Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC244-2607 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend Regulation 41 to exempt the use of prescribed appliances when a Hot Work Permit compliant with AS1674.1 has been issued. |
REC244-2626 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 70 (5) be amended to preclude a person from being elected as a group officer, brigade captain or brigade lieutenant if he or she is an employee of the CFS. |
REC244-2612 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Develop a code of practice which is referenced by the F&ES Act for burning off including the option to issue seasonal permits for relevant purposes throughout the State. |
REC244-2633 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend Section 143 to strengthen the capacity of the ESOs to recover outstanding debts (e.g. penalty for late payment provisions). |
REC244-2619 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Should the SES be given the power ‘to register suitable organisations’, then the ‘other person’ in Section 127 – Protection from liability, could be defined to include members of organisations affiliated to emergency service organisations. |
REC244-2606 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | The Act be amended to require the mandatory appointment of Authorised Officers by each rural council or council that has within its area a Designated Urban Bushfire Risk Area(s) with an option for the CFS Chief Officer to exempt council from this requirement (similar to Section 105B). |
REC244-2625 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Sections 42 and 97 be amended to provide greater flexibility in the engagement of contractors by Senior MFS and CFS Officers. Consideration be given to providing similar powers in Section 118 to enable the SES to engage contractors. |
REC244-2611 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Review the format and necessity for Schedules 9 and 10 of the Regulations |
REC244-2632 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 142 be amended to include the SES |
REC244-2618 | 12 - EM agency and authority | SES be given a power ‘to register, subject to any conditions the Chief Officer SES considers appropriate, suitable organisations (such as Volunteer Marine Rescue Associations) as affiliated organisations of the State Emergency Service’. |
REC244-2603 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Should the State Bushfire Coordination Committee continue to exist under the F&ES Act, then Section 71 of the Act be amended to provide for the appointment of an independent presiding member of the committee. |
REC244-2624 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The F&ES Act be amended to clarify the meaning of ‘closure’ in Section 38 and that provisions relating to the extension and rescission of closure orders be reviewed. |
REC244-2610 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend Regulation 33 (6) and (8) to include respectively ‘notice given’ and ‘permit application’ using the online medium. |
REC244-2630 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Clarify that Section 128 of the F&ES Act is not compromised by any other legislation. |
REC244-2615 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | In consultation with stakeholders including CFA, develop a Forest Industry Brigade standard for inclusion in the Fire and Emergency Services Regulations. |
REC244-2636 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend the F&ES Act to provide for the operation of interstate fire and emergency service workers in South Australia. The issue of liability may need to be considered. |
REC244-2602 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That South Australia’s Hazard Leader Plan for Rural Fire, prepared in accordance with the State Emergency Management Plan, replace the F&ES Act requirement for a separate State Bushfire Management Plan. |
REC244-2623 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the F&ES Act be amended to enable fire safety inspections in and outside fire districts. |
REC244-2609 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the proposed ‘Permit Information Management System’ (PIMS) be implemented as soon as possible and incorporated into the Call Receipt and Dispatch process. Following implementation, amend Regulation 33 (5) (d) and (10) (c) in line with the automated notification process. |
REC244-2629 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The power of the Chief Officer to appoint officers from the staff of the SES as well as appoint volunteer officers of the SES be clarified. A command structure section (similar to Section 70) be incorporated into the Act and include the power to register, appoint, disqualify and terminate volunteer members. |
REC244-2614 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Consider the amendment of Section 82 (2) to include the power to order the cessation of harvesting or any other actions (including the lighting of fires authorised under Section 81) that because of the weather conditions, may cause a fire, if ignited, to get out of control. |
REC244-2635 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The requirement to consult with members of the unit and the SESVA before an SES Unit is dissolved should remain but the need for public meetings be removed from the regulations. |
REC244-2599 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the MFS, CFS and SES be incorporated into a departmental structure under the direction of a Chief Executive based on interstate developments over the past two decades, which establishes this arrangement as the benchmark for the governance of Emergency Services in Australia. The MFS, CFS and SES would operate as separate units under the ultimate direction of the CEO. |
REC244-2622 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend Sections 28, 61 and 110 to provide the Chief Officers greater flexibility over organisational structure. |
REC244-2608 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Consider whether Regulation 71 be amended to extend the range of offences for which expiation fees apply to include a breach of any permit condition imposed by an authorised officer. |
REC244-2628 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend the F&ES Act to reflect the SES expanded responsibilities as Hazard Leader for ‘Extreme Weather’ including their community education role. |
REC244-2613 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Should the State Bushfire Coordination Committee continue to exist under the F&ES Act amend Section 94 (4) (c) to refer to the ‘State Bushfire Coordination Committee’. |
REC244-2634 | 12 - EM agency and authority | If possible the terms of election for CFS Health and Safety Representatives be aligned with group elections. |
REC244-2621 | 36 - Volunteers | Greater attention needs to be given to the recruitment and retention of volunteers in alignment with the National Emergency Management Volunteer Action Plan. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC199-0446 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | the state commit to securing effective multi-agency interoperable communications as a high level priority and that all future communications projects and upgrades incorporate compliance provisions mandating interoperability requirements. |
REC199-0475 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the Department of Planning and Community Development review the volunteer register and examine additional options to support councils in volunteer management, including the development of tools and staffing support. |
REC199-0456 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state: • ensure an ‘all hazards, all agencies’ approach to Incident Action Plan compilation is developed and implemented to enable the timely issue of functional Incident Action Plans. All agency incident action planning processes should be standardised to the fullest extent possible, including consideration of a library of pro-forma Incident Action Plans; and • develop and implement mechanisms to test and ensure that agencies possess satisfactory incident action planning capability and capacity for ‘all hazards’ at all levels of operations. |
REC199-0415 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state ensure that all personnel who are likely to become involved in incident management teams for floods receive basic flood awareness training prior to such involvement. |
REC199-0462 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state introduce a joint emergency management leadership training program that will deliver critical core competencies for all levels of management of major emergencies. Future appointments to senior operational emergency management positions should require successful accreditation at the appropriate level. |
REC199-0444 | 2 - Emergency powers | the state, as a matter of urgency, develop a multi-agency Incident Control Team capability to be readily available for statewide deployment to establish incident control or to relieve functioning control structures. |
REC199-0469 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state update the current fire specific guidelines and resources for evacuation planning to take an ‘all hazards’ approach |
REC199-0454 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the State Emergency Response Coordinator further develop the Strategic Emergency Management Assurance Team process by involving subject matter experts from relevant emergency management control agencies who are the subject of Strategic Emergency Management Assurance Team focus. |
REC199-0414 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state ensure that all personnel who, because of their particular flood expertise, are likely to be potential participants in an Incident Control Centre are familiar with the requirements of the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System structure |
REC199-0461 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state ensure: • water rescue/swift water rescue definitions, roles and responsibilities are clarified and communicated to all stakeholders to ensure common understanding • appropriate training, equipment and support is provided to those required to perform water rescue/swift water rescue. Common training programs, standards and accreditation should be utilised wherever possible to increase potential for joined up operations and maximised capability • that based upon the experiences of these flood events, an appropriate level of water rescue capacity and capability is established and maintained • flood plans (all levels) and flood emergency response planning incorporate consideration of pre-positioning of appropriate water rescue capability in the event that such services should be required; and • that revised water rescue roles, responsibilities and arrangements are clearly defined in the Emergency Management Manual Victoria and such definitions are replicated in all individual agency planning and operational documents |
REC199-0443 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state reconfigure the Victorian Emergency Management Council and the supportive committee arrangements to ensure a comprehensive, accountable, effective and integrated approach to the development of emergency management arrangements is in place for Victoria. The process should also include consideration of the Security and Emergencies Committee and Central Government Response Committee roles, functions, reporting arrangements and relationships with other state level emergency management groups. Settled arrangements must be clearly articulated to ensure stakeholder understanding. |
REC199-0468 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | municipal councils undertake a risk assessment of caravan parks and decide if any should be included in the list of facilities where vulnerable people may be located. |
REC199-0449 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | the state ensure that interoperable information management practices are developed and implemented by emergency management agencies. Common systems should be utilised to the fullest extent possible. |
REC199-0487 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state develop and incorporate into emergency management planning regimes plans based on geographic risk, such as sub-regional plans |
REC199-0459 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state undertake a complete review of emergency management legislation. This should include agencyspecific emergency management legislation and should focus on service interoperability and securing an ‘all hazards, all agencies’ capability |
REC199-0442 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state appoint a state emergency controller who is ultimately accountable for all major emergencies. |
REC199-0467 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state review and align all policies and procedures for evacuation, such as the interim evacuation guidelines and the State Health Emergency Response Plan, to ensure consistency and to clarify roles and responsibilities. |
REC199-0448 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state ensure that sector wide familiarity and understanding of the various systems for incident management is developed and maintained. Primarily, this should be achieved through multi-agency emergency management training and exercising involving usage of the various agency incident management systems. |
REC199-0486 | 22 - Role of local Gvt | the state, following the completion of the Municipal Association of Victoria Improving Emergency Management in Local Government program, work with municipalities to revise the role and responsibilities of local government in emergency management. The issue of capability and capacity of each local government should be addressed in all related emergency management arrangements. |
REC199-0458 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | the state ensure: • a common, functional and accessible system be introduced to enable effective Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre and Incident Control Centre communications • a regime of regular Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre exercising is introduced with oversight by an appropriate independent body. Such exercising should include testing of systems utilised for Incident Control Centre and Municipal Emergency Coordination Centre communications • those required to perform Emergency Management Liaison Officer roles have undertaken appropriate training; and • resource requesting arrangements are clarified and documented so that control and coordination functions do not overlap. |
REC199-0422 | 36 - Volunteers | the state establish a process for volunteer community member accreditation to allow volunteers to provide flood information to the control agency during a flood event. This process should establish a base competency standard and provide appropriate emergency management and Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System training to accredited community volunteers. |
REC199-0464 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state develop and implement a strategy that maximises the flexibility and united capacity of the Country Fire Authority and Victoria State Emergency Service to respond to emergencies. |
REC199-0447 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | the state ensure that common and interoperable resource management systems are developed and implemented by emergency management agencies. Common systems should be utilised to the fullest extent possible. |
REC199-0484 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state: • assess current risk and risk mitigation strategies for essential services, with a focus on ensuring that risks are appropriately identified at all levels of emergency planning; and • ensure that the responsible authority or owner/ operator of essential services put in place appropriate strategies to mitigate any risk to service continuity |
REC199-0457 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | the state: • revise the Emergency Management Team Practice Note to include a template to ensure an appropriate and consistent approach to Emergency Management Team operations • provide the revised Emergency Management Team Practice Note to all stakeholders to enable familiarisation; and • ensure that there is regular exercising of Emergency Management Teams with an `all hazards’ focus. |
REC199-0418 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | the state develop an efficient process to ensure that, during flood events, temporary construction of flood mitigation works, such as levees, is controlled so as not to unacceptably impact on flood intelligence. |
REC199-0463 | 16 - Training and behaviour | the state: • ensure an appropriate regime of regular emergency management training and exercising is introduced. This must be ‘all hazards’ and multi-agency focused and include all relevant stakeholders • designate an accountable officer to hold ongoing responsibility for conducting such exercises; and • designate the Emergency Services Commissioner as holding ongoing responsibility for auditing and reviewing this training and exercising. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC151-3070 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Crown law opinion be obtained to determine whether additional functions now undertaken by the Commission following the devolvement of the functions of the Security and Emergency Management Office (SEMO) require an amendment to the FES Act. |
REC151-3087 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 90 – provisions relating to smoking, and throwing burning material be removed from the principal FES Act and placed in the Regulations. |
REC151-3103 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Provisions be included in the Regulations for mediation in appropriate circumstances. |
REC151-3076 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Provisions in Section 11(1)(e)(i) and (ii) relating to appointments of volunteer associations to the SAFECOM Board be removed. |
REC151-3092 | 19 - Offences | Expiation fees be reviewed so as to be consistent with the seriousness of the offences. |
REC151-3108 | 36 - Volunteers | Liability and immunity as these provisions apply in Section 127 be reassessed in terms of burden of proof so as to ensure the best protection for volunteers. |
REC151-3064 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The FES Act be amended to include a definition of ‘operations’ and/or ‘operational’. |
REC151-3081 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | So as to increase the pool of volunteers from which the Minister can appoint Advisory Board members, Section 18(3)(c) and (d) be amended to include nominations from the Group Committee (SACFS) and Unit Managers Advisory Group (SASES). |
REC151-3097 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Regulation 8(4)(b) be amended to allow persons of or above 16 years of age to register as fire-fighters. |
REC151-3069 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Consistent with the requirement for Emergency Service Organisations, the FES Act be amended to require South Australian Fire and Emergency Commission (SAFECOM) to submit a workforce plan to the Board. |
REC151-3086 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 88 – requirement to carry fire extinguishers in a caravan be removed from the principal FES Act and placed in the Regulations. |
REC151-3102 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Regulations 22 and 62 be reviewed to ensure reports regarding conduct must be relevant to the enquiry. |
REC151-3075 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 92 include the facility to issue a warrant for the relevant authority to break into land or buildings for the purposes of determining what measures have been taken for the prevention, control or suppression of fire or for the prevention of, or for dealing with, the escape of hazardous materials; and that costs and expenses in doing so are recoverable. |
REC151-3091 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Regulation 48 regarding prescribed offences be amended to include Section 79(2)(e) or its equivalent under the amendment proposed in Recommendation 22 above. |
REC151-3107 | 2 - Emergency powers | Immunity be prescribed for persons (including volunteers) using force in the exercise of a power or function under the FES Act or carrying out any direction or requirement given or imposed at the scene of a fire or other emergency. |
REC151-3063 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The preamble of the Fire and Emergency Services (FES) Act be amended to include a stronger emphasis on the strategic and policy purposes of the Commission, highlighting its key role in the governance of the emergency services sector. |
REC151-3080 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The United Firefighters Union of Australia – SA Branch (UFU) be given full voting rights on the Advisory Board. |
REC151-3096 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | All Regulations relating to constitutions be deleted; the FES Act be amended to allow the Chief Officers to prescribe the constitution; and the process for the management of a SACFS brigade/group and a SASES unit to be in the form of an administrative instruction. |
REC151-3068 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The FES Act be amended so as to allow the Chief Executive (CE) to manage the Commission (SAFECOM) Office by removing provisions relative to the SAFECOM Board’s managerial and administrative oversight of the Commission. |
REC151-3085 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | With the implementation of the Ministerial Review of Bushfire Management in South Australia, consideration should be given to provisions within Part 4, Division 7 of the principal FES Act which would be more appropriately placed in the Regulations. |
REC151-3101 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Divisions and Subdivisions and Regulations 22 and 62 headings relating to conduct and discipline be changed to have similar wording and should include, “Conduct, Discipline and Grievance Procedures for Members”. |
REC151-3074 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Sections 56 and 83 (amended as suggested above) include the facility to issue a warrant for the relevant authority to break into land or buildings to carry out requirements regarding flammable undergrowth or material; and that costs and expenses in doing so are recoverable. |
REC151-3090 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Following the amendment to Section 79 as proposed above in Recommendation 22, a definition of, ‘properly constructed fire place’ and ‘properly constructed incinerator’ be included in the new Regulation. |
REC151-3106 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | A schedule for revocation of permits be included in the Regulations. |
REC151-3079 | 2 - Emergency powers | Crown Law opinion be obtained to determine whether the FES Act gives the Minister power to direct and control individual Chief Officers and if that provision does not exist then the FES Act be amended to include that power. |
REC151-3094 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Where in the FES Act reference is made to ‘South Australian Volunteer Fire-Brigades Association’ this be removed and replaced with, ‘Country Fire Service Volunteers Association’. |
REC151-3111 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Crown law opinion be obtained as to what amendments, if necessary or appropriate, are required to satisfy Recommendation 29.9(7) of the Wangary Coronial Inquest, that a dedicated bushfire prevention officer be appointed. |
REC151-3067 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Fresh consideration be given to the title of Commissioner of Fire and Emergencies so as to ensure it does not give the impression that it is operationally superior to the Chief Officers of the emergency service agencies. |
REC151-3084 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 79(1) – provisions relating to lighting or maintaining a fire in the open air during the fire danger season be retained in the principal FES Act; Section 79(2) be amended to provide that a fire may be lit or maintained in accordance with the Regulations; provisions specifying the conditions under which a fire can be lit or maintained, and currently under Section 79(2), be placed in the Regulations. |
REC151-3100 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 70(12) (relating to disciplinary action) be amended to include, where the officer is an employee of a government agency, the Chief Officer shall advise an appropriate representative of the agency prior to any disciplinary action being taken. |
REC151-3073 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Sections 56 and 83 be repealed and replaced with a single section which unifies their provisions. |
REC151-3089 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The definition of ‘officer’ in Section 3 be amended to include reference to the designation being made by the Chief Officer. |
REC151-3105 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | With the implementation of the Ministerial Review of Bushfire Management in South Australia, the provisions in Sections 84 and 85 be reviewed in terms of enforcing hazard reduction on council or Crown land. |
REC151-3078 | 12 - EM agency and authority | All members of the proposed reconstituted SAFECOM Board be given full voting rights. |
REC151-3094 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Where in the FES Act reference is made to ‘South Australian Volunteer Fire-Brigades Association’ this be removed and replaced with, ‘Country Fire Service Volunteers Association’. |
REC151-3110 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Further to Recommendations 11 and 12 above concerning the joining of Sections 56 and 83 of the FES Act, that these existing provisions be examined to determine whether they provide sufficient authority to address Recommendation 29.9(4) of the Wangary Coronial Inquest so as to require the owners or occupiers of rural land to create fire breaks and/or the removal of flammable materials from the land, as measures for preventing the outbreak of a bushfire, or for preventing the spread or extension of a bushfire. |
REC151-3066 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Accountability for matters of policy, strategy and resource allocation for the emergency services sector, currently the province of the Board, be given to the position created in Recommendation 3 above. |
REC151-3083 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Provisions remain in the FES Act relating to the emergency service organisations being separate legal entities. |
REC151-3099 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The selection procedures in the Regulations for SACFS officer positions be reviewed in terms of ensuring that appropriate skills and experience are considered. |
REC151-3072 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Provisions in the FES Act relating to, “land management principles” be reviewed in consultation with appropriate agencies and having due regard to the recommendations of the Wangary Coronial Inquest. |
REC151-3088 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Sections 68 and 116 – provisions relating to the establishment/dissolution of SACFS Brigades and SASES Units be amended so as to retain the head of power in the principal FES Act and that the procedural provisions within each of these sections be placed in the Regulations. |
REC151-3104 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SAFECOM in consultation with SAMFS consider the merits of amending Sections 49- 51 to replace the right to appeal from the District Court to the South Australian Industrial Relations Commission. |
REC151-3077 | 12 - EM agency and authority | The presiding member of the Advisory Board appointed under Section 18(4) be also appointed as a member of the SAFECOM Board. |
REC151-3093 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Where in the FES Act reference is made to, ‘an officer of the National Parks and Wildlife Service’ this be removed and replaced with, ‘an officer of the Department for Environment and Heritage’. |
REC151-3109 | 36 - Volunteers | As a matter of priority, SAFECOM examine what further measures can be taken to provide support and protection for volunteers as potential witnesses in public enquiries. |
REC151-3065 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The FES Act be amended to create the position which currently has the working title of ‘Commissioner of Fire and Emergencies’ to replace the position of CE and that the FES Act be amended in places where this position is mentioned. |
REC151-3082 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Regulations be amended to include appropriate references to the Unit Managers Advisory Group (SASES) consistent with those of the Group Committee (SACFS). |
REC151-3098 | 12 - EM agency and authority | Nominations for candidates for SACFS group elections be received both by written nomination and by oral nomination. |