution of the rescue operation.

Ian McCrohonSSuummmmeerr HHiillll CCrreeeekk RRuurraall FFiirree BBrriiggaaddee((CCaannoobboollaass ZZoonnee))

Commissioner’s Certificate of CommendationMr Ian McCrohon has been an active memberof the Summer Hill Creek Brigade since 1995.For the past four years he has also held theimportant post of Orange District TrainingCoordinator, a role in which he hasdistinguished himself for his dedication andenthusiasm. Due to his untiring efforts,training has become central to the activitieswithin the entire District. In recognition of hisoutstanding skills in the organisation andmanagement of training at a District level,Mr. McCrohon was also invited to join both theRegional and State Training Committees.Mr. McCrohon’s selfless dedication andcommitment in the area of training has notonly brought great credit to himself, but hasalso greatly improved community safety withinhis District and beyond.

THE AWARDS NOMINATION PROCESS

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On the afternoon of April 5 this yearYanco/Wamoon Brigade was on a trainingexercise. At about 1420 Leeton Fire Controlreceived a call to a train crash on McKellarRoad, 17kms East of Leeton. When the crewsfrom Yanco/Wamoon arrived they wereconfronted with 5 locomotives and 8 carriagesderailed and a fully laden garbage truck inthree pieces spread over the nearby paddock.

Yanco/Wamoon 1 and 2 as well as EastGroup striker responded to the scene.A garbage truck had crossed a level crossingand been hit by the 45 carriage wheat train.The accident occurred on the main SouthWestrail line, which runs between Sydney andGriffith. The empty wheat train had left Juneeearlier that day after refuelling the 5locomotives with 26000 litres of diesel.

The driver of the garbage truck wasseriously injured and taken by ambulance to

Wagga Base hospital. Two of the locomotiveswere leaking diesel with potential for the other3 to do the same. NSWFB retained Brigade 360Leeton was asked by the RFS to attend as amassive clean up operation was expected.

Both fire services worked together to stopthe leaking trains. NSWFB 360 crew went backto Leeton after about an hour on thefireground. The 8 crew from Leeton RFSremained on scene for fire protection until2200 that night while the fuel from thelocomotives was decanted into a semi-trailertanker that had to be driven in from Wagga.The local Salvation Army answered the call forassistance with feeding all of those involved.

With the fuel decanted successfully thecrews from Yanco/Wamoon were able to returnhome. The rail line was closed for 5 days.It was certainly a very interesting trainingday for the Brigade.

LEETON “TRAINING” GETSWHOLE NEW MEANING!

SERVICE MOVEDBY BRITISH GIFT

As a gesture of friendship, and as a mark of theadmiration of the British people for the effortsof Service firefighters during the Christmasbushfires, the British Government haspresented a Toyota minibus to the Service.

The vehicle, carrying the message "a giftfrom the people of Britain to the people ofNSW’ was formally handed over toCommissioner Phil Koperberg by the BritishHigh Commissioner, Sir Alastair Goodlad.

The presentation took place on 9 May, andSir Alastair commented "we wanted to make adonation to the Rural Fire Service for the workof all those involved in fighting the terriblebushfires."

"After discussions with the Service it wasdecided we would pay for the purchase of apeople-mover to transport volunteers, whosecontribution to fighting the fires so caught theimagination of people in Britain."

Note: Districts wishing to avail themselves ofthe use of the minibus should contact theService’s Fleet Officer, Donna Christopheron 8845 3579.


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TT--CCaarrddss ttoo oovveerrsseeee tthhee ddeeppllooyymmeenntt ooff aallllttyyppeess ooff rreessoouurrcceess..

TThheessee ddaayyss iitt iiss ssttaannddaarrdd pprroocceedduurree ffoorr tthheeOOffffiicceerr iinn CChhaarrggee ooff aa rreessppoonnddiinngg aapppplliiaannccee ttoobbee aasskkeedd ttoo pprroovviiddee aa ccoommpplleetteedd TT--CCaarrdd wwhheennaatttteennddiinngg aa mmaajjoorr iinncciiddeenntt.. TThhee ccaarrddss aarreeuussuuaallllyy ccoolllleecctteedd wwhheenn aarrrriivviinngg aatt tthhee iinncciiddeennttoorr aatt tthhee ddeessiiggnnaatteedd ssttaaggiinngg aarreeaa..

At the same incident it is probable that eachSector Commander would keep their own

individual T-Card folder, but their T-Cardswould be those provided by the OICs of

arriving tankers. This enables the SectorCommander to keep tabs on the type of

appliances he/she is deploying and thenumber and names of the crew and

any specialist skills.

Scenario 3Large incident (100 personnel – 19

appliances on scene, 6 other appliances en-route) with the IC located at the Fire ControlCentre, a forward control point being run by aGroup Officer at the incident site and 5Sectors, each under the control of SectorCommanders. Without the means of recordingcrew tasks and locations, an incident such asthis could easily become unmanageable. Let'slook at a proven recording method using T-Cards. It is probable that total numbers ofappliances deployed to the scene would belisted on the situation board at the ControlCentre, but not the detail of their task oractual location, this is whereT-Card Folders and T-Cards are most valuable.

The forward control point would have a 180Slot Flexible T-Card Board. The Group Officercontrolling the incident would use T-Cards tolist Sector Commanders, the numbers ofappliances in each Sector and the locationdetails of the Sectors.

The person that requires more detail is theSector Commander and it is most probable thathe/she would have a two or three fold T-CardFolder with T-Cards showing each appliancewith the OIC's name and the names of eachmember of the crew and any specialist skills.

Scenario 4Very large incident (500 or more personnel).This may well be a Section 44 declaration whena number of strike teams are deployed to theincident. The strike team resource card wouldbe used showing the strike team leader and theappliances, any specialist equipment and/orany specialist personnel.

WHAT HAPPENSWhat happens after the T-Card has beencollected depends on the scale of the incidentand how the incident is being managed.Let's look at a number of common scenarios.

Scenario 1Small incident (20 personnel – 5 appliances)being controlled by the local Captain.

It is probable that the local Captain wouldbenefit from the use of a T-Card folder to keeptrack of arriving appliances and theirdeployment. It is easy to lose track of arrivingappliances and where they have been deployedand to what task, especially if fire behaviourdictates rapid deployment of resources.

Scenario 2Medium incident (40 personnel – 10appliances) with the overall scene beingcontrolled locally by a Group Officer as theIncident Controller (IC) with other Officersacting as Sector Commanders.

It is probable that the IC would fill out anduse his own T-Cards and his own T-Card folderto keep track of appliances arriving and wherehe/she is deploying them. All that is requiredis the name of the appliance and the sector towhich it is deployed.

THE T-CARDOPERATIONS 2

14


COMPLETING A T-CARD

THE STRIKETEAM T-CARD

Typically, the T-Card providesdetails of the vehicle, Agency,Name (strike team name),Circles (for the addition ofcoloured dots), COMMS (Mainradio and/or firegroundchannel/frequency, mobiletelephone number), theLeader (strike team leader)and lists the appliances byName and Type. NOTE – Thiscan include specialist skillsof crew, indicate whetherappliances carry CABA or otherspecialist equipment, wherethe crews assembled, whenthe crews were last fed, etc.

STATUS:REQUIRED (REQ) A particular resource or resources, is required or requested by a unit.ORGANISED (ORG) The required resource has been organised, or arranged. STANDBY (SB) The organised resources have been placed on standby. ENROUTE (ER) Resources dispatched to an incident (usually an Assembly Area),that have not yet checked in.AVAILABLE (AVL) Resources at an incident and available at short notice.ALLOCATED (ALC) Resources working at an incident.STOOD DOWN (S/D) Stood down from the shift.UNSERVICEABLE (U/S) Resources at an incident unable to respond for mechanical,rest or personal reasons.

THE SINGLERESOURCET-CARDTypically, the T-Card providesdetails of the vehicle, Agency,Name (callsign), Type (vehiclemake), Circle (for the additionof coloured dot), COMMS (Mainradio and/or firegroundchannel/frequency, mobiletelephone number), the OIC(officer in charge) and liststhe crew by rank and name.

15


> DTG - Date Time Group – DTG refers to Date Time Group which uses the two digits for thedate and 24 hour time, eg 10:51hrs on 4 November, 1999 would be: 04 1051

> The full DTG would be: 04 1051 NOV 99> Which includes the date, time, month and year> TASK Location/Date Time Group (DTG) – this allows for the recording of a number of different tasks

APPLIANCE CATEGORY IDENTIFICATION– EFFECTIVE 1 OCTOBER 2000

CATEGORY MAIN IDENTIFICATION SUB IDENTIFICATION

Category 1 Heavy Fire Appliance AWD 3,001L - 4,000L B - V - F - G / D - SCategory 2 Medium Fire Appliance AWD 1,601L - 3,000L B - V - F - G / D - SCategory 3 Heavy Fire Appliance 3,001L - 4,000L B - V - F - G / D - S Category 4 Medium Fire Appliance 1,601L - 3,000L B - V - F - G / D - S Category 5 Heavy Fire Appliance AWD 4,001L + B - V - F - G / D - S Category 6 Heavy Fire Appliance 4,001L + B - V - F - G / D - S Category 7 Light Fire Appliance AWD 801L - 1,600L F - G / D - S Category 8 Light Fire Appliance 801L - 1,600L F - G / D - S Category 9 Mop Up Fire Appliance AWD 350L - 800L D - SCategory 10 Urban Fire Appliance 1,601L + B Category 11 Urban Fire Appliance AWD 1,601L + BCategory 12 Personnel TransportCategory 13 Bulk Water Carriers Category 14 Mop Up Fire Tanker TrailersCategory 15 BoatsCategory 16 Command VehiclesCategory 17 General Cargo VehiclesCategory 18 Catering VehiclesCategory 19 Communication VehiclesCategory 20 Other Appliances/Vehicles

Key: AWD = All Wheel Drive, B = BA Equipped, V = Village (No BA), F = Forest, G = Grassland only, D = Dual/Crew Cabin, S = Single Cabin

Radio callsigns use numbers up to Category 9 and afterCategory 9, the callsign consists of a suitable one worddescriptor, for example “pumper”.

Callsigns shall include the category number which nearest matches the vehicle ora suitable one word description, such as "slip-on", "trailer", "carrier", "support","canteen", "boat", etc. It is intended that 4x2 and trailer type bulk water carriersbe described as "bulk water".

16


OPERATIONALMANAGEMENT

6.13.01 RESOURCE T-CARD COLOUR CODING IDENTIFICATION

FIRE APPLIANCE - HEAVY AWD 4x2Cat 1 3001L – 4000L Cat 3 3001L – 4000LCat 5 4001L + Cat 6 4001L +

FIRE APPLIANCE – MEDIUM AWD 4x2Cat 2 1601L – 3000L Cat 4 1601L – 3000L

FIRE APPLIANCE – LIGHT AWD 4x2Cat-7 801L – 1600L Cat-8 801L – 1600L

FIRE APPLIANCE – MOP UP AWDCat 9 350L – 800L

URBAN FIRE APPLIANCE AWD 4x2Cat 11 1601L + Cat 10 1601L +

BULK WATER CARRIER Cat 13

VEHICLECommand Cat 16 or Communications Cat 19

PERSONNEL TRANSPORTCat 12

MACHINERY Dozer Grader

AIRCRAFT Helicopter Fixed WingH - Heavy H - HeavyM - Medium M - MediumL - Light L - Light

OTHER

L H

M M

L

MU

L

Sunday April 28 dawned bright and clear overthe Girl Guides Association camp at Callemondah,10 km north west of Clarence Town, in DungogShire. A perfect day for a major hazard reductionburn and training exercise. Group Captain JoeHoward and DFCO Inspector Bob Gaston surveyedthe early morning scene and declared the burn"a goer", heralding one of the largest combinedexercises to be undertaken by Dungog brigadesthis year. Eleven tankers, 45 personnel, a fullIMT, and two trainee Crew Leaders all assembledat lunchtime to implement the burn plandeveloped by GC Joe Howard a few weeks earlier.It was also a great opportunity for the twonewest CL trainees to complete the practical sideof their Crew Leader assessment. Deputy CaptainJo McDonald of Wallarobba Brigade andfirefighter Jo Chevalley of Paterson Brigade hadrecently completed their CLW training atCessnock, and were each given command of asector as part of their practical assessment. "Thiswas an important step in the development of

training for Dungog," said FCO, Supt. AlanGillespie. "Our SOP 8 accreditation for CL ispending, however a joint training initiativewith Cessnock District has enabled us tocommence our CL training program." He said.According to DGC Darryl Jordan, both traineesperformed very well during the exercise, whichalso saw a number of new recruits "smellsmoke" for the first time since completingtheir BF. Operations Officer for the burn,DGC Mark Bennett, explained that the burnarea was divided into two sectors, east andwest of the camp access road. Each sector wasallocated 5 appliances, with a bulk watertanker stationed at the entrance to the camp."Safety was our number one priority" saidDGC Grahame Chevalley. "This was an ideaopportunity for us to reinforce those skillslearned during theory training, and to honethen under controlled conditions thosepractical skills so necessary for combatinga wildfire," he said.

ON A CLEAR DAY…YOU CAN SEE DUNGOG!!

Deputy Captain John Koole heads the food line withmembers of the Illawong Brigade.

The NSW Rural FireService was honouredto be asked toparticipate in thecurrent Children’sHospital Westmead Fundraising campaign. Thetheme of the campaign that depicted NSW RuralFire Service and NSW Fire Brigades firefighterswith some of the Hospital’s young patients wasthe simple but moving line “You think we’rebrave… You ought to meet some of the sick kidsthat we support at The Children’s HospitalWestmead”. If you would like to support theChildren’s Hospital you can send a tax deductibledonation to the Fundraising Department, TheChildren’s Hospital at Westmead, Locked Bag4001, Westmead NSW 2145.

SERVICE A MAJORSUPPORTER OF CHILDRENSHOSPITAL FUNDRAISINGCAMPAIGN

17


“COME AND GET IT”AT LUGARNO

Men and women, from the Ilawong Brigade(Sutherland RFS) swapped their stout leathergloves for sterile rubber hand protection whenthey turned out to a call with a differenceearlier this year.

The Lugarno Lions Club invited the Brigadeto provide the hot food for its "Jazz in thePark" concert at Evatt Park, Lugarno and usethe event as an equipment fundraiser.

Nearly 20 firefighters took up theinvitation and were soon cooking sausages,kebabs and onions.

More than 2000 people attended the concertand the Brigade raised several hundred dollars.

GGrraahhaamm DDaavviiss

With a total prize pool of $4,000, the 2nd NSWRural Fire Service Photo Competition drew a goodresponse from Service members across the State.The Judging Panel from the Service’s CommunityEducation Unit pondered category winners andhonourable mentions amongst six categories:

PHOTO COMPETITION RESULTSaa.. FFiirreeffiigghhttiinngg ooppeerraattiioonnssbb.. OOtthheerr ooppeerraattiioonnaall aaccttiivviittiieesscc.. SSaaffeettyy aanndd wweellffaarreedd.. TTrraaiinniinnggee.. EEdduuccaattiioonnff.. HHiissttoorryy ooff tthhee SSeerrvviiccee

Other category winners received $500 and theseincluded:Category APhotograph by Ian Dicker (Formerly RegionSouth) showing a prescribed burn in JasperNational Park, Alberta Canada during May 2001.The photo was taken using a Minolta SLR, Fuji200ASA print film with a Vivitar 70-210mm lens.

Category B – WinnerPhotograph by Kathleen Davies of LawrenceBrigade (Maclean District) described as "a dirtyjob – but someone’s gotta do it". Lawrence RFSmembers cleaning flood mud from sealed roads,Rutland St, Lawrence, February 2001. Kathleenused a Ricoh XR10M with 400 ASA film for herphoto.Honourable MentionAnother photo by Ian Dicker, showing aFirecat/Grumman Tracker fire bomber drop inBritish Columbia during May 2001 as part of anair attack training course. Ian took this photowith a Ricoh RDC-7 digital camera at a resolutionof 2.1 mega pixels.

Category C – No winner

Category D – WinnerLast photo competition’s winner, and regularphoto contributor, Rolf Poole (Berowra Rural FireBrigade) was back again with a winning entry inthe training category. The photo shows mapreading and was taken with a Canon T50.Honourable MentionEvan Mellevish of Copacabana Rural Fire Brigaderated an honourable mention for his photograph"On a Roll" taken at the Cessnock Field Day witha Canon EOS 5000.Honourable MentionLeslie Riddle of Euston Rural Fire Brigade tookthese photos "Three Generations" showing herson, his son and her at the Euston Rural FireBrigade station.

Category E – WinnerMargaret Simmonds the Brigade historian forShoalhaven Heads Rural Fire Brigade submitteda range of photos including the winning entrydepicting the Brigade at the Olympic Torch RelayDay on 10 September 2000.

Category F – Honourable Mention"The Old and the New" was again submitted byLeslea Riddle, our Category D HonourableMention recipient. This photo was snapped byWentworth Balranald FCO, Peter Kearney andshows her 2 year old grandson.

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>A<WINNER

>D<WINNER

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19


WINNER

20


An airbase was set up at the Grafton GlidingClub, to the West of Grafton and was used byan Air Tractor, a Dromader and a BK117helicopter that were supplied by the Service’saviation section to participate in the weekend.

RAFT teams from Clarence Valley and OxleyZones were deployed into the bush on Fridayafternoon by helicopter to test their training insurvival and navigation skills. The RAFT teamshad performed well when they were picked upon Sunday morning.

This year also saw a "basecamp" establishedat Hawthorne Park for crews to bed down. Whilesome personnel supplied their own tents, a"Hocka" capable of sleeping 120 personnel waserected and used by the majority of personnel.A mobile toilet block which was brought in toassist with infrastructure necessary to run anexercise of this scale.

Catering was provided by a very dedicatedcrew, who endured very little sleep due to their0400 hours start time each morning. Theyworked tirelessly to serve some 1,600 meals tothe very hungry and appreciative troops.

As an alternative to running regionalchampionships this year, "Northern 2"organisers ran a championship lane at theexercise for any crews wishing to compete torepresent the region at the StateChampionships. This lane focused on testing"back to basics" skills of firefighters that we sooften overlook or forget.

Congratulations to the teams from Lismore,Clarence Valley Zone and Tweed, who will go onto represent Region North at the StateChampionships to be held 20-22 September2002 at Penrith.

The exercise was an outstanding successwith all participating teams enjoyingthemselves, while learning or refreshing firefighting and administrative skills. All of thishelps us to provide a better and stronger RuralFire Service.

IInnssppeeccttoorr MMaatttthheeww IInnwwooooddRRiicchhmmoonndd VVaalllleeyy DDiissttrriicctt

PPhhoottooss bbyy CCaammeerroonn WWaaddee

PROVING THAT EXERCISEIS GOOD FOR YOU!

ALL OF THIS HELPSUS TO PROVIDE ABETTER ANDSTRONGER RURALFIRE SERVICE

The weekend of 16-17 March 2002 saw thesecond Region North Operational exercise"Northern 2" run at Hawthorne Park in SouthGrafton. Vehicles and crews from as far away asMoree and Warringah converged on Grafton toparticipate in the weekend, which involved38 tankers, 30 support vehicles and350 personnel.

The exercise was an outstanding success,with crews completing a variety of simulationsincluding:

>> Pumping Event>> Car Wrecking yard fire scenario>> Mapping>> Prescribed Burning>> Motor Vehicle Accident Scenario>> Fire Over-run Scenario>> Conducting a Hazard Reduction>> Communications S.O.P workshop>> Fire Investigation >> Service Standards Workshop>> Hazardous Materials Incident>> Land Search>> Meeting Procedures workshop>> Structural Fire Scenario>> RAFT Exercise>> Air Base Exercise>> Championships Event

"Northern 2" was run as a mock Section 44incident, with a full Incident Management Teamput in place. This gave personnel theopportunity to try their hand at being involvedin an IMT, as well as allowing others to brushup and develop existing skills in this area.

The IMT personnel had to have all systemsin place prior to the arrival of tankers andpersonnel who were operationally involvedin the weekend. This meant the exercisecommenced at 1200 hours on Friday 15 Marchfor IMT. The tankers and crews began theiractivities following the 0800 hours briefingon the Saturday.

The events were divided into 4 divisions,with 4-5 events in each, together with adivisional commander, a deputy and anassistant who were appointed to each area. Itwas their responsibility to ensure all resourcessent to them utilised and effectively deployed.

21


On May 11, 2002 the Mudgee Bowling Club waspacked with one hundred and thirty membersof the Mullamuddy Brigade, their families andcolleagues, as Acting Commissioner MarkCrosweller presented thirty-three Brigademembers with the National Medal.

Representing nine hundred and sixty-fiveyears of Service to the community therecipients were congratulated by Mark who toldthem that their efforts during their servicecould never be under-estimated and that thecommunity was in their debt. Ages of thosepresent at the ceremony ranged from infancyto over ninety years. Mark paid tribute to thesupport given to the firefighters by their wivesand families who had been especially invited tobe present, several of whom had travelled longdistances to be at the ceremony. Some familieswere represented by four generations ofBrigade members.

Other speakers on the night were GeorgeSouris MP, Member for Upper Hunter andCouncillor Denis Yeo, Mayor of Mudgee. Guestsincluded NSW Police Mudgee Commander,Superintendent John Honeysett; RFS RegionalManager, Ian Gibson; FCO Kevin Gibson; DFCOJohn Parnaby; and GC Alan Selman.

Eight Brigade members received medals for50 years of service; five received 35-yearmedals; nine received 25-year medals andeleven received 15-year medals.

On Sunday 21 April 2002, this Brigade awardedits first-ever Life Membership to Beverlie andRaymond Mates who are both members of theDepot Beach Volunteer Rural Fire Brigade(Shoalhaven). The award was presented to Bevand Ray at the Brigade’s AGM by Group OfficerJohn Ashton on behalf of the Shoalhaven andthe President of the Brigade Stuart McFarlane.Both Bev and Ray have been very active overthe years in the Brigade’s fund raisingactivities especially at Easter and Christmas.

With the funds they have raised, theBrigade is able to purchase the best and mostup to date equipment available, e.g. GPS andfireground radios. We thank them very muchfor their hard work and dedication over thepast 20 years.

DEPOT BEACHSAYS THANKYOU

Pictured with Bev and Ray Mates are Group Officer John Ashton, Captain Stuart McFarlane and sons Bob and John Mates.

NATIONAL MEDALS GALORE AT MULLAMUDDY


A combined initiative of the NSW Rural FireService and the Country Fire Authority of Victoria(CFA), in conjunction with the CommonwealthScientific and Industrial Research Organisation(CSIRO), will see a number fire trucks burnt in asimulated bush fire overrun.

"This research into tanker overruns is beingcarried out as part of an ongoing commitment toimprove firefighter safety," said David Nichols,CFA’s Manager Research and Development.

Richard Donarski, former RFS Manager ofEngineering Services said, "The majority of fireservices have had specific training, protectiveequipment and tanker protection spray systemsfor years. This project has enabled us for thefirst time to test and evaluate the tankerprotection spray systems and eventually ensurethat these systems are the most effective we canprovide."

The expertise of the CSIRO has beencommissioned to ensure that the most accuratedata available on the impact of a bushfire on afire truck can be obtained, analyzed and utilised

to improve on spray protection systems used onthese vehicles.

"The fire is quite dramatic and spectacular asit impacts the test vehicles. Flame actually buildsup and envelops the cab. We generate a fireusing a calibrated array of gas fires that havethe ability to simulate a specific intensity ofbushfire. Within the vehicle over fifty sensorsmeasure everything from radiant heat to whattype of gases are produced during the firesimpact," said Ian Knight, CSIRO’s scientistcoordinating the experiments.

Tests are currently being carried out on oldBedford and International decommissioned firetrucks. This enables assessments to be made of anumber of different tanker protection spraysystems. Eventually it is hoped that a new IsuzuCat 1 can be tested in a real fire situation withthe best spray system chosen from the series oftests being undertaken.

The test site is at the RFS Hot Fire TrainingFacility at Mogo (10km South of Batemans Bay).Tests were conducted over a number of weeks inMarch and April with weather playing a vital rolein achieving the right testing conditions. Thenext tests are scheduled for September andOctober. Story and photos by Cameron Wade

BURNING FIRETRUCKS –DELIBERATELY!

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24


FIRE INVESTIGATORSATTRACT GLOBALDOLLARS!

Richard Woods, Manager Fire Investigation,NSW Rural Fire Service, received a grant of$2,800.00 from the FM Global InsuranceCompany on 11 February in Melbourne onbehalf of the Service. The grant is for thepurchase of a 35mm digital camera to assistthe NSW Rural Fire Service’s investigations intothe bushfires that devastated so many areas ofNSW over the Christmas/New Year period andsupplement a State Investigation Kit held inthe Unit.

The grant has come about as a result of FMGlobal (one of the worlds leaders in propertyloss prevention) setting up an Arson Fund aspart of their Arson Prevention Programme,which was launched in 1990 in response to theincreasingly serious number of arson-relatedfires occurring in the Asia/Pacific region.The primary purpose of the Arson Fund is toprovide monetary grants for projects andequipment to non-profit organisations andagencies whose work directly relates toreducing arson. After submitting anapplication, the Fire Investigation Unit wassuccessful in being selected for the 2002grant.

Richard said at the presentation that "thisfunding will provide us with essential cameraequipment that in the past has not been able tobe purchased and will form part of the State’sFire Investigation Kit which will be available foruse by all investigators across NSW".

FM Global Engineer Michael Stuckings proudly presenting thecheque to Richard Woods at the FM Global Sydney office.

The aim of Fire InvestigationThe cause of all fires both large and smallneeds to be determined. The role of fireinvestigation has in recent times beenheightened to focus on prevention strategiesthroughout the Service’s area of responsibility.This role will also assist in providing valuabledata to enhance the role for research andpublic awareness projects and to assist in thepublic education/fire awareness field.

It allows us to have a:>> More thorough appreciation of fire causes.

This will enable fire prevention programsthat can better target local circumstances.

>> More accurate determination of the originand cause of fires. This will assist in theapprehension and prosecution of personswho negligently cause fires and those whodeliberately light them.

>> More thorough appreciation of the nature offire events in time and space. This willprovide a basis for the conduct of betterdebriefs and better operationalperformance evaluation.

>> More comprehensive appreciation of thefactors that contribute to incidents whichcompromise firefighter and/or communitysafety.

The information obtained from fireinvestigation will allow for:>> Establishment of profiles of a community’s

fire problems.>> Identification of areas requiring immediate

action to prevent further incidentsoccurring.

>> Support to changes in regulations,ordinances etc.

>> A basis for future prevention/educationprograms and evaluate existing preventioninformation.

How are fires investigated?A three level approach:1. Brigade Officers>> Officer in charge of the fire crew

determines the cause of most accidental fires

2. District/Regional Fire Investigation Teams>> investigate more complex accidental fires>> attend all serious injury/fatal fires or where

moderate damage has occurred>> where the officer in charge of a brigade is

unable to determine the cause>> suspicious fires - when requested to assist

other agencies3. Manager Fire Investigation>> manages fire investigation for the Service>> coordinates policy and SOP development>> assists in the investigation of fires involving

serious injury or where fatalities or wheresignificant fires result

>> assists in the investigation of suspiciousfires if requested by Regional Units

>> collates reports from investigations andanalyses information

>> reviews trends in fire investigation findings>> prepares reports for input into prevention

and awareness programs>> liaises with other agencies in relation to

fire investigation issues>> provides advice to Investigation Teams>> coordinates training packages for fire

investigation>> participates in post-fire analysis

Fire Scene Investigation Protocol:A ‘tri-Service’ Fire Scene Investigation Protocolhas been established to provide an agreementacross the NSW Police Service, NSW Rural FireService and NSW Fire Brigades, identifyingresponsibilities and roles in fire investigation.The document further enhances co-operationon the fireground in determining the originand cause of fires within New South Wales.

How do I Get Involved with Fire Investigation?Any persons wishing to become involved in FireInvestigation must approach their Fire ControlOfficer to determine if they are suitable for fireinvestigation training. If the person meets thepre-requisites for training, an Expression ofInterest should be completed and authorisedby the Fire Control Officer and forwarded toyour Regional Operations Officer.

SSttoorryy bbyy RRiicchhaarrdd WWooooddss

FIRE INVESTIGATION WITHIN THENSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE

4 FIRE INVESTGATION

25


The NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service isdelighted to announce that all active membersof the NSW Rural Fire Service will be entitled toreceive a free All Parks Pass each year. The Passwill entitle each active volunteer free entry toall NSW National Parks, including KosciuszkoNational Park, for one vehicle. This offer ismade in recognition of the ongoing supportand efforts of volunteer rural firefighters inprotecting NSW National Parks from bushfires.Commencing early 2002, it is proposed thatactive volunteers within the NSW Rural FireService will be issued NPWS All Parks Passes,valued at $80.00, through Fire Control Centres.The pass will be required to be signed for bythe member and the registration number of thevolunteer's vehicle recorded. The passes will be

NSW NATIONAL PARKS AND WILDLIFE SERVICE AND NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE JOINT STATEMENT

valid for twelve months, after whichreplacement passes will be issued.The issuing of All Parks Passes replaces theinterim system adopted for the last two yearsrequiring the production of a Brigade letter orother form of identification at the point ofentry. The issuing All Park Passes is a moreformal system and also addresses the issue ofusing vehicles in Pay and Display parking zoneswithin NSW National Parks. The NPWSrecognises that RFS volunteers commitsubstantial effort to support the preventionand suppression of bushfires within NationalParks. The close, ongoing relationship betweenthe two Services is also recognised as animportant asset. The issuing of these All ParkPasses is a token of this partnership.Both the

NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service andthe NSW Rural Fire Service thank all volunteerrural firefighters for their commitment andsupport. Yours sincerely

Phil KoperbergCommissionerNSW Rural Fire Service

Brian GilliganDirector General NSW National Parks & Wildlife Service

26


Firstly may I say that I am honoured to have been recently elected as the President of theNSW Rural Fire Service Association and wish to take this opportunity of thanking theoutgoing members of the State Executive, in particular the former President, DonLuscombe, for their tireless efforts on your behalf.

I hope that over the next 12 months I will have the opportunity of visiting yourDistrict to discuss with you the issues affecting your area. It is imperative that theExecutive and I have a clear understanding and a direction from you the members of theAssociation as to the policies that need to be formulated for the future and that theseinitiatives are communicated through the Association to the Service.

It is fair to say that the development of policies and the achievements of theAssociation in the past have not been communicated as well as we would have likedthroughout the organisation. It will be my responsibility as President and that of theExecutive to see that all members, both salaried and volunteer, have the opportunity toparticipate in the development of policies and therefore the direction of the NSW RuralFire Service. The Association has much to offer the Service in this regard and while a closerelationship currently exists, it is essential that this be strengthened to ensure that whenpolicies are implemented they will improve the environment in which we all operate.

I encourage your representatives at District and Regional level to contact me or anymember of my Executive on any issues that they feel is important. As President I willensure that these issues are directed to the relevant personnel within the Association andor the Service and that a response is effected.

I am mindful of the increased workload and pressures being placed on both volunteersand salaried staff of the Association, however I would encourage you as members tonominate and actively participate on the various policy committees established by theService. The Association has, over the years, worked closely with the Service on thedevelopment of policies, which have benefited all members, and your input is vital.

With the recommendation from the Parliamentary Inquiry and new EnvironmentalAssessment Legislation amendments recently approved by Parliament we are entering anexciting and challenging time for the Association which will necessitate consultation at alllevels. It is imperative that the Association is cohesive and united in its approach to themany challenges that will inevitably have to be met.

I look forward to working with you in the future and I trust that together, we will builda stronger and more influential Rural Fire Service Association.

Steve YorkePresident NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE ASSOCIATION

PresidentSteve Yorke Business mgr Region EastVice-Pres (Vol)Don Luscombe Group Capt Blue MountainsVice-Pres (Sal)Peter Kinkead FCO SingletonSecretaryWarwick Roche FCO Coffs HarbourTreasurerFrank Gannell Group Capt TallagandaMembersChris Anderson DFCO Baulkham HillsIan Rogers Group Capt KyogleJohn Parker FCO Oxley ZoneChris Lord Capt Bulgadie RFBAndy Jaffray Group Capt Kiama-Shellharbour

PPrreessiiddeenntt Steve YorkeSSeeccrreettaarryy Warwick RocheEExxeeccuuttiivvee OOffffiicceerr Keith Jordan

YORKE CALLS FOR MOREPARTICIPATION AND UNITY IN RFSA

RFSA STATE EXECUTIVE ELECTIONThe election for the State Executive waschanged this year to a postal ballot held in themonth prior to the Annual General Meeting.The Association contracted Metropol a companythat specialises in polling and elections toconduct the ballot the results were presentedto the members at the AGM in Bathurst.

I HOPE THAT OVER THE NEXT 12 MONTHSI WILL HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY OF VISITINGYOUR DISTRICT TO DISCUSS WITH YOU THEISSUES AFFECTING YOUR AREA.

5 NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICE ASSOCIATION

27


RFSA REGIONSThe Constitution was changed at the AnnualGeneral Meeting to allow for the RFSA todetermine the make up of the Association’sRegions and not be tied to those instituted bythe Service. This was to ensure that allmembers had access to local RegionalMeetings. The current eight Regionconfiguration will remain.

RFS OPERATIONS COMMITTEEThe RFSA has successfully persuaded the RFS toform a State Operations Committee. ThisCommittee will complete the Service’s StandingCommittee structure and match its functionalareas – the others being the Technical Services,Community Education, and TrainingCommittees. It is expected that the currentCommunications and Aviation Committees willbecome sub-committees of the State OperationsCommittee.

The State Operations Committee will haveone salaried and one volunteer representativefrom each of the eight RFSA regions, and willbe structured the same as the other standingcommittees with the representatives elected bythe RFSA Region Conferences and Committees.

Whilst a Charter is yet to be developed forthis Committee it is envisaged it will consider allmatters operational – such as the application ofICS at all incidents, Region Response Groups,preparedness planning, Base Camp operationsand Standard Operating Procedure’s.

Membership of this committee is now beingsought from each RFSA Region.

The Service is to be congratulated for itsforesight in putting into place an appropriateconsultative group to address the issues thataffect the core business and the members ofthe Service.

AMENDMENTS TO THE RURAL FIRES ACTRecent amendments to the Rural Fires Act 1997will result in a more streamlined approach tohazard reduction assessments and approvals.These changes give the Commissioner theresponsibility for putting into place a Code ofPractice for assessing environmental factors.This Code will provide those undertakingenvironmental assessments with a "one stopshop" for making their determinations insteadof the need to consult numerous pieces oflegislation in many different Acts.

A small committee has put together a draftCode for wider consultation. Don Nott, a seniorvolunteer from the Blue Mountains, and Johnsanders, DFCO Eurobodalla, represents theRFSA on this committee.

RFSA WEBSITEThe RFSA has a web site at www.rfsa.org.au.If you access this site it has information on thecommittee representatives from your RFSAregion, the RFSA constitution, and the link tothe online shop.

The Association has arranged with our webserver provider to host brigade sites free ofcharge, you have to decide your site name inthe format www.brigadename.rfsa.org.au anda password. Advise our server owner Eric Berryat [email protected] that you wouldlike to set up the site, it’s that easy. Theadvantage of this method is you don’t have tohave all the unwanted advertising around thesite. For more information contact theExecutive officer.

Since the last article in the ‘ Bulletin’ wehave had plenty of interest in the Association’sE-Groups and this has proven a great methodto provide information quickly and to receivefeed back from our members. If you are not

already an E-Group member why not join now?The site is now advertising free.

To join an E-Group go to the AssociationWebb site www.rfsa.org.au and click on theappropriate subscribe E-Group for the Regionyou are in, type your name, brigade anddistrict in the body of the message and thenclick send. A return Email will arrive shortlyfrom Yahoo asking you to confirm your request.Within a couple of days you will receive anEmail from the Association Moderatorconfirming he has attached you to theappropriate group.

In your Brigade do you have anyone withEmail facilities? Why not talk to them aboutjoining the E-Group system and passing theinformation on to the other brigade members.With the minimum of one member in everybrigade in an E-Group we would be able todistribute information and receive anycomments you have very quickly.

RFSA MERCHANDISINGThe Association operates an online shopaccessed through the web site, with a range ofitems from PPE to Gifts and Uniform items.With the help of some of our members duringthe last year, the shop has travelled to manyfield days and other functions around theState. The profit is used to finance theAssociation activities, if you would like theshop to attend at a function please contact theExecutive officer for information.

ASSOCIATION CONTACTThe Association has a part time Executiveofficer for any information or help withAssociation business please contact.

RFSA Executive officerKeith Jordan Phone 0500 532 211

02 9653 2211Fax 9653 2987Email [email protected] TO REMEMBER

Sat. 24th August 2002 SSttaattee CCoouunncciill MMeeeettiinngg Wagga Wagga 1000hrsSat. 23rd November2002 SSttaattee CCoouunncciill MMeeeettiinngg Narrabri 1000hrsSat. 15th March 2003 SSttaattee CCoouunncciill MMeeeettiinngg Wollongong 1000hrsSat 14th June 2003 RRFFSSAA AAGGMM Bathurst 1000hrs

ANCILLARY AND LEISURE APPAREL Embroidered Garment Price Qty. Colour Size Cost

Fully Fashioned V Neck Jumper $62.00 Navy

Polo Shirt - Lemon(L), Navy(N), White(W) $29.00

T-Shirt - White(W), Navy(N) $18.00

Sloppy Joe $29.00 Navy

Dress V Neck Jumper $85.00 Navy with Epaulettes, Shoulder & Elbow patches + pen pocket

S M L XL XXL 3XL – 6XL

90 95 100 105 110 115 – 130 (Add $2 per garment )

AVAILABLESIZES

Total $

Length 93cmHeight 33cmWidth 31cm

For large orders please addclearly printed lists as required

✉Please send all orders to

Blue MountainsD.M.P. Enterprises Pty. Ltd.

27 Byrne St.,Lapstone NSW 2773

ABN 44 092 928 919

☎Phone: (02) 4739 8619

Fax: (02) 4739 5417www.local.com.au/dmp

Payment can be made by cheque, money order, Bankcard, Visa or Mastercard.

Fax Credit Card orders accepted.Total cost $ _________________ including postage & packaging. Allow 28 days for delivery.

(Please ✓)

Card No: _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ / _ _ _ _ Expiry date: ___ / ___ / ___

VISA MasterCard

Cheques - Please make payable to Blue Mountains D.M.P. Enterprises Pty. Ltd.

Name: ___________________________________________________

Address: __________________________________________________

_____________________________________ Postcode: ___________

Please

Print name &

address

clearly

Signature: ______________________________ Contact No. ____________________________

Please print Name or Brigade Colour Qty. Cost Please Tick

Total $

Name Badges or Brigade BadgesSize 3.0cmx 9.0cm (approx.)Gold badges now Proban backed

PRICES Note: No "Minimum" order

1 to 99 Badges (Any) $3.30 each

Actual size

EMBROIDERED BADGES

Note: Red on Navy background badges are also available.

eg. JIM LEWIS

(For larger orders please attach clearly printed lists)

All Council orders accepted

Plus postage & packing per address $4.00

ANCILLARY AND LEISURE APPAREL

Brushed Cotton Cap $8.50 Navy(25+ Caps $8.00 ea., 100+ Caps $7.50 ea.)

Large Kit BagIndividual/Brigade names

$45.00 Navy(printed on seperate sheets) plus $8.00

Length 50cmHeight 30cmWidth 20cm

Medium Kit BagIndividual/Brigade names

The above is not our complete range – See website

$35.00 Navy(printed on seperate sheets) plus $8.00

Plus postage & packing per address (Includes badges if part of order) 6.60

Rural F

ire

Servic

e Appro

ved

100 plus Badges (Any) $3.00 each

Red onNavy

Red onGold

White onNavy

SPECIAL! 12 or more garments, Brigade name embroidered under logo for FREE!

ADVERTISING RATES per issue (includes GST)1/6page 1/3page 1/2page Full Page Inside CoverCasual rate FFuullll ccoolloouurr475 675 850 1275 180012 month Contract Rate FFuullll ccoolloouurr400 550 680 1000 1400

LIST OF DISTRIBUTIONPublishing run 33,000 copies

CONTACTSAdvertising Sales:Nichole Ingram [email protected]:(02)9684 4411 Facsimile:(02)9638 4671

BUSHFIRE BULLETINADVERTISING RATESAND SPECIFICATIONS

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Cut out page and mail to:Bush Fire BulletinNSW Rural Fire ServiceReply Paid 67059Granville, NSW, 2142(No stamp required)


PUBLISHER NSW RURAL FIRE SERVICEEDITORS JOHN WINTER/MICHAEL WATTSADVERTISING SALES NICHOLE INGRAMDESIGN VERSA WWW.VERSACREATIVE.COM.AU

UNIT 3 175-179 JAMES RUSE DRIVEROSEHILL NSW, 2142LOCKED MAIL BAG 17GRANVILLE NSW 2142TELEPHONE (02) 9684 4411FACSIMILE (02) 9638 4671

5730 rfs- bulletin vol25€¦ · at stake was the hotel managerÕs residence, which was attached to...

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