Inquiry Search
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC327-4345 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | By December 2023, the Rural Fire Service should: review and improve processes for timely recording of fleet asset movements, locations, and maintenance status. |
REC327-4346 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | By December 2023, the Rural Fire Service should: establish a fleet maintenance framework to ensure regular update of District Service Agreements with local councils. |
REC327-4350 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | By December 2023, the Rural Fire Service should: develop a fleet enhancement framework and strategy that is informed by an assessment of current fleet capability to respond to fire incidents, and research into the most appropriate technologies and appliances to address emerging and future fire risks across NSW. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC324-4317 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Flood rescue capability: That, to help improve the protection of life across NSW in flood events: |
REC324-4302 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Disaster adaptation plans for all towns: That, to establish realistic expectations of safe spaces to live and deliver much needed housing quickly, Government through NSWRA working with local government: |
REC324-4307 | 9 - Community education | Flood education: That, to build disaster resilience in future generations as floods and other natural disasters are a fact of Australian life, the Department of Education should design, implement and deliver an evidence-based, targeted education campaign (like sun exposure) in schools (new disaster curriculum). |
REC324-4293 | 17 - Assets and technology | Essential services and floodplain infrastructure: That, to minimise disruption to essential services (power, communications, water, sewerage) and to ensure flood infrastructure is fully serviceable before flooding, Government ensure: |
REC324-4312 | 17 - Assets and technology | Impact to essential services: That, to minimise disruption to essential services, including outages which compromise basic communication coverage, and to ensure access to safe water supply and power during flood events, Government work directly or together with the Australian and other state governments and/or their relevant power and telecommunications regulatory, policy and market bodies to: |
REC324-4294 | 34 - Local knowledge | Environment: That, to maximise protection for the environment in and around floodplains, Government, working with local communities especially Indigenous communities, the NSWRA, other agencies and local councils ensure Indigenous voices are well heard in land use planning and natural resource management by: |
REC324-4313 | 8 - Communications and warnings | NSW disaster app: That, to improve community confidence in government messaging and warnings, the SEOCON and DCS develop a single ‘NSW disaster app’. This: |
REC324-4295 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Roads: That, to improve the planning and protection of road infrastructure and to ensure communities, freight movers, combat agencies and emergency services have appropriate access and egress during and following a flood event, Government, through TfNSW and NSWRA and working with combat agencies and local and federal governments as needed, should: |
REC324-4314 | 8 - Communications and warnings | PIFAC function: That, to ensure the community can better understand the threat of flood, storm and tsunami activity, the Department of Customer Service (DCS) be made accountable for PIFAC in all emergencies. This will improve access to clear, reliable and consistent messaging prior to and during emergencies. This transfers the PIFAC role from NSW Police Force to Service NSW. Under this PIFAC function, DCS would be responsible for: |
REC324-4301 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Floodplains as assets: That, to establish the capacity and maximise the economic, social and environmental potential and consequently unlock the value of NSW floodplains, Government adopt the following guiding principles for floodplain management: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC323-4264 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government work in partnership with key Aboriginal stakeholders, including the Jali Local Aboriginal Land Council, to prioritise the rebuild of Cabbage Tree Island, and ensure a safe and resourced evacuation plan is in place. |
REC323-4288 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Government work with the Commonwealth to develop a national cross-agency app to integrate all community services and agencies into a single platform so that everyone can receive accurate and timely information from one source during emergencies. |
REC323-4278 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW Government ensure that the current review of evacuation centres considers the role, accreditation and support of community evacuation centres, with the outcomes of this review to be made public and incorporated into the update of state emergency plans. |
REC323-4283 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Government work with the community broadcasting sector to identify ways in which community broadcasters could be better supported to provide critical services during natural disasters, with a view to providing them adequate long term funding. |
REC323-4265 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government work with First Nations peoples to support Aboriginal organisations in their capacity to operate and respond in times of natural disasters. |
REC323-4290 | 20 - Role of police | That the NSW Government embed into its emergency plans the appointment of a senior police officer with combat experience to lead recovery efforts following natural disasters. |
REC323-4284 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Government review its public awareness and communication strategies in relation to natural disasters. |
REC323-4268 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW Government accelerate its caravan program and ensure it is made available as an option to all displaced residents from the February-March 2022 floods. |
REC323-4285 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government, in consultation with telecommunication providers and satellite communication providers, investigate ways to minimise the complete loss of telecommunication services in natural disasters, including: |
REC323-4274 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW Government establish a standing workforce from within the public service to staff evacuation and recovery centres, with this workforce to be trained ahead of time and mobilised as soon as a natural disaster occurs. |
REC323-4256 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government work with relevant agencies and local landowners to find ways to improve the management of drainage channels including looking for recommendations to reduce red and green tape. |
REC323-4286 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government advocate through the National Cabinet for the Bureau of Meteorology to review its rain data infrastructure and flood modelling tools, to ensure forecasting locations, rain and flood gauges and other infrastructure are appropriately placed, maintained and updated. |
REC323-4275 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government, in partnership with community groups, including First Nations groups, develop initiatives to build community resilience, particularly in regions at high risk of future natural disaster events. |
REC323-4263 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the NSW Government prioritise support for the full restoration of sewage treatment facilities on the Richmond River, for the benefit of communities in the Northern Rivers region. |
REC323-4287 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW State Emergency Service, in partnership with the Bureau of Meteorology, investigate ways in which local communities and local media with local knowledge can play a stronger role in flood predictions and warnings. |
REC323-4276 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Government ensure that community groups, both existing and emerging, including First Nations groups, are well integrated into disaster recovery, by incorporating them into state recovery plans and engaging with them in between and in the lead up to natural disasters. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC316-4044 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | A Relocation and Evacuation working group be established from stakeholder organisations to consider and develop an Evacuation and Relocations Sub- Plan. The Sub-Plan should consider the lessons learned this year and address principles, lead agency, WHoG coordination, trigger points etc. This could be the same working group formed for reviewing the Emergencies Act, Plan and sub-plans. |
REC316-4019 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | In collaboration with other jurisdictions the ACT share the learnings for this bushfire event and work to officially embedded values officers and RRATs as key elements of bushfire response. |
REC316-4030 | 17 - Assets and technology | Continue to explore options in the short term to improve the functionality and relationship with NSW RFS ‘Fires Near Me’ with respect to ACT specific information before the 2020-21 bushfire season. |
REC316-4043 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | NDIA be engaged in regard to information sharing in emergencies as part of the above actions. |
REC316-4052 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The ACT Emergencies Act 2004 be amended to clarify that the powers of the EC encompass the power to direct agencies and directorates to share personal information for the preservation of life and protection of Canberrans. |
REC316-4017 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The working group (Rec 1) should include relevant stakeholders deciding collectively what the declaration might mean for such things as sub and supporting plans and the relevant community messages and calls to action. |
REC316-4029 | 17 - Assets and technology | ACT Government continues to develop the concept for an ACT specific emergency app whilst also using national coordination mechanisms to support an affordable nationally standard all-hazards mobile app. |
REC316-4041 | 9 - Community education | The ESA Community Education and Engagement program be adapted to include an expanded role for RFS volunteers and include a wider set of stakeholders who are more vulnerable to the impact of bushfire. A plan would require wider involvement across stakeholder organisations such as Directorates who have existing relationships with vulnerable groups. |
REC316-4051 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergencies Act 2004 be amended so that the powers, including delegations, available to an EC be granted on their appointment and remain in place under the same section of the Act for the duration of their appointment rather than being drawn from different sections of the Act that are dependent on the existing alert state for the specified event. |
REC316-4025 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Plan and ECC Ops Plan be amended to better articulate the delivery of emergency management vs the delivery of the emergency plan. The Plan should facilitate principles for emergency management and clear role delineations whilst allowing flexibility in how the mechanisms are structured. |
REC316-4037 | 17 - Assets and technology | Consideration be given to developing alternate website contingency in the event of a critical failure and an assurance review across all community facing Government websites. |
REC316-4050 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergencies Act 2004 be amended to allow for the provision for a Deputy Emergency Controller to be appointed, independent of the initial appointment of an EC. The powers and functions of this appointment to be contingent on the absence of the EC. |
REC316-4024 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Government consider amendments to the Emergencies Act to include provision for a Deputy ESA Commissioner. |
REC316-4035 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Review, refine and implement the joint ESA/EPSDD Arrangement for Fire Management in the ACT with the previous recommendation in mind. |
REC316-4049 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergencies Act 2004 be amended to allow for the appointment of the EC to be made for a discretionary time period of up to 28 days with the requirement for a legislated review of the appointment to be removed. Alternatively, a period of review should fall within the Chief Ministers discretion for up to seven (7) days following appointment. |
REC316-4021 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Plan be amended to better reflect the intent of the Emergencies Act in the establishment of a Management Executive, separate to SEMSOG, on the appointment of an EC. It should describe the role of SEMSOG and the Management Executive as distinct in the emergency management architecture. |
REC316-4034 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Efforts be increased to build trust, confidence and a common operating picture across PCS and RFS and seek mechanisms that identifies RFS and PCS as equitable partners in delivery of fire management across the territory. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC315-3835 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That, in order to ensure the safety of local landholders on firegrounds, the NSW RFS emphasises the importance of local landholders using protective clothing while fire fighting as part of the RFS’ ‘Farm Fire Unit Integration’ priority for 2020-21. |
REC315-3865 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW RFS include the following priorities in the Fires Near Me improvements roadmap: |
REC315-3847 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to ensure Australia’s fire fighting aerial capacity capitalises on existing assets and is made up of the right mix, Government: |
REC315-3871 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure equitable access to evacuation centres and associated support services for people in border communities, Resilience NSW ensure cross-border access arrangements are reflected in evacuation centre management guidelines. |
REC315-3804 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW RFS Commissioner consult with the Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner and other emergency services to develop a protocol in the event that simultaneous emergency events necessitate the re-allocation of resources while a Section 44 declaration is in place. |
REC315-3815 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to equip NSW RFS with comprehensive information on all structures and assets at risk of bush fire, Government ensures that: |
REC315-3853 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to ensure the State Emergency Operations Centre (SEOC) can maintain communications during emergencies, the Government provide the SEOC with independent Public Safety Network functionality. |
REC315-3832 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That, in order to improve the provision of evidence-based public health messaging about air quality during bush fire events, Government develop a public education campaign and supporting systems before the next bush fire season. This should include: |
REC315-3864 | 9 - Community education | That, in order to ensure people can access clear information on cross-border fires, the NSW RFS: |
REC315-3844 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, in order to enhance fire fighting strategies in severe conditions, the NSW RFS implements the following in respect to backburning: |
REC315-3870 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure the safety and wellbeing of vulnerable people during an evacuation, Resilience NSW: |
REC315-3799 | 9 - Community education | That at the start of each fire season, based on advice from the Bush Fire Coordinating Committee, Government provide a public statement with an evaluation of the likely fire season risk and the effectiveness of the planning and preparation for the upcoming season. This should be based on sophisticated monitoring of the key risk factors and signals for an extreme fire season. It should form the basis for clear public communication about these risks on a regional basis and the actions that Government proposes in preparation. |
REC315-3814 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That the NSW RFS identifies remote bush fire prone areas that do not already have an indoor Neighbourhood Safer Place (NSP) and upgrades the relevant NSW RFS Stations to meet NSP guidelines. These stations would require adequate Asset Protection Zones and active/passive protection systems to provide short-term protection. |
REC315-3852 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to improve fireground communications between NSW agencies and interstate personnel: a) Government ensure all NSW fire authority personnel and vehicles can access and utilise the Public Safety Network (PSN). This should include access to NSW RFS Private Mobile Radio networks where PSN coverage is not yet available. |
REC315-3863 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That, in order to provide real-time information on evacuation doorknocking during emergency events, Government explore a shared data gateway for NSW agencies based on the NSW State Emergency Service Collector app and a common mapping and analytics platform. |
REC315-3843 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to improve early fire suppression, the NSW RFS trial initial aerial dispatch in areas of high bush fire risk. The trial should identify the most appropriate and cost-effective mix of aircraft, and any associated infrastructure improvements that would be required. |
REC315-3811 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That in order to provide greater consistency in public information and warnings, especially in border areas: |
REC315-3849 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to enhance NSW’s fire fighting capacity, Government trial aerial fire fighting at night in the 2020-21 season with a view to full implementation if successful. |
REC315-3828 | 9 - Community education | That, in order to improve bush fire planning and protection of road infrastructure and to ensure communities, freight movers and fire fighting agencies have appropriate access and egress in a bush fire event, Government, working with local government as needed: |
REC315-3862 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That, in order to improve information flows and increase public awareness of ABC emergency broadcasts, Government: |
REC315-3837 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to improve firefighter safety, Government fire authorities: |
REC315-3867 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure evacuation centres are fit-for-purpose, Resilience NSW work with Local Emergency Management Committees (LEMCs) to: a) update the guidelines for LEMCs identifying evacuation centres to require a risk assessment of potential locations, which should include identifying alternate sources of power for use by evacuation centres and recording these appropriately |
REC315-3806 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the NSW RFS work with AFAC to analyse the impact of changing fire seasons on inter- jurisdictional resource sharing agreements, both domestic and international, and determine any flow-on effects for NSW fire fighting personnel capacity. |
REC315-3820 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Government amend the Rural Fires Act 1997 so that all public land management agencies be required to forward complaints received about bush fire hazards to the Commissioner of the NSW RFS. As an interim measure, heads of agencies should commence this practice immediately. |
REC315-3855 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to ensure all agencies have a clear understanding of cross-border communication channels during bush fires, all MoUs between state or territory agencies include an agreed protocol about how agencies will communicate across borders and that these are reflected in Incident Action Plans. |
REC315-3836 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to ensure frontline personnel have appropriate personal protective clothing during bush fires: |
REC315-3866 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to ensure evacuation arrangements can be scaled up when needed, Resilience NSW: |
REC315-3848 | 17 - Assets and technology | That, in order to enhance NSW’s ability to improve situational awareness, Government expand FRNSW’s Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS) capability (both capital assets and trained operators) to major regional centres and ensure the NSW RFS and other NSW government agencies can access this capability as required. |
REC315-3872 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That, in order to improve support for people evacuating with animals, the Department of Primary Industries: |
REC315-3805 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, to strengthen cross-agency accountability and deliver improved bush fire risk management outcomes: |
REC315-3854 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That, in order to ensure emergency response agencies can communicate across state and territory borders, the Commonwealth Government allocate 10 + 10 MHz as a dedicated spectrum for Public Safety Mobile Broadband (PSMB) at no cost to states and territories. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC304-2418 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend the object to provide for ‘The mitigation, management, and suppression of bushfires’. Definitions of these terms should be included in the Act, and should include clarification that bushfire suppression can include emergency response activities in certain circumstances |
REC304-2417 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Amend the Act title to ‘Bushfires Management Act’. |
REC304-2415 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Define formal bushfire management regimes for areas with different bushfire management requirements and define bushfire management responsibilities in those areas. One category will provide for areas that warrant provision of a wildfire response capacity, another will allow for the declaration of temporary fire management arrangements for the duration of identified high-risk circumstances. |
REC304-2409 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Formalise and clearly define the powers and duties of Bushfires NT personnel, including volunteers, thereby clarifying Bushfires NT’s role in bushfire management in the Northern Territory. |
REC304-2421 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Include a detailed description of the role, responsibility and accountability of |
REC304-2408 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Introduce clear Terms of Reference for the Bushfires Council and Regional Bushfires Committees, and introduce a requirement for the Minister to consider advice and recommendations from the Council. |
REC304-2420 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Enshrine the broader fire management principles, including coordination, strategic planning, mitigation, monitoring and control within the Act. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC302-2394 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Take immediate steps to eliminate fire boundaries for call and dispatch purposes to create an agnostic approach to the threat of fires from both a departmental and organisational perspective |
REC302-2402 | 17 - Assets and technology | Explore better options for call and dispatch, telecommunications and information sharing capability across the emergency management portfolio including the adoption of a multi-agency emergency management operations complex |
REC302-2393 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | In recognising the success of the work of both the volunteer based Rural Fire Service and the full time Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) members in joint operations – both agencies should be represented at major briefings or press conferences to reinforce successful integrated collaborative efforts rather than individual agency achievements |
REC302-2400 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Until a single call centre is developed, continue deployments of a senior RFS officer to Fire and Rescue NSW ComCen on a 24/7 day basis. This arrangement should determine the quickest most suitable resource and who is ‘in charge’ of an incident |
REC302-2398 | 17 - Assets and technology | As a matter of priority commence the roll out of AVL capability for the Rural Fire Service fleet, completing as much work as possible before the 2018/19 bushfire season, capitalising where necessary on current and future work undertaken with the NSW Government Radio Network to ensure both officer safety and situational awareness |
REC302-2396 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Commissioners of Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) and the RFS issue an instruction to FRNSW ComCen that while AVL capability is being made available to the RFS vehicle fleet, no offers of assistance by one agency to the other in combatting a fire is rejected or delayed if what is being offered is appropriate |
REC302-2395 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Remove those policies, guidelines, memoranda of understanding and committees that are made redundant as a result of adopting recommendation #2 while updating any remaining policies that are considered to still be relevant |
REC302-2404 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Review the effectiveness of emergency public information arrangements, and give consideration to embedding an ABC Manager (not a journalist) into the RFS headquarters during emergencies to broadcast warnings to the community that can be pooled to commercial media outlets |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC301-2383 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS), Tasmanian Parks and Wildlife Service (PWS) and Sustainable Timber Tasmania (STT) initiate a discussion among their Australasian peers about good practice around managing new fire starts in remote terrain, to include issues around identification, predictive analysis, risk management and suppression activities. The outcome should be a document which allows for benchmarking to accepted good practice across Australasia, from which Tasmanian fire agencies can develop protocols against which the management of future events can be tested. |
REC301-2388 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | TFS, PWS and STT should establish a State Air Desk, to be staffed by specialist staff year-round, with responsibility for managing both preparatory and contractual issues out of season as well as aircraft management when fires or other emergency events are occurring. |
REC301-2387 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | TFS, PWS and STT agree an updated version of the Interagency Fire Management Protocol which maintains the principle that there will be one state-wide point of command for major unwanted fires burning in the State of Tasmania, explicitly recognises the right of each of TFS, PWS and STT to have their objectives prioritised in incident action planning and adequate resources applied to those objectives, and provides a mechanism for executive decision-makers from TFS, PWS and STT to come together and agree objectives and resourcing levels that will then be operationalised by whole-of-State control structures. |
REC301-2386 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | TFS, PWS and STT should work with government and each other to continue to pursue a whole-of-state fuel management and burning program that encompasses all land tenures, meets the range of outcomes required by the state (township protection, risk reduction and landscape-scale burns) and is inclusive of private landholders and local communities as well as all fire agencies. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
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REC002-4011 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Commission feel that the 4th clause in the present Act, relating to the spacing of cut-throughs, should be amended to admit of any convenient or safe system of mining being pursued. This is a matter of detail that would be better out of the Act. The Commission would advise that the word should not occur at all, and that, if bratticing be used, or the air by some other satisfactory device be conveyed to the face, scope would be given to Managers to introduce systems of mining adapted to the circumstance of each particular coal-seam, with advantage to all concerned. |
REC002-4006 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Commisison would not insist upon a barometer being provided at each mine. Experience has proved that this is a tardy index to atmospheric conditions. Serious changes in the atmospheric pressure occur and are felt before they are indicated by a barometer. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC297-1256 | 9 - Community education | That SES and Tasmania Fire Service share resources and align their community education programs and adopt an all-hazards approach to awareness. |
REC297-1251 | 9 - Community education | That all councils include an easily identifiable website link for the public to locate their Municipal Emergency Management Plan and community safety information. |
REC297-1267 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That emergency management authorities react with heightened awareness and action when BoM issues flood watches and related warnings. |
REC297-1266 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That Government supports the anticipated SES State Flood Warning proposals aimed at improving public warnings and communication, and that the proposed warning system is consistent with the National Frameworks. |
REC297-1260 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That DPIPWE clarifies responsibility for river restoration and riparian management and, having done so, communicates this to councils, landowners and other owners of relevant infrastructure. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC292-2359 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force develop policies that require the recording of negotiation strategies and tactics, demands made by a hostage taker, and any progress towards resolution (or lack thereof ) in a form readily accessible by commanders and negotiators. |
REC292-2364 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency and the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee review the Australia–New Zealand Guidelines for Deployment of Police to High-Risk Situations and the Police Tactical Group Operations Manual to ensure that those documents give commanders guidance on how to assess imminent or immediate risk. |
REC292-2343 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force remedy the lack of detailed guidance on how State Protection Group officers should interact and communicate with the Police Forward Commander, and that such guidance be included in policy documents and reinforced with training. |
REC292-2372 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review its policies, procedures and training to ensure the rapid identification of persons killed or injured in high-risk situations. Those policies should provide appropriate guidance on how and when death messages ought to be conveyed following such incidents. |
REC292-2382 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Minister for Police undertake a review of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission Act 2016 with a view to enabling the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission to facilitate urgent debriefs and confidential internal reviews of critical incidents focused on improving current practice. |
REC292-2353 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force develop a comprehensive policy that describes the role and function of a psychological adviser engaged to assist in responses to high-risk situations and that all those involved be made familiar with that policy. |
REC292-2363 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that New South Wales Police Force policies be amended to require documentation of triggers for Emer-gency Actions. Consideration should be given to stipulating that “contingency triggers”—specific events that will require initiation of an EA or some other agreed response—should also be recorded. |
REC292-2341 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review the Management Operational Guidelines to resolve any inconsistency between them and relevant counter terrorism protocols. |
REC292-2371 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force develop a comprehensive policy and set of procedures in relation to family liaison capability for high-risk situations. Those policies and procedures should ensure that: The capability is scalable depending on the nature of the incident, An appropriately senior officer is responsible for overseeing the liaison process, He or she should have direct access to officers in the Police Forward Command Post for the purpose of conveying and receiving information in a timely manner, A dedicated family liaison officer (or officers) is assigned to the family of each victim and given responsibility for managing the needs of that family Officers are given guidance on communi-cating with families, including the appropriate frequency and content of briefings both during and after an incident, Officers are advised of the proper process for gathering and disseminating intelligence from family members. |
REC292-2376 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Commonwealth Attorney-General, in consultation with states and territories, review existing arrangements for information sharing between federal, state and territory agencies during terrorist events to determine whether those arrangements (and the guidance provided to officers in respect of them) adequately facilitate the efficient identification and transfer of pertinent information between agencies. |
REC292-2350 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Secretariat of the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee prepare guidelines regarding the interpretation and scope of the restrictions contained Clause 92 of the National Counter Terrorism Plan 2012. The Secretariat should also update relevant Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee documents and the New South Wales Police Force should update State Protection Group documents to refer to the latest versions of the National Counter-Terrorism Plan |
REC292-2362 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review its policies to ensure that the usual arrangements for placing a sniper coordinator in the Police Forward Command Post are departed from only for sound operational reasons that are recorded. |
REC292-2340 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Director of Public Prosecutions develop a policy for overseeing lawyers' exercise of the discretion not to oppose bail that takes into account the seriousness of the offences involved; the experience of the prosecutor appearing; and the views of the police officer in charge of the investigation, insofar as those views are based on facts relevant to bail determinations. |
REC292-2368 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force develop a policy regarding the use of distraction devices and the training of officers in their use. |
REC292-2375 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the ADF Review, in consultation with the police forces of the states and territories, examine the guidance available to ADF officers and state and territory police regarding: the role of ADF liaison officers; the availability of ADF assistance in the absence of a call-out; and the procedures to apply in relation to requests for, and the provision of, equipment or advice by the ADF. |
REC292-2348 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that if it has not already done so, the New South Wales Police Force acquires the audio surveillance technology that in similar circumstances would allow a device to be monitored in the Police Forward Command Post and/or the Police Operations Centre and that the organisation ensures that its capacity in this regard keeps pace with technological advances in the area. |
REC292-2361 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Minister for Police consider whether the provisions of the Terrorism (Police Powers) Act2002 should be amended to ensure that police officers have sufficient legal protection to respond to terrorist incidents in a manner most likely to minimise the risk to members of the public. |
REC292-2338 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Commissioner of Police issue guidelines to assist officers to determine when they should exercise their powers of arrest and take an accused into custody rather than proceeding by way of a court attendance notice. |
REC292-2367 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency liaise with the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee to determine whether policies requiring the consideration of more proactive intervention should be developed for responding to terrorist sieges. |
REC292-2374 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the ADF Review give consideration to amending the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee protocols to ensure that they provide sufficient guidance as to the respective roles of the ADF and state police tactical groups. Such guidance should accord with the legislative framework in Part IIIAAA of the Defence Act 1903 (Cth). |
REC292-2347 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force consider developing a pro forma debriefing sheet containing standard questions relevant to all or most high risk situations, which can be supplemented by the negotiation coordinator and the tactical commander to maximise the likelihood of all available relevant information being obtained during hostage debriefings. Such measures would also aid contemporaneous documentation of information derived from debriefs and assist in relaying all relevant information to command. |
REC292-2360 | 2 - Emergency powers | I recommend that the Commissioner of Police consider seeking an agreement with news media outlets whereby the New South Wales Police Force will establish a way for such outlets to rapidly and confidentially determine whether publishing specific material could compromise the response to an ongoing high-risk incident and the media in turn will agree not to publish such material without first alerting a nominated senior police officer of their intention to do so. |
REC292-2365 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the Australia New Zealand Policing Advisory Agency and the Australia–New Zealand Counter-Terrorism Committee review the Australia New Zealand Guidelines for Deployment of Police to High Risk Situations and the Police Tactical Group Operations Manual to ensure that they adequately describe all aspects of the DA planning and approval pro-cess and present commanders with appropriate guidance on relevant considerations. |
REC292-2344 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the New South Wales Police Force review the division of tasks among the various officers responsible for responding to major high-risk situations to enable Police Forward Commanders to focus exclusively on their primary goals and that officers engaged in matters not directly related to the resolution of the incident be required to report to an officer other than the Police Forward Commander |
REC292-2373 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that the ADF Review confer with state and territory governments about the criteria governing applications for the ADF to be called out pursuant to the Defence Act 1903(Cth) with a view to determining: whether further guidance is required on the criteria to be used by states and territories in determining whether to apply for Commonwealth assistance; and if so, what criteria ought to be stipulated. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC291-1238 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Emergency Management Committee to adopt, across all hazards, the doctrine of: · the primacy of life; · the ‘Strategic Control Priorities’ (as documented by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services); and · community warnings that are timely, tailored and relevant. Agencies will reinforce amongst emergency management personnel the importance of this doctrine through briefings and intent statements. |
REC291-1244 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | The Department of Fire and Emergency Services to work with the Department of Planning and Local Governments to adopt a policy which enables Local Governments to identify, register and communicate, ‘Places of Bushfire Last Resort’ in settlements and townsites where the life risk from bushfire is very high or greater. |
REC291-1243 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Department of Fire and Emergency Services to investigate and adopt a system that will allow the public to opt in, monitor and receive, through a ‘push mechanism’, bushfire and other emergency warnings, maps and information using a wide variety of devices including personal hand held smart devices. |
REC291-1242 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Departments of Fire and Emergency Services and Parks and Wildlife to investigate and adopt an emergency services resource management system that will enable the registration, tasking, tracking, management and coordination of emergency management personnel, vehicles, plant and aircraft. |
REC291-1247 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Government to create a Rural Fire Service to enhance the capability for rural fire management and bushfire risk management at a State, regional and local level. The proposed Rural Fire Service will: · be established as a separate entity from the Department of Fire and Emergency Services or, alternatively, be established as a sub-department of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services; · have an independent budget; · be able to employ staff; · have a leadership structure which, to the greatest degree possible, is regionally based and runs the entity; · be led by a Chief Officer who reports to the responsible Minister on policy and administrative matters; and to the Commissioner for Fire and Emergency Services during operational and emergency response; · have responsibilities and powers relating to bushfire prevention, preparedness and response; and · operate collaboratively with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services, the Department of Parks and Wildlife, Local Government and volunteer Bush Fire Brigades. In creating the Rural Fire Service, the State Government to consider whether back office and corporate support services could be effectively provided by an existing Department, such as the Department of Fire and Emergency Services or the Department of Parks and Wildlife. The State Government to review the creation of the Rural Fire Service two years after its establishment, to assess whether its structure and operations are achieving the intended outcome. |
REC291-1240 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Departments of Parks and Wildlife and Fire and Emergency Services to adopt the policy that all bushfire Level 3 Incident Management Teams in the Perth Hills and the South West will be integrated and pre-formed from the start of the 2016/17 fire season with substantial involvement of both the Departments of Parks and Wildlife and Fire and Emergency Services personnel on all teams. |
REC291-1246 | 18 - Access to fire ground | The State Emergency Management Committee to review the policy for traffic management at emergency incidents so it reflects national ‘best practice’. This includes the production and issuing of an aide-memoire to guide traffic management, emergency and incident management personnel. |
REC291-1239 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The State Government to establish an arrangement to develop a ‘network’ of Western Australian State Government agency personnel who can be called upon for bushfire and emergency incident management capability within Western Australia. The arrangement will be led by the State Emergency Management Committee and modelled on systems used by the Department of Parks and Wildlife. |
REC291-1245 | 18 - Access to fire ground | The Department of Fire and Emergency Services to issue a photo identification card to DFES members, members of Bush Fire Brigades, volunteer emergency services, Incident Management Teams, forestry industry brigade members and Networked Government Emergency Agency members. DFES also to consider temporary windscreen signage to identify vehicles carrying such personnel. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC290-1210 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Co‐designed arrangements that support a unified response to fire |
REC290-1219 | 17 - Assets and technology | Live resource tracking system that can be used by all response agencies |
REC290-1209 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Coordinated and targeted mitigation of fire risk |
REC290-1218 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | Cross-agency resource management system |
REC290-1214 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Flexible pre‐formed multi‐ agency IMTs |
REC290-1213 | 34 - Local knowledge | Structures to incorporate local knowledge and situational awareness into the fire response |
REC290-1211 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Review of institutional arrangements in the fire sector |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC288-1196 | 9 - Community education | The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that the State Fire Commission should assess whether community engagement programs of the State Fire Services and State Emergency should be centralised. |
REC288-1192 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that section 107 of the Fire Service Act should be amended to provide greater clarity in relation to discretionary spending by the Chief Officer or alternatively, the Act should be amended to include the authorisation for the State Fire Commission to directly fund the State Emergency Service. |
REC288-1191 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that a review and reform of the Fire Services Act 1979 is necessary. An investigation should be undertaken to assess how the legislation can be amended or replaced to best service the organisations subject to the Act and should be undertaken and completed within 12 months. The Fire Services Act 1979 must be reformed or replaced to allow for: (1) A centralised funding model for the State Emergency Services; (2) Streamlined approach to fire fighting between Tasmania Fire Service, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Forestry Tasmania and other relevant agencies; (3) Resources to be allocated according to the risk and not according to local government municipal boundaries; (4) The continuation of Tasmania having a singular fire service; (5) Clear reporting lines; (6) Improved governance structure; and, (7) Include the fire permit system and inter- agency protocols. |
REC288-1200 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that the State Government should establish an independent Chair to govern the State Fire Commission and that this governance arrangement should be included in the reform of the governing legislation. |
REC288-1198 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, that the Government should undertake a review of how firefighting equipment and gear in Tasmania can be better standardised with interstate equipment and gear to improve cross-jurisdiction resource utilisation. |
REC288-1197 | 9 - Community education | The Committee finds that on the evidence presented, the State Fire Commission introduces key performance indicators reporting in relation to its work in community engagement to measure its success in program delivery and community engagement. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC287-1180 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Tasmanian fire agencies consider the development of fire operational guidelines to avoid long-term environmental impacts such as: • • • strategies and tactics that will minimise the impact of fire management activities conditions under which earthmoving equipment and fire chemicals may be used information on seasonal conditions and the times of year when various strategies and tactics should be applied, and fuel management strategies. |
REC287-1179 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Tasmanian fire agencies develop a joint multi-agency Fire Preparedness Matrix to guide decision-making in response to severe fire weather conditions or capacity issues. |
REC287-1186 | 9 - Community education | The Tasmanian fire agencies review: • their pre-season engagement with groups such as (but not limited to) environmental groups who might beneft from a greater understanding of fire management tactics, in order to inform them of and receive feedback on intended approaches to firefghting and fire management the work of the Public Information Section at incident management, regional and State level, to develop an increased appreciation of what information management might be most appropriate to serve the public interest in understanding the progress of the incident and to identify ways of providing surge capacity to resource effective information management in protracted and signifcant incidents. |
REC287-1182 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The fire agencies consider how the Regional Fire Operations Centre (RFOC) as a concept adds value once a level 3 IMT is up and running in a region. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC286-1470 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Integrate Storage Operating Rules with downstream flood response plans. |
REC286-2078 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Review interagency information sharing arrangements. |
REC286-1437 | 9 - Community education | Continue the Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods Program. |
REC286-2027 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Develop arrangements to identify and communicate with people vulnerable to heat stress |
REC286-2088 | 9 - Community education | Develop a community education strategy for when to call 000, 131 444, and 132 500. |
REC286-1449 | 9 - Community education | Develop coastal inundation education materials that meet the needs of exposed communities. |
REC286-2035 | 9 - Community education | Include heatwave in existing preparedness programs. |
REC286-1467 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Review the allocation of responsibilities for earthquake risk management. |
REC286-2075 | 9 - Community education | Develop and implement a community storm safe awareness program. |
REC286-1481 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Integrate clean-up arrangements into emergency plans. |
REC286-2026 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Identify facilities that can be used as cool spaces during heatwaves and establish linkages between operators and emergency management organisations |
REC286-2086 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Develop SOP for recovery package. |
REC286-1446 | 9 - Community education | Introduce child-centred household level disaster risk reduction strategies in school programs. |
REC286-2034 | 9 - Community education | Improve community educational information. |
REC286-1466 | 9 - Community education | Develop and deliver earthquake hazard awareness products. |
REC286-2074 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Continue the enhancement of forecast and warning services. |
REC286-1476 | 9 - Community education | Develop and implement a targeted community flood awareness program. |
REC286-2014 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Integrate non-government entities into emergency response and recovery arrangements. |
REC286-2085 | 9 - Community education | Up-skill isolated communities in emergency PPRR skills. |
REC286-1443 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Build capacity to enable Incident Management Teams to manage the likely increased frequency and intensity of major fire events. |
REC286-2030 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Develop innovative response models of patient care to improve surge capacity. |
REC286-1465 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Improve the coordination and delivery of the National seismic monitoring program. |
REC286-2062 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Review State Special Emergency Plan: Human Influenza Pandemic Emergencies. |
REC286-1475 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Integrate existing capabilities into a Total Flood Warning System. |
REC286-2083 | 9 - Community education | Enhance the community development program. |
REC286-1440 | 9 - Community education | Expand the existing Fire Ready Schools Program with enhanced support and incorporate other sites used by vulnerable groups. |
REC286-2029 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Create a stakeholder plan template to aid heatwave preparedness and response in facilities occupied by people vulnerable to heatwaves (e.g. nursing homes) |
REC286-1462 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Develop a strategic plan for the operation and management of the seismic monitoring network in Tasmania. |
REC286-2060 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Develop a flexible plan for establishing flu-specific services. |
REC286-1472 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Develop flood evacuation plans for at risk communities. |
REC286-2080 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Formalise response triage arrangements. |
REC286-1439 | 9 - Community education | Continue the Community Bushfire Protection Program with a renewed focus on vulnerable groups. |
REC286-2028 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Review community information and warning systems to ensure they cater for heatwave messages |
REC286-2096 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Review current all-hazards emergency management arrangements to evaluate if they adequately address Tsunami response and recovery requirements. |
REC286-1454 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Review coastal inundation evacuation and response plans. |
REC286-2042 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Increased regulation of landslide risk assessment. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC285-2523 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The report recommends that Ambulance Tasmania regularly reviews its emergency and urgent determinants methodology to ensure that it continues to be best practice and in accordance with requirements of the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC280-1390 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Government consider enabling the default position during catastrophic and extreme fire danger periods to be the same as for section 44 fires, so that fire control centres have the same systems and resources ready to deploy should a fire break out. |
REC280-1389 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Government, as a matter of urgency, amend the Rural Fires Act 1997 to codify the current interim arrangements for command and notification requirements for class 1 and class 2 fires, which clarify that the NSW Rural Fire Service or Fire and Rescue NSW: |
REC280-1403 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Ministry for Police and Emergency Services urgently review its policies for the provision of disaster welfare services to ensure that in the event of a bush fire emergency and the declaration of a fire under section 44 of the Rural Fires Act 1997, adequate funding and services, especially recovery centres and mental health services, are provided for an adequate length of time, with gradual transition to normal service delivery when those services are no longer required. |
REC280-1379 | 9 - Community education | That the NSW Rural Fire Service develop and implement a comprehensive community education campaign aimed at increasing community understanding of and support for hazard reduction burns. |
REC280-1397 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service adopt an interim fencing agreement in the immediate aftermath of a fire. This will enable emergency and interim works to commence, but features such as length, fencing components and site of the fence line are not binding. A final fencing agreement would be negotiated no earlier than six months following a major national park fire. |
REC280-1395 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Rural Fire Service reassess the protection of pastoral assets during bush fires to ensure that priority for protection is not simply afforded to the homestead, and that land holders are, within reason, able to request which of their own assets are protected. |
REC280-1391 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Rural Fire Service review its procedures, systems and infrastructure for notifying community members of bush fires, both when a fire has broken out and as it proceeds, to ensure the provision of timely and adequate information. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC277-1166 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | Develop an integrated inter-agency resource management system: Large and complex fire incidents require resources from multiple agencies. Developing an integrated inter-agency resource management system will have three main benefits: identifying potential resources will be more straightforward • the status and location of resource deployments can be tracked • planning of deployments can take into account all relevant information |
REC277-1165 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Clarify the role of the ROC and SOC and their reporting relationships: The ROC and SOC have important coordination roles under the State Emergency Management Arrangements to support both the incident and the broader region and state. Clarifying the role of the ROC and SOC, their reporting relationships, and how the command structures of other agencies are integrated, will have three main benefits: the ROC and SOC can perform their functions effectively • no inconsistencies, gaps or duplication in the activities of the IMT, ROC and SOC • transparency of incident management |
REC277-1164 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Establish multi-agency preformed IMTs: An effective IMT for large and complex fire incidents requires the capacity and expertise of multiple agencies. Establishing multi-agency preformed IMTs will have three main benefits: adequate IMT resources can be deployed with ease • strong working relationships will be built between IMT members • common approaches to incident management and fire response can be embedded. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC267-1150 | 9 - Community education | Media Engagement Consideration should be given on future recovery operations to adopting a more structured approach to media engagement, with regular media briefings undertaken at a frequency dependent upon the phase of the recovery activities and the level of media interest. These briefings could be conducted at different locations around the region, if appropriate, and would provide the opportunity for communication of key messages and provide journalists with the opportunity to ask questions regarding the recovery. This could be complemented by media coverage of community engagement visits. For all recovery operations, |
REC267-1149 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | PES External Surge Program The success of the PES External Surge Program and the willingness of participants to deploy at short notice to support the recovery effort is commendable, as is the readiness of their supervisors to release them from their duties to enable deployment. The Program, supported by an appropriate training program, is one that should be sustained as part of the whole of Government recovery readiness effort. |
REC267-1159 | 9 - Community education | Improving Community Preparedness and Resilience |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC265-1114 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Procedures should be reviewed to address the risks associated with response aircraft all working from one forward operating base, including the need for a designated fire protection unit to be available in the event of an aircraftrelated fire or other emergency incident |
REC265-1121 | 18 - Access to fire ground | A Restricted Access Permit system for the entry/ re-entry of residents, based on the one developed for the Parkerville Stoneville Mt Helena Bushfire should be finalised. |
REC265-1107 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Standard Operating Procedure 1 (Mobilisation Zone 2, Perth Hills area) should be reviewed to ensure that appropriate escalation triggers and levels of operational readiness are in place for future periods when severe fire weather conditions are forecast. |
REC265-1113 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The role of the Ground Controller should be reaffirmed in operational doctrine and reinforced in Incident Management Team training. During incidents involving aircraft the appointment of a Ground Controller should be confirmed by the Incident Controller |
REC265-1120 | 9 - Community education | DFES should prepare a Standard Operating Procedure for the conduct of community meetings, and have available the appropriate audio visual and other equipment, to ensure that such meetings are able to fulfil their function in providing information and direction |
REC265-1106 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | In addition to regular meetings of the DFES/DPaW Interagency Bushfire Management Committee, the two organisations should use joint exercises to identify agreed firefighting approaches for common or likely scenarios. |
REC265-1112 | 17 - Assets and technology | Radio infrastructure in the Perth Hills should be reviewed to assess whether it is practicable for radio and/or mobile phone coverage to be improved to achieve better coverage across the area. |
REC265-1118 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Consideration should be given to an automatic ‘Advice’ notice being issued as soon as a fire is reported in a pre- determined high risk area such as the Darling Scarp on days when adverse fire weather conditions are forecast. |
REC265-1105 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Executive Teams of both DFES and DPaW should meet quarterly to review and agree joint improvements relating to issues of interoperability, complementarity and the alignment of firefighting doctrine. The establishment of a unified command in joint State Operations Centre, Regional Operations Centre and Incident Management Teams should be pursued as an overarching goal. |
REC265-1124 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | EMP 4.4 and Westplan – Recovery Coordination should be amended to: clarify the wording around handing over control of the incident from the Controlling Agency to local government and the transition from response to recovery; include principles and criteria that will assist the Controlling Agency and local government to determine the best time to effect a hand over of control of the incident; make explicit the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in the handover of control of the incident; specify the information required in the needs and impact assessments provided to local government by the Controlling Agency so that local government is given sufficient information to take control of incidents; clarify the roles, responsibilities and the title of the State Recovery Controller and ensure that the appropriate wording is reflected in Westplans and State Emergency Management Policies; Hazard Management Agencies, combat and support agencies and local governments need to fully inform themselves of the role of the State Recovery Controller and implement a more effective approach to communicating |
REC265-1111 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | All agencies engaged in bushfire response should develop expeditious procedures for the mobilisation of resources in support of other agencies. See discussion in Section 7.1. |
REC265-1117 | 17 - Assets and technology | Automatic Vehicle Location technology should be adopted to enable a better appreciation of the deployment and location of appliances at an incident, in order to increase situational awareness |
REC265-1101 | 9 - Community education | Staff and consultants skilled in community engagement practice should be specifically included in bushfire risk management planning and preparedness building programs undertaken by State agencies and/or local government. |
REC265-1123 | 17 - Assets and technology | Every effort should be made to enhance the ability of communications personnel to cope with fast moving and time critical fire events by providing and maintaining: ongoing extensive communications training; advanced vehicle capability for clear communication within areas of radio coverage dead spots; ability to receive Air intelligence live streaming; map production facilities; deployment of multiple Incident Control Vehicles when required; all Incident Control Vehicles with access to DFES Information Technology Systems. |
REC265-1110 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Whenever a Bush Fires Act 1954 section 13 transfer of control is invoked, the Incident level of an event should also be reviewed and any changes documented. |
REC265-1116 | 17 - Assets and technology | Procedures should be established to monitor the use of heavy plant during a bushfire incident, including the tasking of support appliances. Procedures should provide for the appointment of a dedicated Machinery Supervisor as prescribed within the Australasian Interservice Incident Management System. |
REC265-1100 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The forthcoming review by SEMC of SEMP 4.4 Recovery Coordination and Westplan – Recovery Coordination and SEMP 4.1 Incident Management should include consideration of: |
REC265-1122 | 18 - Access to fire ground | DFES, in consultation with bushfire volunteers should develop a procedure for the controlled entry and exit of volunteers to the fire ground |
REC265-1109 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Future appointments to the role of Incident Controller should be limited to one for the entire duration of the incident, with nominated Deputy Incident Controllers to assist or ‘take charge’ in the Incident Controller’s absence. This measure will provide for a single point of responsibility and control for the incident and assist with any subsequent review or enquiry. If it is not possible to implement this proposal for liability reasons, the number of Incident Controllers should nevertheless be reduced to the minimum. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC261-1496 | 9 - Community education | That the NSW Rural Fire Service develop and implement a comprehensive community education campaign aimed at increasing community understanding of and support for hazard reduction burns. |
REC261-1513 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the Minister for Police and Emergency Services review the communications technologies used by the NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire and Rescue NSW, the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry NSW during fire fighting operations, to ensure that systems are standardised and effective. Within this context, the potential value of satellite phone technology should be investigated. |
REC261-1512 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Rural Fire Service reassess the protection of pastoral assets during bush fires to ensure that priority for protection is not simply afforded to the homestead, and that land holders are, within reason, able to request which of their own assets are protected. |
REC261-1509 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the NSW Rural Fire Service, in order to ensure greater respect for volunteer fire fighters’ knowledge and experience in the management of fires: |
REC261-1506 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Government, as a matter of urgency, amend the Rural Fires Act 1997 to codify the current interim arrangements for command and notification requirements for class 1 and class 2 fires, which clarify that the NSW Rural Fire Service or Fire and Rescue NSW: |
REC261-1497 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the NSW Rural Fire Service investigate mechanisms to enhance the predictability of megafires and how this information is communicated easily to the public. |
REC261-1516 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service remove from its boundary fencing policy and standard contract the condition that requires adjoining land owners to maintain a fence that has been damaged by trees falling from national park land. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC260-1061 | 18 - Access to fire ground | That the National Parks and Wildlife Service, in consultation with the relevant local Council(s), devise a policy that enables the John Renshaw Parkway to be closed at either end of the Warrumbungle National Park during a bush fire in such a way that its closure would not impede access by emergency services vehicles into the park. |
REC260-1069 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That NPWS conduct a review of its hazard reduction policies to ensure all assets within and on the boundary of the Park are clearly identified and an adequate policy or management plan exists for the protection of all assets, including a procedure pursuant to which progress in meeting hazard reduction targets is regularly and comprehensively assessed. |
REC260-1053 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That in Class 3 fire-fighting operations, the Rural Fire Service consider including a fire behaviour analyst in the incident management team if feasible. |
REC260-1060 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That the Rural Fire Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service review the procedures for requesting aerial support in ‘severe’ or worse fire conditions to ensure that delays in providing it are reduced to the minimum time possible. |
REC260-1067 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That as part of the adoption of such a posture in ‘severe’ or worse fire conditions, the National Parks and Wildlife Service consider alerting, at an early stage, all relevant persons and organisations, such as shire councils, heavy plant operators, the local RFS captains, Fire & Rescue NSW and other emergency services, that it is doing so, and that their assistance may be required at short notice. |
REC260-1052 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That the Rural Fire Service consider amending its fire prediction reports to include a checklist of significant factors that have not been able to be considered in the prediction model and a warning to be alert for them and seek intelligence on them from fire ground managers. |
REC260-1059 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Rural Fire Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service consider amending their protocols for upgrading advices to higher levels to emphasise the significance and urgency of raising warning levels as soon as the potential dangers of fire to lives or property materially increase. |
REC260-1066 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That during periods of ‘severe’ or worse fire conditions, that the National Parks and Wildlife Service consider adopting a posture of pre-emptive planning and deployment of incident management teams in national parks similar to the manner in which the Rural Fire Service does. |
REC260-1051 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Rural Fire Service consider redrafting the disclaimer in its fire predictions to make abundantly clear where the potential errors or omissions may affect the prediction and how to detect them if they are there (for example, by comparing them with linescans) and what other factors (such as VLS) may affect the predictions and in what way. |
REC260-1056 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Rural Fire Service and National Parks and Wildlife Service consider adopting the approach to fire classification suggested by Mr Conway that “classification and resourcing of the fire ground response and incident management capability should reflect the potential of the fire rather than observed fire behaviour. |
REC260-1065 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the National Parks and Wildlife Service review its procedures for monitoring Class 1 fires occurring in ‘severe’ or worse fire conditions that cannot be reconnoitred at ground level adequately due to terrain or dangerous conditions, and consider including aerial surveillance (if reasonably practicable) as a standard procedure in such circumstances. |
REC260-1055 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the Rural Fire Service together with other land managers develop a program whereby local stakeholders come together regularly (every 2 months during non-fire season and monthly during the fire season) to share intelligence and to consider hazard and incident management measures for implementation. |
REC260-1064 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the National Parks and Wildlife Service review its protocols for control of Class 1 fires under its control to ensure that incident controllers managing fires in ‘severe’ or worse fire conditions receive as much incident management planning support as is reasonably practicable in the circumstances. |
REC260-1054 | 2 - Emergency powers | That the Rural Fire Service consider extending pre-emptive section 44 to whole of Castlereagh RFS/Warrumbungle Shire area. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC259-1044 | 9 - Community education | That where, in the future a similar process for land clearing is adopted, the rationale and process is better explained and widely promulgated. |
REC259-1048 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That State and Local Government agencies maximise communication to the residents owning bushfire prone properties to be aware of their level of exposure by having access to the BAL relevant to their property. |
REC259-1045 | 9 - Community education | That recovery policy incorporates the need for regular public meetings which give access to officials and representatives of agencies, as required |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC254-1586 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Future coordination/support/control of integrated emergency management across all agencies in Albany needs to be merged and located in a single joint facility. This issue needs to be reviewed statewide. |
REC254-1585 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | DFES and Local Government Bushfire Brigades ensure that only those with the required AIIMS competence have the authority to manage Level 1 incidents, noting they may not be Fire Control Officers. |
REC254-1584 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | DFES or DEC (depending on land tenure) is mandated to take over control of emergency incidents from Local Government once they have been declared Level 2 incidents. WESTPLAN BUSHFIRE and legislation to be amended accordingly. |
REC254-1582 | 17 - Assets and technology | As a minimum requirement, all vehicles entering the fireground must be fitted with an accessible fire blanket – one per person in each vehicle plus roll down, in-cab, radiant heat shields. |
REC254-1588 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | WA fire agencies adopt a common set of standing orders, operational procedures, training and competencies for rural firefighting that are produced in hard copy, leading to integrated multi-agency training, IMTs, Regional and State coordination/control centres. |
REC254-1580 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Critical operational procedures such as ‘Red Flag Warnings’, on a common fireground need to be consistent across DFES, DEC and Local Government. In particular, the operational procedure of Red Flag Warnings needs to be adopted by all WA fire agencies. |
REC254-1587 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | WA adopts a culture of joint IMTs in future. At Regional and State levels, DFES and DEC maintain standing contributions. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC252-2569 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Western Australia Health should consider publishing information on St John Ambulance’s complaints processes to assist Western Australia Health staff. |
REC252-2574 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | St John Ambulance should ensure the positive gains in clinical governance achieved since the Inquiry become embedded throughout the whole organisation. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC247-0853 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That the State Controller (or an alternate if they are not available) be expected to personally take an active role in controlling and coordinating response and recovery operations, depending on the nature and scale of the emergency, and until other identified arrangements for ongoing operations are established. |
REC247-0872 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service considers what adjustments may be necessary to the promotion and use of the Six Operational Priorities to ensure plans are suitable for the circumstances of each fire. |
REC247-0889 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That Tasmania Police be identified as the lead agency on evacuations. |
REC247-0912 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the State Fire Commission finalise its position on the Tasmania Bushfire Safety Policy without further delay. |
REC247-0946 | 20 - Role of police | That Tasmania Police establishes a section within its structure with responsibility for developing and maintaining contemporary expertise in emergency management, progressing innovation, assisting organisational change initiatives and supporting its responsibilities in state emergency management arrangements. |
REC247-0858 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That all agencies and the Government support moving to an integrated communications technology for police and the emergency services. |
REC247-0878 | 17 - Assets and technology | That bushfire agencies evaluate the use and effectiveness of fixed wing water bombing aircraft. |
REC247-0894 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the police and other emergency service organisations discuss their resource issues for emergency operations with the Government. |
REC247-0917 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the State Emergency Management Committee makes timely decisions and resource commitments on the appropriate use of social media in emergency management. |
REC247-0864 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its position on fire ground management to determine whether a unified command model at the fire ground should be adopted. |
REC247-0883 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Police ensures planning for emergency operations includes a proactive approach wherever possible. |
REC247-0901 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That evacuation centres and other centres have plans and arrangements for electrical power redundancy. |
REC247-0929 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the State Emergency Management Committee considers structuring the Tasmania Emergency Management Plan in a way that provides more specific guidance, commitment to and accountability for action to be taken. |
REC247-0852 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the role and expected duties of the State Controller be clearly defined in the Emergency Management Act 2006. |
REC247-0871 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service critically reviews the operation of the Six Operational Priorities to determine whether they are appropriate and effective. |
REC247-0888 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That arrangements are made and appropriate pre-planning occurs to effectively implement the policy on evacuation. |
REC247-0911 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That emergency management plans specifically include processes and resources for effectively engaging with and using local communities, including volunteers |
REC247-0945 | 20 - Role of police | That Tasmania Police conducts a review to ensure emergency management is treated as a priority and a core function throughout the organisation, including the development of contemporary capabilities, and is supported by an appropriate culture. |
REC247-0857 | 2 - Emergency powers | That the Tasmania Emergency Management Plan enable, and all organisations with a role in emergency management activate, emergency plans at lower threshold events to practice their arrangements and achieve a ‘hot start’ in escalating events. |
REC247-0877 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to fire management operations at night, and develop and effectively implement unambiguous policy and operating procedures. |
REC247-0893 | 17 - Assets and technology | That further options to appropriately supplement the resources available for emergency management operations be examined. |
REC247-0916 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That Tasmania Fire Service ensures that the priority on warning communities at risk of active bushfires is not confined to when bushfires are burning out of control. |
REC247-0950 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That resources are committed to developing and implementing approved reforms to the emergency management arrangements. |
REC247-0863 | 34 - Local knowledge | That Tasmania Fire Service considers measures to bring local knowledge into Incident Management Team operations. |
REC247-0882 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service documents and publishes its operational policies and procedures so they are accessible to and suitable for operational personnel. |
REC247-0900 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That a public information plan be developed as a part of the State Special Emergency Plan–Recovery, for implementation in the immediate recovery phase. |
REC247-0922 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That Tasmania Fire Service develops a research base from which to inform the design of communication campaigns for communities threatened by bushfire. |
REC247-0870 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service considers adopting a primary tactic of an aggressive first attack on fires. |
REC247-0887 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That qualifying the evacuation authority in section 47 of the Fire Service Act 1979 be considered — by exempting those people with a pecuniary interest in a property from a directed evacuation where it is reasonable for them to remain. |
REC247-0908 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the State Emergency Management Committee examine whether there are any legal issues associated with continuing recovery operations where the overarching emergency management arrangements have ceased. |
REC247-0944 | 9 - Community education | That the State Emergency Management Committee develops and coordinates a whole-of-government community resilience strategy for emergencies in a form that can be practically implemented, as a priority. |
REC247-0856 | 2 - Emergency powers | That the Government reconsider the current position on emergency declarations in the Emergency Management Act 2006 and the Act is amended to provide: • a graduated scale of emergency declarations; • the ability to make a declaration when an emergency has occurred, is occurring or is about to occur; • the ability for the State Controller (or whatever the person in overall control of response and recovery operations is called) to make one or more declarations; • a declaration to enable access to all emergency powers. |
REC247-0876 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to blacking out and mopping up, including its policies, operating procedures and training. |
REC247-0892 | 17 - Assets and technology | That a review be conducted of the resource capacity and capability to provide effective and efficient emergency operations, including approved improvements. |
REC247-0915 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That Tasmania Fire Service actively uses predictive modelling to design emergency communications for communities threatened by bushfire, unless there is a compelling reason for not doing so. |
REC247-0949 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That following any review, the Emergency Management Act 2006 be amended. |
REC247-0862 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That Tasmania Fire Service and its partner agencies establish a means of monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of centralising the location of Incident Management Teams. |
REC247-0881 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service establishes sufficient resources and expertise to research, develop, implement and review its policies and operations. |
REC247-0899 | 18 - Access to fire ground | That appropriate plans are made to mobilise resources quickly to re-open roads affected by emergencies. |
REC247-0920 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to communicating with communities threatened by bushfire and consider the matters referred to in this Report. |
REC247-0869 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service ensures that planning for active fires includes a proactive approach wherever possible. |
REC247-0886 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That a state-level policy on evacuations be developed in the emergency management plans, including specific requirements for vulnerable people and guidelines for its implementation. |
REC247-0906 | 18 - Access to fire ground | That emergency management plans recognise the need to provide priority access to areas of emergency operations for critical infrastructure providers. |
REC247-0943 | 9 - Community education | That a bushfire community education and information strategy be professionally developed and coordinated across the fire authorities by Tasmania Fire Service. |
REC247-0855 | 17 - Assets and technology | That a structure and facilities be established for the State Controller or other person managing multi-agency response and recovery operations. |
REC247-0875 | 34 - Local knowledge | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its integration of rural local knowledge and volunteer brigades into fire operations, develops and maintains appropriate strategies, and aims to be a best-practice fire service in this regard. |
REC247-0891 | 9 - Community education | That emergency management plans specifically include processes for effectively engaging with local communities and using community resources, including volunteers. |
REC247-0914 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Tasmanian Emergency Management Plan includes a comprehensive all hazards communications policy and plan. |
REC247-0948 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That the Department of Justice conduct an independent review to develop a suitable model for integrated and interoperable emergency management arrangements in Tasmania. |
REC247-0861 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That Tasmania Fire Service examines options for developing and issuing fire management objectives and tactics from Incident Management Teams in a more timely way, including ‘quick’ plans. |
REC247-0880 | 17 - Assets and technology | That bushfire agencies develop, implement and maintain air operations procedures. |
REC247-0898 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the State Special Emergency Plan–Recovery and the emergency management structure for recovery be reviewed. |
REC247-0919 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police review their use of modern forms of communication with the community, including social media, and commit resources to fully use this capability where appropriate. |
REC247-0867 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews the communication systems used for all emergency management operations, ensures operators are qualified, and ensures there is appropriate accountability. |
REC247-0885 | 18 - Access to fire ground | That arrangements are made for and appropriate pre-planning occurs to effectively implement the policy on road closures and traffic management. |
REC247-0905 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Government consider whether it should discuss options for greater mobile phone coverage and redundancy in areas of high risk in emergency situations where there are presently telecommunications limits. |
REC247-0940 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Government actively support the timely development and implementation of an ongoing Strategic Fuel Management Plan. |
REC247-0854 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That in multi-agency response and recovery operations, arrangements be made so it is unambiguous who is in charge of these operations. |
REC247-0874 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews operational practices to ensure there is continuity of fire operations when fire suppression action is required. |
REC247-0890 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | That decisions to open Community Fire Refuges and evacuation centres be coordinated with Tasmania Police. |
REC247-0913 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the State Fire Commission structures its Tasmania Bushfire Safety Policy so policy outcomes are identifiable and progress in achieving outcomes can be evaluated. |
REC247-0947 | 20 - Role of police | That Tasmania Police develops and implements a program for examining emergency management arrangements and facilities in Australia. |
REC247-0859 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That police and other emergency services examine options for achieving radio interoperability between them in the absence of an integrated radio system. |
REC247-0879 | 17 - Assets and technology | That bushfire agencies develop procedures for the automatic activation of aircraft to fires at pre-determined trigger points on high fire risk days. |
REC247-0897 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That a standing plan is developed to manage the transition from immediate recovery to medium and long-term recovery, and arrangements are made to ensure this plan can be effectively implemented in a timely way. |
REC247-0918 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the State Emergency Management Committee makes arrangements to actively manage the use of social media in the community during an emergency, to avoid negative consequences for emergency operations. |
REC247-0865 | 34 - Local knowledge | That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its position on using local experienced officers on the fire ground in the command model in a structured and systemic way. |
REC247-0884 | 18 - Access to fire ground | That Tasmania Police reviews its Emergency Traffic Management Points policy; and develops a multi-agency policy in the emergency management plans for road closures and traffic management, including clarity in decision making, coordination and sufficient operational flexibility. |
REC247-0902 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That evacuation centres and other centres have a standard operating procedure for communications. |
REC247-0930 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the State Emergency Management Committee determine suitable risk management tools, such as the Bushfire Risk Assessment Model, and encourages their use in assessing bushfire risk in a consistent manner. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC246-0776 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | All Tasmanian fire agencies seek to have the State Bushfire Policy finalised and signed-off at the required level of government. |
REC246-0784 | 17 - Assets and technology | Recommendation 9 TFS should review the capacity of its Fire Information Line to handle very large scale events, and explore additional options for a surge capability for the Fire Information Line. |
REC246-0780 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | TFS develop MOUs with interstate fire agencies and land management authorities to formalise agency to agency resource sharing/mutual aid protocols that ensure the effective deployment of interstate resources for all roles from fire ground to state control, and management of those resources within pre-established criteria. |
REC246-0779 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | TFS review all areas in which the SFOC has a role and ensure that robust policy and protocols are finalised to ensure that corporate knowledge is widely accessible and is not held solely by individuals. |
REC246-0778 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | TFS review the Inter-Agency Fire Management Protocol and the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC), to ensure that the Inter-Agency Fire Management Protocol accurately reflects the role and functions of the State Fire Operations Centre (SFOC) and clearly establishes and communicates the role and functions of the MAC Group. |
REC246-0787 | 9 - Community education | TFS make their community education and safety material available to the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Tasmania. |
REC246-0777 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | TFS finalise and sign off the State Fire Protection Plan (SFPP). All the documents named in the SFPP should be finalised and available to relevant stakeholders to support the SFPP. |
REC246-0786 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | TFS develop written guidelines for the use of IMTs about the use of evacuation in a bushfire context, and triggers for decision-making. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC245-2591 | 17 - Assets and technology | That until the outcome of the Whole of Government project is complete (and interoperability is achieved), emergency services should investigate and implement methods for further improving interoperability. |
REC245-2597 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the project team become independent from any of the entities involved in the Whole of Government network. |
REC245-2589 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That TFS and Ambulance Tasmania work together to resolve problems around congestion, particularly during the fire season. |
REC245-2595 | 17 - Assets and technology | That stakeholders involved with the Whole of Government radio project re-engage positively to ensure a solution to the current impasse is achieved in the best interests of the stakeholders and the State as a whole. |
REC245-2588 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That Tasmania Police, Tasmania Fire Service (TFS), Ambulance Tasmania and State Emergency Services (SES) investigate ways of providing secure and confidential radio communications. |
REC245-2594 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the network managers produce business cases for all major upgrades. |
REC245-2593 | 17 - Assets and technology | That network managers develop and document strategic plans for the management of their radio networks. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC238-0799 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Develop and implement a program of cost-effective road improvement works that can enhance flood evacuation capacity in the short-medium term. |
REC238-0812 | 9 - Community education | Develop mechanisms and arrangements to promote and provide greater access to flood risk information. |
REC238-0798 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Optimise the configuration of a raised Warragamba Dam for flood mitigation of the full range of flood events and water supply, with due consideration of upstream impacts. |
REC238-0811 | 9 - Community education | Monitor, investigate and address community response to flood warnings |
REC238-0797 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Determine the appropriateness and the steps required to allow the reduction of full supply level by up to five metres and/or the implementation of alternative gate operation at Warragamba Dam for the mitigation of minor to moderate flood events in the short-term. |
REC238-0810 | 9 - Community education | Undertake, coordinate and evaluate community education programs on flood risk and response. |
REC238-0809 | 9 - Community education | Ensure the SES has the long-term capacity to plan and exercise for the full range of flood events in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley |
REC238-0803 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Ensure effective flood gauging arrangements in the Hawkesbury-Nepean Valley |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC237-0817 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That section 3(c) of the Rural Fires Act 1997, which sets out the objects of the Act, be extended to include protecting infrastructure, environmental, economic, cultural, agricultural and social assets from damage. |
REC237-0822 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That section 74 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to require public authorities to report to the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service within one month of the end of the financial year on activities undertaken to reduce bush fire hazards on managed land during the preceding financial year. |
REC237-0828 | 9 - Community education | That the NSW Rural Fire Service develop a strategy to better inform the community and NSW Rural Fire Service members about the NSW bush fire management system and its components. |
REC237-0821 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the definition of “bush fire hazard reduction work” in the Dictionary of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to include the establishment or maintenance of fire trails. |
REC237-0827 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Panel notes and endorses the NSW bush fire management system based on a multi-agency, tenure blind approach using locally focused Bush Fire Management Committees, Bush Fire Management Plans and the Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code as best practice. |
REC237-0832 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Rural Fire Service investigate use of appropriate modelling, such as PHOENIX RapidFire and the Bayesian Network analysis, to quantify the level of bush fire risk to critical values and assets. |
REC237-0820 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to allow the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service to carry out hazard reduction on land without the consent of the owner after reasonable attempts to contact the landowner have failed, without serving a notice under section 66 of the Rural Fires Act. |
REC237-0826 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the NSW Rural Fire Service hold discussions with the Commonwealth Department of Sustainability, Environment, Water, Population and Communities about hazard reduction and roadside vegetation, including potential changes to the NSW Bush Fire Environmental Assessment Code. |
REC237-0831 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Bush Fire Management Committees be required to take into account fuel age and fire frequency thresholds when developing Bush Fire Risk Management Plans |
REC237-0819 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That section 56 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to give the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service the power to direct a Bush Fire Management Committee to amend its Bush Fire Risk Management Plan if it is inadequate, in the opinion of the Commissioner. |
REC237-0824 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That section 100I of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to allow hazard reduction certificates to be issued for annual low impact works for a period of three years, where appropriate. |
REC237-0830 | 9 - Community education | That Bush Fire Risk Management Plans be tabled at Local Emergency Management Committees for comment. |
REC237-0818 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That section 9(4)(b) of the Rural Fires Act 1997, which sets out the functions of the NSW Rural Fire Service, be amended to include protecting infrastructure, environmental, economic, cultural, agricultural and social assets from damage. |
REC237-0823 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That section 74 of the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to require public authorities to report monthly to the Commissioner of the NSW Rural Fire Service on activities undertaken to reduce bush fire hazards on managed land during the preceding month and the reasons why any planned activities did not take place. |
REC237-0829 | 9 - Community education | That Bush Fire Risk Management Plans be posted on the NSW Rural Fire Service website. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC228-1608 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Services Agency should review the operations of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan Implementation Working Group to determine if it is the most appropriate mechanism for ‘monitoring the scope and effectiveness’ of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan. If it is retained, ways to improve its effectiveness should be identified and implemented. |
REC228-1622 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should continue to improve working arrangements between the ACT Rural Fire Service Parks Brigade and the ACT Rural Fire Service headquarters, by: |
REC228-1607 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Justice and Community Safety Directorate, in managing future amendments to the Emergencies Act 2004, should propose amendments which require the Emergency Services Agency to maintain information on privately-owned assets of public interest that are vulnerable to bushfire without the need to include this information in the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan. |
REC228-1621 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Services Agency should improve its management of the Community Fire Unit Program by: |
REC228-1606 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Services Agency should comply with the Emergencies Act 2004 requirements for the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan by including in this Plan an explicit statement of all resources needed to meet the objectives of the Plan. |
REC228-1613 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Services Agency should continue to work with National Land managers and develop a National Land bushfire management framework to address bushfire risks on National Land. |
REC228-1612 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Services Agency should develop a strategy for monitoring the development and implementation of all Government land managers’ operational plans. |
REC228-1628 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Emergency Services Agency should develop and test administrative procedures for the communications systems used for the distribution of public warning and emergency alerts. |
REC228-1611 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Services Agency should specify preparation and approval requirements for bushfire operational plans, particularly those for lands in the Bushfire Abatement Zone. |
REC228-1623 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Emergency Services Agency and the Territory and Municipal Services Directorate should develop and routinely review a strategic bushfire capability for the ACT. The contribution of ACT Fire and Rescue (including the Community Fire Units) and the ACT Rural Fire Service (including Parks Brigade) should be explicitly stated. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC227-2846 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that Border Protection Command continues to examine ways of improving its surveillance capability around Christmas Island so that the risk of SIEVs arriving undetected is reduced. |
REC227-2851 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that consideration should be given to acquiring two personal water craft for deployment by appropriately trained and equipped staff of the AFP or the VMRS or both on Christmas Island. |
REC227-2850 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that the AFP be provided with a search and rescue vessel which is suitable to the specific conditions of Christmas Island. I further recommend that steps be taken to ensure that if for any reason the search and rescue vessel is not available, there is a replacement vessel on Christmas Island capable of providing an emergency response in difficult sea conditions. |
REC227-2849 | 20 - Role of police | I recommend that the AFP takes steps to ensure that there are on Christmas Island at all times appropriately trained AFP officers who have completed the National Police Search and Rescue Manager’s Course and that upskilling should be ongoing to establish a cadre of trained search and rescue personnel. |
REC227-2859 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that the issue of RHIB jet intake protection be allocated a high priority and that there be ongoing investigation of possible solutions to reduce the problem. |
REC227-2848 | 17 - Assets and technology | I recommend that the AFP take steps to determine whether access can be obtained to the National Search and Rescue Council endorsed SARMAP program covering the Australian Search and Rescue Region as well as adjoining tiles for Indonesia. Steps should be taken to ensure that if possible coverage would include high traffic areas where SIEVs enter the Australian Search and Rescue region allowing timely search and rescue plans to be drawn up for any potential incidents. |
REC227-2855 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | I recommend that arrangements be put in place which would remove the requirements for Masters of Volunteer Marine Rescue vessels to hold a commercial certificate of competency. Operators could then be qualified through the FESA Volunteer Marine Rescue Training pathway as skippers and crew. This would increase the number of available skippers in the event of a search and rescue incident and would make appropriate training easier to arrange. |
REC227-2847 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | I recommend that Border Protection Command implement a surveillance strategy, possibly with the assistance of other Commonwealth authorities and organisations on the island such as the AFP, which heightens its coverage at times when the weather and sea conditions are rough. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC226-0572 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Contingency planning before the fire may have supported the IMT in recognising and seizing strategic opportunities earlier. |
REC226-0590 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Expand the exploitation of social media, including graphical content for state alerts and warnings. Consider increasing the graphical content of web-based warnings. |
REC226-0552 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | Communications planning for geographic regions with recognised black spots and specific communications challenges should be prepared in advance of an emergency in order to support the IMT Communications Planning Officer |
REC226-0558 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Predetermined locations for Level 3 IMTs should be reviewed and adequately resourced with necessary communications and IT capacity. |
REC226-0578 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | There would be benefit in progressively aligning the geographic boundaries of each of the agencies and seeking to co-locate their headquarters within those boundaries. |
REC226-0564 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The expected scenario, with a view to the worst-case scenario should provide the basis for an IAP. |
REC226-0584 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Reporting and control should be through the incident chain of command and not through agency chains of command |
REC226-0570 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Logistics and resource officers in IMTs need to collaborate and establish full awareness and control over the available resources. |
REC226-0589 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The process for initiating and releasing State Alert messages requires review. |
REC226-0551 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | As presently implemented, the AIIMS planning role is under-developed and provides insufficient support to the Incident Controller. |
REC226-0557 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | An intensive exercise/training program should be developed and maintained across agencies to identify and establish a pool of current Incident Controllers who are capable of managing a Level 3 incident. |
REC226-0577 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | A system of vehicle tracking should be fitted to all fire appliances and linked to the common operating picture. Good communications planning is essential for good command and control. |
REC226-0563 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Procedures to relocate IMTs need to be established in doctrine and exercised to ensure continuity of control. |
REC226-0583 | 17 - Assets and technology | The state should converge on a single communications platform for all emergency management and support agencies. |
REC226-0569 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Section 13 arrangements need to be clarified across key agencies. |
REC226-0588 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Timely alerts and updates to the community are essential. |
REC226-0550 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Greater investment in training on specific functions within the AIIMS structure will improve the support provided to the Incident Controller. |
REC226-0556 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Within the AIIMS IMT doctrine the roles of the Incident Controller and Deputy Incident Controllers should be defined and well-practiced. |
REC226-0575 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | In multi-agency responses the culture, training and equipment characteristics of each of the agencies should be considered in their employment. |
REC226-0562 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Opportunities be sought to utilise local government representatives in other areas of the IMT particularly in public information or other community related functions. |
REC226-0582 | 17 - Assets and technology | The state should progressively align on a shared platform, such as WebEOC, to establish a COP [Common Operating Picture or Platform?]. |
REC226-0567 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | IMTs need to establish early and effective liaison with Local Governments. |
REC226-0587 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | To be effective, multi-agency IMTs will need to be exercised regularly and supported by sound and comprehensive doctrine. |
REC226-0548 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Inter-agency cooperation to manage fire precincts in a tenure-blind fashion is necessary for effective fire suppression. |
REC226-0555 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The state should identify the number of fully trained, experienced and accredited Level 3 Incident Controllers required to be available at any time and establish a process for identification of suitable personnel, ongoing training and accreditation. |
REC226-0574 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Clear direction to divisional and sector commanders and a common communications platform enables maximum return to be gained from the application of tactical resources and this rests on good incident action planning, and good command and control. |
REC226-0592 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Decisions on evacuations need to be made early enough for people to be fully informed, prepared and to move to a place of greater safety. Failure to conduct good planning can create situations where loss of life can occur |
REC226-0561 | 34 - Local knowledge | Suitably experienced local representatives should be engaged to provide advice to the IMT in all Level 2 and Level 3 incidents at the earliest opportunity. |
REC226-0580 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The role of district and local emergency management committees should be reviewed to ensure they are appropriately engaged in the active management of emergencies across the PPR R continuum |
REC226-0566 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Incident Controllers should be supported by a planning function that combines experienced weather forecasters, fire behaviour experts and local knowledge. |
REC226-0586 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | At Level 3, the available fire management expertise should be applied overwhelmingly to the fire management aspects of emergency management, possibly in incident control, and certainly in situations planning and operations roles. |
REC226-0573 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Strategic direction seeks to identify and resource those areas of tactical action that offer the greatest advantage. |
REC226-0591 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Radio bulletins need to be up to date and time stamped. Where social media is used the messages need to be up to date and accurate. Websites need to be up to date and accurate. |
REC226-0554 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | For incidents of this complexity, effective control in the critical phase (first 24-36 hours of the fire) requires an appropriately resourced IMT. |
REC226-0560 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | There would be value in progressively aligning the geographical boundaries of emergency management agencies and co-locating where possible within regions and districts. |
REC226-0579 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Legislative change may be needed to enable FES A to better manage fire- fighting resources across the state. |
REC226-0565 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Contingency planning is a critical function in the early stages of an escalating incident, and should provide the foundation of an IAP. |
REC226-0585 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | DEC’s fire management expertise should be augmented by multi-agency IMTs that incorporate the expertise of other agencies and in fast developing situations the appropriate decisions will need to be made early. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC225-0531 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Critical operational procedures such as ‘Red Flag Warnings’, on a common fireground need to be consistent across DFES, DEC and Local Government. In particular, the operational procedure of Red Flag Warnings needs to be adopted by all WA fire agencies. |
REC225-0537 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | Future coordination/support/control of integrated emergency management across all agencies in Albany needs to be merged and located in a single joint facility. This issue needs to be reviewed statewide. |
REC225-0536 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | DFES and Local Government Bushfire Brigades ensure that only those with the required AIIMS competence have the authority to manage Level 1 incidents, noting they may not be Fire Control Officers. |
REC225-0535 | 2 - Emergency powers | DFES or DEC (depending on land tenure) is mandated to take over control of emergency incidents from Local Government once they have been declared Level 2 incidents. WESTPLAN BUSHFIRE and legislation to be amended accordingly. |
REC225-0534 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Once Recommendation 1 has been actioned, all agencies give greater priority to the promulgation of Red Flag warnings in order to enhance situational awareness on the fireground. |
REC225-0539 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | WA fire agencies adopt a common set of standing orders, operational procedures, training and competencies for rural firefighting that are produced in hard copy, leading to integrated multi-agency training, IMTs, Regional and State coordination/control centres. |
REC225-0533 | 17 - Assets and technology | As a minimum requirement, all vehicles entering the fireground must be fitted with an accessible fire blanket – one per person in each vehicle plus roll down, in-cab, radiant heat shields. |
REC225-0538 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | WA adopts a culture of joint IMTs in future. At Regional and State levels, DFES and DEC maintain standing contributions. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC223-0521 | 9 - Community education | The Department of Environment and Conservation develop and implement a strategy to better inform the community about the complexities and decisions surrounding prescribed burns when they are undertaken in the rural urban area. |
REC223-0519 | 34 - Local knowledge | The Department of Environment and Conservation review its practices and procedures in the undertaking of prescribed burns so as to fully utilise the skills available to it in a seamless way including but not limited to: · volunteer bushfire brigades, especially in regard to use as a source of local advice; and · staff of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC222-1864 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Chief Executive Officer of the Fire and Emergency Services Authority request the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council to include a new module in the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System to guide the provision of welfare services for emergency service workers during a disaster. |
REC222-1863 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority should expand their use of social media to better inform the Western Australian community. |
REC222-1857 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Ministers for Health, Police, and Emergency Services ensure that the Western Australia Police, the Fire and Emergency Services Authority and St John Ambulance establish a formal platform to share their knowledge and experience in delivering programs to their staff and volunteers to address issues of stress from disasters and critical incidents, as is done in other Australian jurisdictions. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC209-1653 | 9 - Community education | Develop a continuing education program for new members of the Bushfires Council, the Regional Committees and stakeholders’ representatives, to ensure that all stakeholders clearly understand the role and processes involved in the Bushfires Council advisory function. |
REC209-1659 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Regional Fire Management Plans be reviewed for all regions prior to the start of each fire season. |
REC209-1678 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Bushfires Act and Regulations be reviewed and modernised after the implementation of the recommendations of this review. |
REC209-1651 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Review the membership of the Bushfires Council, and the composition of Regional Committees to ensure that the Council and Committees have representational stakeholders. |
REC209-1658 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Continue the use of Warnings and Alerts, in various languages, and through multiple broadcast media, including Indigenous language versions to engage with all people as to the risks of bushfire. |
REC209-1671 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That Bushfires NT, NTFRS, DLP, Weeds Branch, Parks and Wildlife, the Natural Resources Management Board, Biodiversity staff and representatives of the Volunteer Fire Brigades get together, at least annually, to coordinate planning efforts for peri-urban areas. |
REC209-1647 | 9 - Community education | A comprehensive pre bushfire season communications strategy, that supplements and extends the information provided on the DNRETAS website, be implemented to inform and educate landholders. |
REC209-1657 | 9 - Community education | Information for all landholders, in appropriate cultural and language formats be developed and distributed through events and multiple media. |
REC209-1670 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Bushfires NT create a bushfire management strategy and emergency response procedures framework including the criteria that define the escalation and response requirements for all incidents up to and including the establishment of an EOC, applicable for all regions across the Territory. |
REC209-1645 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Ensure that adequate administrative personnel are available within the incident control structure to provide administrative and knowledge management support for incident management. |
REC209-1656 | 9 - Community education | Ensure educational material is available prior to the commencement of each fire season in each region. |
REC209-1669 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Conduct an information sharing and planning exercise between Bushfires NT and NTFRS to explore the current boundaries and the overlaps in the peri-urban areas between the NTFRS ERA and the Bushfires NT areas of responsibility for all major centres in the NT. |
REC209-1655 | 9 - Community education | Professional communications and educational resources be contracted to develop an integrated communications and engagement strategy and program for implementation by Bushfires NT. |
REC209-1661 | 9 - Community education | Arrange a forum that includes all stakeholders in large scale fire management for the purposes of aligning the various stakeholder strategies across the Territory. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC208-0524 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Premier issue clear and unambiguous guidelines to all Government Ministers specifying the timing of notifications to the public of any matters that may affect public health or safety. |
REC208-0530 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, if necessary, regulation be amended to require Health to approve any script used by any party concerned, for door knocking or other information dissemination, if Health is not the first source of information to affected residents. |
REC208-0529 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, when developing requirements concerning pollution incident response management plans pursuant to the recent legislative amendments, the Office of Environment and Hertiage include appropriate definitions as to the meaning of ‘immediately’, and when ‘material harm to the environment is caused or threatened’. |
REC208-0528 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That, as part of the Pollution Incident Management Response Plan to be developed for Orica’s Kooragang Island site, or by another appropriate mechanism, the Office of Environment and Heritage ensure that Orica’s incident-response procedures address the need to consider all relevant factors when assessing potential impacts, including the height and force of emissions as well as the location of any onsite fallout and whether there are off-site impacts following all serious incidents. |
REC208-0525 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That the Office of Environment and Heritage amend its operating procedures for the Environment Line to ensure that there are clear obligations to pass on information relevant to other agencies, to those agencies in a timely manner. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC204-1914 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA, WA Police and St John Ambulance establish a uniform protocol for handling multiple agency emergency responses that does not involve callers having to make multiple calls to 000. |
REC204-1907 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Department of Sport and Recreation facilitate the development of an Adventure Activity Standard for ultramarathons in order to determine a minimum safety standard for the sport. |
REC204-1921 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Coroner’s Act 1996 should be amended to give the Coroner jurisdiction to investigate fires that do not cause death, and that the Coroner should be suitably resourced to undertake investigations of the kind the subject of this Report. |
REC204-1917 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The review of the Health Act 1911 (WA) should include the following amendments: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC203-0300 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Reporting and control should be through the incident chain of command, and not through agency chain of command. |
REC203-0288 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The State Duty Officer from DEC and the State Duty Director, FES A need to confer whenever a Level 2 or 3 incident is declared to satisfy themselves that they have appropriate incident management structures and resources across the state are at an appropriate level of preparedness. |
REC203-0305 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The agencies need to develop techniques to ensure accuracy of information across all media. |
REC203-0293 | 34 - Local knowledge | Suitably experienced personnel with local knowledge should be connected to the Operations and Planning section in all Level 3 incidents in the vicinity of substantial settlements. |
REC203-0299 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The state should converge on a single communications platform for all emergency management and support agencies. |
REC203-0287 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | On a regional basis there would be value in closer working relationship between DEC crews and VBFBs to build mutual trust and confidence. This could be done by opportunity engagement of VBFBs in DEC fire management or through exercises. |
REC203-0304 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Further community education may be needed on how to interpret messages. |
REC203-0292 | 18 - Access to fire ground | There is a need for community education on how road-blocks and VCPs operate in the event of an emergency. |
REC203-0298 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The state should progressively align on a shared platform, such as WebEO C , to establish a Common Operating Picture (COP). |
REC203-0303 | 8 - Communications and warnings | A high level review of alerts, warnings and messaging is needed to match community expectations with what is practical and achievable. |
REC203-0291 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Local knowledge should be accessed to inform the placement and operation of VCPs. |
REC203-0297 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The role of district and local emergency management committees should be reviewed to ensure they are appropriately engaged in the active management of emergencies across the PPR R continuum |
REC203-0302 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Web sites need to be kept updated. |
REC203-0290 | 18 - Access to fire ground | VCPs are one of the instruments by which the Incident Controller manages the emergency. VCPs without communications cannot be fully effective in their role. Determine and implement an appropriate communications platform for emergency management |
REC203-0307 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | When people are being moved away from their homes it’s important that they move to a place of greater safety and that their movement is relatively assured. |
REC203-0296 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Legislative change may be needed to enable FES A to manage fire-fighting resources across the state. |
REC203-0301 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Early in an incident, close and effective liaison needs to be established with local government agencies. |
REC203-0289 | 18 - Access to fire ground | There needs to be a better appreciation of the role of Vehicle Control Points (VCPs) and how they are managed in bushfire emergencies by all key agencies and the community |
REC203-0306 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Local emergency management committees and planning should identify modes of community contact |
REC203-0294 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Opportunities should be sought to embed other local government representatives in other areas of the IMT particularly in public information. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC202-0501 | 2 - Emergency powers | The Minister for Emergency Services amend section 50 of the Emergency Management Act 2005 by June 2012 to allow the State Emergency Coordinator, as well as a hazard management agency, to make an emergency situation declaration. |
REC202-0510 | 9 - Community education | The Minister for Emergency Services and the Minister for Local Government provide additional resources to FESA, DEC and WALGA in the 2012-13 Budget to improve the Western Australian community’s knowledge of bushfire safety and to allow these agencies to involve the public in their exercises. |
REC202-0499 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Minister for Emergency Services institute a thorough review by December 2012, including a comparison to other jurisdictions, of the risk analysis processes used by FESA, the Police and DEC to prepare them to protect the State from bushfires and other natural disasters. |
REC202-0506 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Minister for Emergency Services ensure that FESA has the funds to implement the installation and use of WebEOC for use during the 2011-12 bushfire season and immediately put in place common protocols with the Police and DEC to record significant events during a bushfire. |
REC202-0496 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Minister for Emergency Services ensure that a whole-of-government equipment register of the firefighting equipment held by FESA, DEC and local government authorities is in place for the 2012-13 bushfire season. |
REC202-0505 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | The Minister for Emergency Services makes it a priority that the annual budgets of FESA and WA Police are sufficient to bring forward the completion dates of the current radio projects now underway. |
REC202-0513 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Minister for Emergency Services report to Parliament by May 2012 on the resources required to ensure a ‘One Source One Message’ multi-layered information system, as recommended by the Keelty Report, including any upgrades required for FESA’s current State Alert system. |
REC202-0504 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Minister for Emergency Services ensure that the annual budget of FESA contains the funds it requires to coordinate an annual multi-agency bushfire field exercise, alongside other desktop exercises, to be held in different regions of the State each year. The outcomes of this field exercise should be included in the proposed annual Ministerial statement to Parliament on bushfire readiness before each season. |
REC202-0512 | 9 - Community education | The Minister for Emergency Services commission an independent report to Parliament by June 2012 on an assessment of the success of FESA’s Total Fire Ban community education campaign in improving the community’s knowledge on this issue. |
REC202-0502 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Minister for Environment bring to Parliament by June 2012 amendments to the Conservation and Land Management Act 1984 that reflect the use by the Department of Environment and Conservation of prescribed burns for both biodiversity conservation and community protection purposes. |
REC202-0511 | 9 - Community education | The Minister for Emergency Services commission an independent report to Parliament by June 2012 on the best practices in other jurisdictions to increase the rate of residents likely to be effected by a bushfire who properly prepare their properties before the bushfire season. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC201-0255 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | FESA and DEC need to appoint accredited Level 3 IC‘s based on experience, competency and currency. |
REC201-0249 | 17 - Assets and technology | FRS fire appliance allocation and training needs to be reviewed to enhance offensive bushfire capability within the metropolitan area. |
REC201-0254 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | FESA should continue to develop with DEC and Local Government a number of rostered pre-formed IMT‘s available throughout the fire season, regardless of predicted weather. |
REC201-0248 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | To provide Level 3 IC‘s (and FESA) with a level of confidence and to maintain currency across the pool of accredited IC‘s, regular exercising of IC‘s and Level 3 IMT‘s is required. |
REC201-0253 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Review the command function of the MROC for Level 3 incidents when the SOC is activated. |
REC201-0260 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | There are a range of opportunities identified from reviewing the three fires that will improve coordination between FESA and DEC, requiring limited resources, potentially generating some efficiencies and reflecting a joint, tenure blind approach to fire management in WA. The MIR acknowledges the progress made through the IBMC in these matters and notes these measures will require ongoing strong leadership. These include: · Clarification and consistent application of the Zone 2 and 2A mobilisation protocols; · Duplicating available information on websites; · Establishing a single State air desk and cross-utilising Air Attack Supervisors; · Completing common training for the conduct of public meetings;· Coordinating IMT training and exercises; · Operating joint IMT‘s during interface fires; FESA utilising the DEC mobile ICC when suitable ICPs are not available; · FESA engaging in daily weather teleconferences with DEC; Engaging a permanent BoM officer to support a common FESA and DEC SOC; · Developing a common ‗Tool Box‘ of forms and operational procedures for fire response; · Developing common jurisdictional arrangements to accommodate interstate support; · Developing a joint FESA/DEC SOC at the new (FESA) Emergency Services facility at Cockburn; · Adopting common and transparent Level 3 IC accreditation · Using a single mapping capability across both agencies and · Using common naming conventions for fires. |
REC201-0252 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | FESA must actively manage the transition to WAERN and provide alternative means for regional crews to communicate when in areas where WAERN is not operated. |
REC201-0259 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | FESA seek legal and policing advice regarding the policy to leave residents who chose not to evacuate in a declared ‗dangerous area‘ after a bushfire. |
REC201-0251 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | All responding crews and the incident command appointments should adopt a ‘Size Up‘ reporting format. |
REC201-0258 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | FESA should review the size of the existing pre-formed IMT to include additional Information and Planning officers and increased resourcing of scribes and management support for all Level 3 incidents. |
REC201-0250 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Initial StateAlert messages should provide timely broad advice to a wide audience authorised by the SDD, while subsequent messages may provide more detail. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC200-1687 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with the Real Estate Institute of Western Australia to develop a package of information for new residents moving into bushfire prone areas, and a process to ensure this information is provided through real estate agents. |
REC200-0362 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority immediately comply with the provisions of WESTPLAN BUSHFIRE and formally declare incidents at their appropriate level and document and communicate those decisions in a similar way to the systems used by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Western Australian Police. |
REC200-1721 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Government amend section 50 of the Emergency Management Act 2005 to allow the Chair of the State Emergency Coordination Group to declare an emergency situation. |
REC200-0387 | 17 - Assets and technology | The State Government transfer responsibility for the installation, removal, maintenance of fire hydrants to the Water Corporation, in accordance with the Recommendations of the 2006 CDJSC Inquiry into Fire and Emergency Services Legislation. |
REC200-1702 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority immediately comply with the provisions of WESTPLAN BUSHFIRE and formally declare incidents at their appropriate level and document and communicate those decisions in a similar way to the systems used by the Department of Environment and Conservation and the Western Australian Police. |
REC200-0368 | 20 - Role of police | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Western Australian Police ensure they receive all necessary legal clarification in relation to Bushfire Responsibilities of Police Officers – Powers Used in Assisting Fire Authorities in Responding to Bushfires, to be promulgated across FESA and WAPOL. |
REC200-0341 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Government give legislative effect to the Planning for Bush Fire Protection Guidelines. |
REC200-1709 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Western Australian Police and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority jointly examine the Traffic Management System developed in response to the 2009 Victorian bushfires and seek its adaptation to use in WA with additional attention to the access and egress by bona fide residents to areas that are evacuated. |
REC200-0374 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Hazard Management Agencies overseeing the response to incidents on the urban fringe select evacuation centres that are well within the urban environment and unlikely to be impacted by the incident. |
REC200-1686 | 9 - Community education | Local governments continue to include information on bushfire risk and preparedness with rates notices. |
REC200-0349 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with Main Roads Western Australia and local governments to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for the use of mobile variable message boards to alert the community to the declaration of a total fire ban and what it means. |
REC200-1720 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Emergency Management Committee amend State Emergency Management Policy 4.1 (Operational Management) to: |
REC200-0386 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Emergency service agencies undertake more consultation and joint exercising involving the Fire and Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment, the Western Australian Police, the Department for Child Protection, local governments and volunteers – including Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades. This should include field exercises which test: Evacuation centres Critical infrastructure (including at the local level) Traffic management, including road blocks. Consideration should also be given to involving the community in exercising (see Recommendation 7) and using prescribed burns as exercises (see Recommendation 14) More detailed planning for exercises should be included in a revised WESTPLANBUSHFIRE to be endorsed by the State Emergency Management Committee. |
REC200-1696 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Government reaffirm its 2009 decision to approve DEC exercising greater flexibility in managing smoke within national guidelines, in order to achieve its prescribed burn program. |
REC200-0366 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation ensure that their Incident Controllers identify critical infrastructure as part of their initial assessment and preparation of Incident Action Plans when attending major incidents. |
REC200-0339 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Emergency Management Western Australia establish an inter-agency working group to continue the development of the new single emergency services Act. |
REC200-1708 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Western Australian Police ensure they receive all necessary legal clarification in relation to Bushfire Responsibilities of Police Officers – Powers Used in Assisting Fire Authorities in Responding to Bushfires, to be promulgated across FESA and WAPOL. |
REC200-0372 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | FESA and local governments jointly review radio communications capability prior to the 2011/12 bushfire season with a view to improving the current delivery of service to firefighters. |
REC200-1685 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) review its distribution of information material, including Prepare. Act. Survive. FESA should also consider including the community in pre-season exercising, in consultation with the Department for Child Protection and local governments. |
REC200-0348 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority consider alternative wording to Total Fire Ban that ensures people gain a more complete understanding of what actions are prohibited. |
REC200-1714 | 11 - Evacuation and shelters | Hazard Management Agencies overseeing the response to incidents on the urban fringe select evacuation centres that are well within the urban environment and unlikely to be impacted by the incident. |
REC200-0382 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Emergency Management Western Australia and the State Emergency Management Committee amend WESTPLAN-BUSHFIRE to require State Emergency Coordination Group meetings to be held at the State Coordination Centre in West Leederville. |
REC200-1690 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority work in partnership with Main Roads Western Australia and local governments to develop and implement a comprehensive strategy for the use of mobile variable message boards to alert the community to the declaration of a total fire ban and what it means. |
REC200-0365 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) review its program to decommission vehicles and ensure that when such vehicles are offered during an incident that FESA staff adhere to FESA’s own policy of ‘Use of Private Vehicles in Fires’. |
REC200-0338 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation develop and finalise their Memorandum of Understanding and commit to working in partnership. |
REC200-1706 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation ensure that their Incident Controllers identify critical infrastructure as part of their initial assessment and preparation of Incident Action Plans when attending major incidents. |
REC200-0371 | 8 - Communications and warnings | FESA develop in partnership with other emergency service agencies a ‘one source: one message’ multi layered system similar to that recommended by the Victoria Bushfire royal Commission. |
REC200-1684 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, in partnership with local governments, conduct more focused pre-season bushfire education, which emphasises: |
REC200-0347 | 9 - Community education | The Department of Education oversee the provision of bushfire education in schools that are located in bushfire prone areas, ensuring that all schools in these areas incorporate key bushfire messages in their curriculum. |
REC200-1713 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | The Department for Child Protection, the Western Australian Police and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority develop improved arrangements for communicating the loss of home and possessions to persons gathered at evacuation centres with a view to increasing privacy. |
REC200-0381 | 2 - Emergency powers | The State Government amend section 50 of the Emergency Management Act 2005 to allow the Chair of the State Emergency Coordination Group to declare an emergency situation. |
REC200-1689 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority consider alternative wording to Total Fire Ban that ensures people gain a more complete understanding of what actions are prohibited. |
REC200-0364 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority review its use of the Australian Interagency Incident Management System to ensure that the most appropriate resources (including aerial resources) are used to respond to an incident. If resources are rejected during an incident either through the decision making process or other grounds, the reason for the decision should be documented. |
REC200-0391 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The Interagency Bushfire Management Committee develop a consistent program of education, training (including media), testing and review of Level 3 Incident Controllers. This should include provision for a formal review of the performance of individual Level 3 Incident Controllers after every incident. |
REC200-1704 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority review its use of the Australian Interagency Incident Management System to ensure that the most appropriate resources (including aerial resources) are used to respond to an incident. If resources are rejected during an incident either through the decision making process or other grounds, the reason for the decision should be documented. |
REC200-0370 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the ABC commence a thorough review of emergency warning messages. This review should give consideration to: The content, structure and presentation of emergency warning messages Media access to the Incident Management Team and State Operations Centre. This review should be expanded to include other media organisations should they demonstrate a willingness and capacity to contribute. 20 |
REC200-1680 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Emergency Management Western Australia establish an inter-agency working group to continue the development of the new single emergency services Act. |
REC200-0344 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) review its distribution of information material, including Prepare. Act. Survive. FESA should also consider including the community in pre-season exercising, in consultation with the Department for Child Protection and local governments. |
REC200-1711 | 8 - Communications and warnings | FESA develop in partnership with other emergency service agencies develop a 'one source: one message' multi layered system similar to that recommended by the Victoria Bushfire royal Commission. |
REC200-0380 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Emergency Management Committee amend State Emergency Management Policy 4.1 (Operational Management) to: give clear and explicit direction about when and how an incident should be declared clearly articulate the actions to be taken clearly define accountabilities provide detailed criteria for elevating issues and engaging other agencies. |
REC200-1688 | 9 - Community education | The Department of Education oversee the provision of bushfire education in schools that are located in bushfire prone areas, ensuring that all schools in these areas incorporate key bushfire messages in their curriculum. |
REC200-0363 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority develop formal procedures for mandating the completion of Incident Action Plans, ensuring the documents are detailed and that they record critical decision making. |
REC200-0388 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Water Corporation immediately review the outstanding orders for hydrant repairs and develop strategies to reduce the backlog. |
REC200-1703 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority develop formal procedures for mandating the completion of Incident Action Plans, ensuring the documents are detailed and that they record critical decision making. |
REC200-0369 | 18 - Access to fire ground | The Western Australian Police and the Fire and Emergency Services Authority jointly examine the Traffic Management System developed in response to the 2009 Victorian bushfires and seek its adaptation to use in WA with additional attention to the access and egress by bona fide residents to areas that are evacuated. |
REC200-1679 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the Department of Environment and Conservation develop and finalise their Memorandum of Understanding and commit to working in partnership. |
REC200-0343 | 9 - Community education | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority, in partnership with local governments, conduct more focused pre-season bushfire education, which emphasises: Water supply is not guaranteed during a bushfire Power supply is not guaranteed during a bushfire Saving life will be a priority over saving property so expect to be evacuated Once evacuated, access to affected areas may not be possible for several days Water ‘bombing’ by aircraft cannot be guaranteed in bushfire SMS warnings are advice only and may not be timely. |
REC200-1710 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the ABC commence a thorough review of emergency warning messages. This review should give consideration to: |
REC200-0378 | 17 - Assets and technology | Western Power and the Water Corporation continue to work collaboratively to assess options to better protect the power supply to water pumping stations in bushfire prone areas. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC193-0228 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Tasmanian entities with responsibilities for bushfire management actively pursue national consistency of warning systems and emergency warning signals through national bodies such as the National Emergency Management Committee. |
REC193-0224 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Fire Management Council work with all entities with responsibility for bushfire management to develop a state-wide position on performance indicators and promote that view nationally. |
REC193-0223 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The State Fire Management Council support the further development of the Bushfire Risk Assessment Model with a view to it becoming the central information source for use by all entities with responsibility for fire management and mitigation. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC183-0108 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | DEC should consider publishing a new reference document that describes policy, doctrine and key systems of work of the fire management system. This document would be a “brief case” or “back pack” reference and would be reviewed annually and issued to all senior staff and fire management personnel. |
REC183-0114 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Higher level DEC guidance to Level 3 Incident Controllers could be improved by introducing a more explicit and robust process of questioning, engagement, monitoring and oversight of Level 3 Incident Controllers. |
REC183-0113 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | A summary Incident Action Plan could allow the Incident Controller to more quickly appreciate the situation and articulate a plan early in an incident. |
REC183-0118 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | A Memorandum of Understanding signed by the Chief Executives of DEC and FESA would be a valuable statement of joint commitment between the two agencies. |
REC183-0116 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | Triggers and a process for transfer of command and control from DEC to FESA should be developed and documented. |
REC183-0115 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Hazard Management Agency for bushfire has not been defined. Defining the HMA for bushfire should be addressed. |
REC183-0120 | 17 - Assets and technology | Maintaining the DEC fleet of tankers, bulldozers and low loaders is crucial to DEC’s fire management and control capability. |
REC183-0117 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Interagency Bushfire Management Committee and its sub-committees are the logical central platform for developing and strengthening future joint bushfire strategies and common systems of work between bushfire management agencies in Western Australia. |
REC183-0107 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The DEC Fire Management Policy should be reviewed and updated. |
REC183-0111 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Conducting a pre-fire season exercise for each Pre-Formed Incident Management Team could be used to “re-accrediting” each team on an annual basis. |
REC183-0112 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | DEC’s incident management capability could be enhanced by: – Appointing a Deputy Incident Controller for every Level 3 IMT. – Establishing a fast response “short” IMT capability for each Level 3 IMT. – Establish clear triggers to initiate sending in a “short” IMT to a fire. – Including FESA officers in pre-formed Level 3 IMT’s. – Establishing additional pre-formed Level 3 IMT’s with FESA. – Where appropriate, appointing a local Bush Fire Brigade officer as Deputy Operations Officer. |
REC183-0119 | 17 - Assets and technology | The development of a three year aerial firefighting strategy for W.A. would ensure optimal development of a joint air capability. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC182-0127 | 9 - Community education | FESA strengthens its planning process to ensure learnings are incorporated and communicated, levels of preparedness are linked to threat analyses and public awareness and education activities are sustained. |
REC182-0131 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | FESA establishes a dedicated intelligence function in Incident Management Teams for major bushfires and ensure this function is appropriately supported with threat based tools and systems. |
REC182-0124 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA and DEC take a whole of capability approach to joint operations, including developing joint doctrine that provides a common and articulated understanding of roles and responsibilities, resources and capabilities |
REC182-0134 | 17 - Assets and technology | FESA reviews its air reconnaissance capability and determines if multiple multi-sensor air reconnaissance aircraft or unmanned aerial vehicles are required for managing concurrent and/or complex incidents. |
REC182-0125 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA, in partnership with other agencies and the community, develops Western Australia’s urban interface fire fighting capability and capacity. |
REC182-0123 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | FESA implements measures that will ensure unity and clarity of command. |
REC182-0129 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | FESA maintains inter-agency relationships and arrangements, and develops formalised arrangements across the entire emergency management cycle for joint activities such as training, exercises and procedure development. |
REC182-0132 | 9 - Community education | FESA implements an education and awareness campaign to promote the purpose and utility of community information systems. |
REC182-0126 | 9 - Community education | FESA promotes a whole-of-community approach, involving FESA, Local Governments and the community, in fire prevention functions, activities and planning. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC173-0100 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The prioritising of the critical amendments to the Bush Fires Act 1954 recommended by the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee that relate to fire management, ie: a. Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA)‘s ability to assume control of a fire in specific circumstances b. Amendments to the definition of property c. Providing FESA with the authority to declare a total fire ban |
REC173-0102 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That further amendments be made to the Bush Fires Act 1954 be drafted to provide fire response agencies with the necessary authorisation and statutory protection to respond to a fire on private property, or land that Local Government, Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC) or FESA is responsible for, until such time as the responsible agency is able to attend and take control. The amendments to be drafted, in conjunction with the urgent progression of critical amendments as recommended by the Community Development and Justice Standing Committee. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC172-0004 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | A formal IMG meeting should be convened as early as possible at initiating incidents with potential. At the very least early advice to potential IMG members should be made that a meeting is likely to be convened. The initial IMG should include all IMG representatives to ensure comprehensive briefing, agency specific situational awareness and issue identification. |
REC172-0021 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Unassigned resources arriving at incidents should be encouraged to make themselves known and to undertake alternate duties. |
REC172-0034 | 8 - Communications and warnings | A centralised emergency services website should be established that the public can access for reliable and up to date information on any incident. The website must be capable of reliably servicing a very high traffic load and be easily updated by HMA’s. |
REC172-0001 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Management Regulations 2006 be urgently amended to determine a HMA(s) for bushfire. |
REC172-0009 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | When an OAMG is established, a formal declaration of its establishment needs to be transmitted to all organisation/agencies involved. The declaration should clearly establish the reporting arrangements for Incident Controllers to the OAM as described in Westplan Bushfire. |
REC172-0039 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Dedicated information packages should be made available to personnel operating Vehicle Control Points at the shift briefing. |
REC172-0014 | 18 - Access to fire ground | The Interagency Guidelines for Road closure needs to be reviewed to incorporate a mechanism to identify bone-fide local landholders to facilitate their movement in and out of cordoned areas in sympathy with the Stay and Defend requirements. |
REC172-0019 | 17 - Assets and technology | A centralised, regional, multi-agency resource coordination and tracking system/facility be established to accommodate and coordinate the movement of resources from all agencies within and between regions. |
REC172-0033 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Public meetings are to be encouraged for all Level 3 incidents that affect, or have the potential to affect communities. |
REC172-0008 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Potential OAMG membership should be identified in DEMC protocols and local hazard management plans. The information needs to be kept current. The contact details for each member should be recorded. These plans and contact details need to be available to any IMT mobilised to deal with an incident within the jurisdiction. This means access to this information via internet and storage and maintenance at a centralised facility managed by FESA.] |
REC172-0028 | 17 - Assets and technology | Ensure the S61 helicopter has all appropriate channels for water bombing operations throughout the State by including this requirement on a pre-deployment checklist. |
REC172-0038 | 34 - Local knowledge | The ISU should be provided with a person with local knowledge at Level 3 incidents. |
REC172-0013 | 18 - Access to fire ground | In preparing traffic management plans consideration should be given to which VCP’s are critical and need to be resourced with uniformed Police Officers and which VCP’s can be manned with civilian contractors. |
REC172-0018 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Interagency Guidelines need to be amended to reflect what is operationally possible with regard to risk management rather than what is required to achieve an absence of risk. |
REC172-0032 | 8 - Communications and warnings | A review of community messages, their construction and component parts, the process to activate them and the technology required to deliver the messages by digital and non-digital media should be undertaken. The desired outcome is to define standard messages, procedures, tools and technologies that can be utilised by all HMA’s in Western Australia. |
REC172-0047 | 17 - Assets and technology | There is an established need to develop mobile accommodation and accommodation facility support solutions that allows an acceptable standard of accommodation to be provided to fire fighters in close proximity to the incident. |
REC172-0007 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | A formal OAMG meeting should be convened as early as possible for incidents with the potential to be Level 3 incidents. At the very least early advice to potential OAMG members should be made on days that exhibit extreme fire weather and other high ignition risk factors that a meeting is likely to be convened. The initial OAMG should include all OAMG representatives identified by LEMAC and DEMAC for each area to ensure comprehensive briefing, agency specific situational awareness and issue identification. |
REC172-0026 | 17 - Assets and technology | At large incidents a communications bus should be provided for the use by Air Ops and a designated work space should be provided for the Air Ops management group. |
REC172-0037 | 8 - Communications and warnings | ABC Radio should be a participant in IMG and/or OAMG. LEMC and DEMC should plan for this involvement in Local and District Emergency Management Plans. |
REC172-0012 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Main Roads Western Australia, Police and LGA’s be encouraged via State emergency arrangements to establish a distributed cache of “hard” road barriers for deployment to major incidents |
REC172-0043 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | There needs to be a system that allows laptop computers brought to an incident to be configured at the start of the season and allow them to be easily activated to the correct configuration when they arrive at the incident. |
REC172-0017 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Information packs to be provided to road traffic personnel to assist with enquiries by public or provision to members of public and landholders who are defending homes/stock etc |
REC172-0006 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Prior to the bushfire season, potential IMG members, many of whom are members of the Local Emergency Management Committee (LEMC) should be made aware of, and possibly exercise, their role as an IMG member. |
REC172-0025 | 17 - Assets and technology | Suppression resources should be ordered and mobilised as 2 truck Strike Teams with a STL and consistently deployed to the fire ground as a unit. |
REC172-0036 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Wherever possible the ISU should be co-located with Operations and Logistics Sections to ensure effective communications and the ICC in which they operate should be located in the affected community. |
REC172-0002 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Emergency Management Act 2005 is amended to provide a mechanism for one HMA to transfer responsibility to another HMA and ensure that both HMA’s are provided the powers and protection necessary under that Act. |
REC172-0011 | 18 - Access to fire ground | At Level 3 incidents the position of ‘Traffic Operations Officer’ –be established and filled by a WAPOL officer. A role description for this position is required and should be included in the “Guidelines for the Operations of Road Closures During Bushfires 2008”. This officer is to be supported by a suitably qualified officer from MRWA that is capable of developing Traffic Management Plans that address risk and are cognisant of considerations associated with road type, appropriate speed limitations, signage requirements, traffic volumes, detours for local traffic and heavy haulage etc. This role should report to the IC and have strong links to the Operations Section, Planning Section (particularly the Situation Unit) and the Information Unit. |
REC172-0042 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | Portable, reliable mobile repeaters are required to provide radio communications into areas not covered by existing repeater networks. These repeaters need the capacity to be linked. |
REC172-0003 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | All incidents where the HMA delegates the authority to manage suppression operations to another agency on its behalf, should be achieved via a written delegation setting out the scope, limitations and duration of the delegation. |
REC172-0016 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Full briefings of traffic management personnel should be provided prior to dispatch to work areas – why road closed, what their authority level is, level of current risk etc |
REC172-0005 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Potential IMG membership should be identified in local hazard management plans. The information needs to be kept current. The contact details for each member should be recorded. These plans and contact details need to be available to any IMT mobilised to deal with an incident within the jurisdiction. This means access to this information via internet and storage and maintenance at a centralised facility managed by FESA. |
REC172-0022 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The declaration of a potential Level 3 incident should be notified to FESA who can facilitate an early warning to CFCO’s in the Shire and surrounding LGA’s. |
REC172-0035 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | At Level 3 incidents the Information Services Unit should be adequately resourced with information technology and at least 6 persons, all of whom are very experienced and capable in dealing with the information demands of a Level 3 incident. |
REC172-0010 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The responsibilities and obligations for an OAM and OAMG (when established) needs to clarified and codified in Westplan Bushfire with regard to • Provision of information to participating organisations about the progress and potential of an incident; • Dealing with information disseminated to the public; and • Sourcing, coordinating and prioritising resources required by incidents within the Operations Area. There is lack of clarity in current arrangements concerning the role of the agency undertaking control operations e.g. DEC or a local govt and the transfer of these responsibilities to an OAMG when established. |
REC172-0040 | 8 - Communications and warnings | The information templates used by the ISU in developing public information boards need to be standardised and posted on the DEC Fire Management Services webpage to allow access and use by the ISU. A standard across government would add significantly to their acceptance and use by the public as a reliable source of information. |
REC172-0015 | 8 - Communications and warnings | Provision of timely, accurate and regular information to the community via electronic media (radio and internet) is a recognised function of the Information Unit in liaison with the Traffic Operations Officer. The aim of this arrangement is to facilitate appropriate behaviour in the travelling public and local community concerning access limitations and disruptions to the fire ground and surrounding areas. |
REC172-0029 | 17 - Assets and technology | Provide a photocopier in the Mobile Communications Facility or the mobile equipment cache that is capable of large volume production of collated documents. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC171-0066 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That arrangements be put in place for signage to be retained at Norseman and available at short notice to enable motorists to be warned of potential problems existing on the Great Eastern Highway west of Coolgardie. |
REC171-0070 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That a review be conducted of DEC’s ability to manage major fires and consideration be given to increased direct involvement by FESA in fire management role in the case of major fires on reserves or on unallocated Crown lands. |
REC171-0069 | 17 - Assets and technology | That in any consideration being given to the allocation of responsibility for control of operations in respect of major fires, consideration be given to the availability of technology and other resources, particularly when particular skills are required to make best use of such technology or resources. |
REC171-0068 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That if the Bushfires Amendment Bill 2009 is to be enacted, procedures be put in place which would ensure that in the event of an escalating fire, FESA would receive sufficient information to make an informed judgment as to whether or not to take control of all operations. |
REC171-0067 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That to the extent it has not already done so, DEC take action to ensure that in future cases relevant weather forecast information, particularly information as to significant wind changes, is promptly transmitted through the Incident Management Team and made available to persons with field operation responsibility. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC170-0051 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SEMC and EM WA should: review procedures for plan preparation and approval so that agencies can prepare their plans in a more timely way |
REC170-0058 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | SEMC and EM WA should: ensure that all agencies can access other agencies’ operations centres when needed and that the procedures to do so are documented |
REC170-0064 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Agencies should: ensure their internal emergency management arrangements are up-to-date and regularly reviewed |
REC170-0057 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | SEMC and EM WA should: ensure that agencies have a common or compatible crisis information management system in place |
REC170-0063 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Agencies should: ensure their Westplans and support plans have supporting local arrangements in place |
REC170-0056 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SEMC and EM WA should: define key roles within the emergency management framework |
REC170-0061 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Agencies should: identify overlaps between Westplans and develop written procedures for these circumstances |
REC170-0053 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SEMC and EM WA should: submit outstanding legislative changes to Parliament as a matter of priority |
REC170-0060 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Agencies should: update out-of-date Westplans and support plans as a matter of urgency |
REC170-0052 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SEMC and EM WA should: ensure agencies fulfil their obligations under the Act |
REC170-0059 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | SEMC and EM WA should: ensure all agencies use the same approach to managing incidents. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC166-3004 | 17 - Assets and technology | That the Tasmania Fire Service consider improvements in radio units installed in breathing apparatus: |
REC166-3000 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Tasmania Fire Service establish clear systems and protocols for dealing with fires. |
REC166-3007 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That Tasmania Fire Service implement Recommendation 5 above; and that Aurora continue to co-operate with that Service. |
REC166-3006 | 20 - Role of police | That the recommendations contained in the Police Operational Debrief Report of 22 October 2007 to 7 November 2007, submitted to the Coroner, be further considered by the Tasmania Police for adoption where considered appropriate by Tasmania Police. |
REC166-3005 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Coroner prepare a discussion paper and draft guidelines for the clarification of investigative roles of the Tasmania Police Service, the Tasmania Fire Service, and the Coroners Office for adoption in relation to future fires where a Coroner’s Inquest is established. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC164-0071 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider the establishment of a body, such as a State Recovery Committee, with responsibility for the |
REC164-0077 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider the continued development of a State Recovery Sub-Plan (including complementary local and district |
REC164-0076 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider meeting with the State Emergency Management Committee, Directors General and agency heads to |
REC164-0074 | 9 - Community education | SERCon consider a review of existing community-based educational programs, with a view to informing the community |
REC164-0072 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | SERCon consider that the proposed State Recovery Committee review the recommended considerations arising from |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC163-1939 | 2 - Emergency powers | That the Rural Fires Act 1997 be amended to provide to designated Fire Investigation Officers of the Rural Fire Service the power to enter any land upon which a bushfire has occurred for the purposes of investigation for a period of up to 24 hours after a fire has been declared out. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC159-3053 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ACTAS should develop policies and guidelines to assist ambulance officers’ decisions on whether or not to transport a patient to hospital. This guidance might include appropriate responses when a mentally impaired patient declines transport or treatment, and when to call on management or clinical guidance. |
REC159-3051 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ACTAS should: |
REC159-3061 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ACTAS should develop and implement policies and guidance to staff on how complaints should be assessed and actioned, including timeliness targets. |
REC159-3060 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ACTAS should develop a policy that provides direction on what type of feedback it will seek, from whom it will seek the feedback, and how this feedback will be used to improve the patient care experience. |
REC159-3057 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ACTAS should conduct formal reviews of its clinical procedures manuals in consultation with its Clinical Advisory Committee, and develop guidance to oversight these reviews. |
REC159-3056 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ACTAS should specify and document the role of each of its various clinical governance processes, how they relate to each other, and how these will be managed, measured and monitored within an overarching clinical framework. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC144-3395 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | The Committee recommends that the ACT Emergency Services and the Rural Fire Service in particular institute regular meetings with the NSW Rural Fire Service and other appropriate authorities, such as environment |
REC144-3380 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government develop and publish an operational policy document which spells out the command and control structures and procedures should an emergency event arise. |
REC144-3394 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government develops a joint strategic bushfire management plan with the NSW Government and the NSW Rural Fire Service in relation to those areas which have the potential to impact on both jurisdictions. |
REC144-3399 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the Emergency Services Agency post all its publications, which are not internal working documents or otherwise confidential, on its website. |
REC144-3392 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government finalise Version 2 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan as required under the Emergencies Act. |
REC144-3398 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the Emergency Services Agency update its website to accommodate, at a minimum, a publications menu item and a search function. |
REC144-3391 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government explain its reasons to the Legislative Assembly for not proceeding with the release of Version 2 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan in July 2005. |
REC144-3397 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that the ACT Government investigate the Victorian Community Fireguard model with a view to implementing a similar scheme in the ACT to enhance community preparedness for and ability to respond to bushfire emergencies. |
REC144-3383 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee recommends that, if the Bushfire Council is to have an advisory role generally in emergency management, it should be renamed to reflect a general emergency role rather than a role specifically in relation to bushfires. |
REC144-3396 | 9 - Community education | The Committee recommends that information in relation to proposed fuel load activity and controlled burning should be disseminated to the community and in an accessible format. |
REC144-3381 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Committee recommends that the Bushfire Council consultative requirements under the Emergencies Act 2004 be reviewed, with a view to removing the requirement to consult with the Bushfire Council on operational matters, such as staff appointments and matters prescribed by regulation. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC143-3579 | 9 - Community education | That FESA develop comprehensive internet-based information including but not limited to detail of WANDRA objectives, assistance measures, administering agencies, eligibility criteria (where applicable) and application forms. |
REC143-3578 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That Fire and Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA), in consultation with local governments, develop and make broadly available Western Australian Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements (WANDRA) guidelines with a view to improving pre-disaster awareness of assistance measures and application processes. |
REC143-3577 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That following the declaration of a natural disaster, complete and accurate information on Western Australian Natural Disaster Relief Arrangements assistance measures and application processes is disseminated through public communications channels, including the media. |
REC143-3584 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the guidelines of WANDRA be revised to provide for the inclusion of the cost of materials expended in the repair of boundary fences. |
REC143-3580 | 17 - Assets and technology | That FESA investigate the use of new technologies such as Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) for supplementing the dissemination of WANDRA information in cases where landlines have been disrupted. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC140-3556 | 17 - Assets and technology | The use of hospital transport vehicles to support retrieval operations be investigated. |
REC140-3563 | 17 - Assets and technology | An additional secure emergency oxygen supply source to be located in the BK 117 helicopter. An internal supply is preferred. |
REC140-3561 | 17 - Assets and technology | Development of a helipad at Mersey Hospital. |
REC140-3560 | 17 - Assets and technology | RHH requires a helipad. Plans to rebuild RHH must include a helipad at its earliest stage of conception. |
REC140-3572 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | A DHHS website be developed to list policies, procedures and guidelines relevant to critical care retrieval including the NETS policies. |
REC140-3565 | 17 - Assets and technology | The TMRS medical equipment inventory requires an overhaul. The TMRS medical equipment should be located with the TMRS team. |
REC140-3559 | 17 - Assets and technology | A service level agreement is negotiated with the Police department that will cover access, tasking, price, equipment and staffing. This will enable a more strategic use of the helicopter. |
REC140-3564 | 17 - Assets and technology | The medical equipment used in retrieval and air ambulance duties undertaken by helicopter and fixed wing must be standardised. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC129-3621 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | We recommend that NSW Health continue with its good work and establish a time table to finalise all emergency and contingency plans. |
REC129-3632 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | We recommend that NSW Health continue with its good work and develop distinct surge capacity plans within each Area Health Service to manage emergency staffing needs, isolation facilities, intensive care units, assisted ventilation services, hospital beds and medical supplies. |
REC129-3631 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | We recommend that NSW Health continue with its good work and continue to develop plans to respond to the surge in demand for diagnostic tests and for laboratory personnel. |
REC129-3630 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | We recommend that NSW Health continue with its good work and continue to develop systems to bring all the information relevant to the surge in demand for health resources together in real time. |
REC129-3629 | 8 - Communications and warnings | We recommend that NSW Health continue with its good work and continue to improve communication mechanisms with those, such as GPs, likely to be affected in major infectious disease outbreaks. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC128-3600 | 34 - Local knowledge | The Department of Primary Industries continue to consult local community about emergency planning and sites for disposal to retain confidence in the event of a genuine emergency. |
REC128-3599 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | In order to improve the response to animal health emergencies, that the Department of Primary Industries prioritise the finalisation of Memoranda of Understanding with the four jurisdictions bordering New South Wales. |
REC128-3618 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Department of Primary Industries should complete a review of the Memorandum of Understanding and ensure the roles of the Department and Rural Lands Protection Boards are more clearly identified outlined for effective delivery of animal health programs. |
REC128-3615 | 9 - Community education | That the Department of Primary Industries should continue to raise awareness among producers of OJD risks and the operation of Sheep Health Statements. |
REC128-3613 | 9 - Community education | That the Department of Primary Industries and Rural Lands Protection Boards employ outreach activities to alert these small producers to their responsibilities and improve their awareness of animal and plant pests and diseases. |
REC128-3610 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Minister for Primary Industries consider amending the Stock Diseases Act 1923 to ban the supply of waste swill to pig owners by food retailing businesses such as bakeries, restaurants and supermarkets. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC126-1978 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That it be a matter of policy and practice that the relevant land management agency is responsible for the initial response to any fire or fires on the land under its care or management – within the overall operational response of the ACT Rural Fire Service |
REC126-2005 | 9 - Community education | That community education programs include unambiguous information that at times of unusually high water demand there might be a drop in or loss of water pressure and it might be appropriate for residents who intend to remain and fight a fire to have auxilary water pumps or booster pumps |
REC126-1961 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That the Emergency Services Agency review the communications systems used by the four services (the ACT Ambulance Service, the ACT Rural Fire Service, the ACT State Emergency Service and the ACT Fire Brigade), by the Australian Federal Police, by NSW emergency services and by aircraft and ensure the systems are compatible |
REC126-1990 | 9 - Community education | That the Emergency Services Agency take measures to ensure that the community regularly receives up-to-date information on the risks of bushfires |
REC126-1996 | 9 - Community education | That the Emergency Services Agency develop a clear policy for disseminating information to the public and the media in times of emergency and that, as required, that policy incorporate advance door-knocking of homes in the area affected, as well as regular broadcasts by local radio and television stations and regular updates on the relevant website - be that Canberra Connect or a different ACT government website - as well as the Emergency Services Agency's website |
REC126-1944 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That s. 59 of the ACT Coroners ACT 1997 be amended by deleting the words ‘by instrument’ in s. 59(1) and by deleting the words ‘by his or her instrument of appointment’ in s. 59(2)(b) |
REC126-1966 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the Emergency Services Agency investigate and implement arrangements that will provide the capacity to use fire retardant in remote areas |
REC126-2003 | 9 - Community education | That the community be made aware of the risk presented by heavy loads of garden fuels and certain types of vegetation around their houses and take active, regular measures to reduce that risk |
REC126-1956 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That courses and programs be conducted to increase the level of Incident Control System training and augment the expertise of people who are likely to perform functions in an incident management team |
REC126-1989 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That formal protocols be developed and agreed with NSW authorities, so that a concerted effort that combines the resources of both NSW and the ACT can be brought to bear in the future - without impediment caused by lines on a map that make the ACT an island within the state of NSW |
REC126-1994 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Emergnecy Services Agency publicise and demonstrate the use of the Standard Emergency Warning Signal and provide to the community adequate explanation of the application of the signal. This should occur at least annually, in conjunction with any pre-summer fire awareness initiatives |
REC126-1943 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the ACT’s Director of Public Prosecutions Act 1990 be amended by repealing s. 6(d) of the Act |
REC126-1965 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That helicopters be used wherever possible to facilitate the rapid deployment of remote area firefighting crews |
REC126-2001 | 9 - Community education | That community education programs provide information about fire behaviour, urban design principles that contribute to a specific level of risk, and the benefits of fitting basic ember protection materials in areas at risk from bushfire |
REC126-1954 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That senior officers of the Emergency Services Agency give greater recognition to the skills, knowledge and experience of people from other agencies – particularly the land management agencies – as well as rural residents and private individuals and use these people in roles commensurate with their skills and experience |
REC126-1987 | 7 - Inter-agency communication | That measures be taken to ensure that ACT and NSW Rural Fire Service radio communications systems are integrated, so that ACT and NSW firefighting units can communicate with each other |
REC126-1993 | 9 - Community education | That consulations and negotiations occur between the Emergncy Services Agency and the NSW Rural Fire Service to ensure that fire risk and safety messages to the community are coordinated. Maximum use should be made of television and radio announcements throughout the ACT and southern NSW, consistent with NSW timetables for targeted programs in conjunction with the United Firefighters Union ACT Branch and volunteer fire brigade representative. The Emergency Services Agency should consider using ACT Fire Brigade staff and ACT Rural Fire Service volunteers to talk to groups in the community on request, thus furthering face-to-face community education in high-risk suburban areas of the ACT |
REC126-1964 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That remote area firefighting resources be deployed to a fire in a remote area as a matter of priority and in preference to the deployment of large tankers |
REC126-1999 | 9 - Community education | That the Canberra Urban Development Working Group referred to in Mr Peter Dunn's letter consider the report prepared by Mr Leonard and note particularly that the community awareness information currently available to householders in connection with measures they can take to better protect their homes from bushfires does not refer to the potential of wooden fences, conifers and outbuildings to contribute greatly to fire spread, particularly in suburban areas. Also noteworthy is Mr Leonard's evidence that the linear sitting of homes on house blocks in Canberra seems to be an important factor contributing to house-to-house fire spread and that this should be avoided in future developments on the urban fringe |
REC126-1953 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | That appointments of personnel to functional positions within the incident management team be based solely on competence and experience and be made by the Chief of the ACT Rural Fire Service or, in the absence of that officer, the Deputy Chief of the ACT Rural Fire Service |
REC126-1982 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency agree on a policy on community safety and evacuation during bushfires, based on the Australasian Fire Authorities Council position outlined in its paper Community Safety and Evacuation during Bushfires. Community education programs should incorporate advice on this, including the ‘stay or go’ policy |
REC126-2008 | 34 - Local knowledge | That, if he is willing to participate, Mr John Lowe be made a member of the implementation taskforce to which I refer in recommendation 70 |
REC126-1992 | 9 - Community education | That implementation of the Bushfire Wise Program continue and include a letterbox drop of the updated Bushfire Information Booklet |
REC126-1964 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That all firefighting agencies adopt a policy and practice that all fires in remote areas of the ACT be responded to as quickly as possible, with vigorous and sustained efforts made to suppress the fires and not leave them unattended – especially at night – unless there are compelling reasons relating to firefighter safety or lack of resources |
REC126-1998 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That a system of public warnings that uses grid references shown on the maps in the Canberra telephone directory be adopted |
REC126-1946 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That the ACT Government consider amending the Coroners Act 1997 to include what were ss. 56(1)(d) and 56(2)(c) of the 1956 Coroners Act |
REC126-1981 | 15 - Inter-service cooperation | That senior officers in the Australian Federal Police and the Emergency Services Agency maintain regular and meaningful contact during fire emergencies, to ensure full dissemination of information and thus facilitate the making of good operational decisions |
REC126-2007 | 34 - Local knowledge | That the views and concerns expressed by the ACT Sustainable Rural Lands Group be taken into account when implementing the recommendations in this report |
REC126-1962 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That version 2 of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan be completed and introduced without delay |
REC126-1991 | 9 - Community education | That the Emergency Services Agency establish annual targets for the introduction of community education programs and provide resources to conduct regular independent assessments of the level of community preparedness engendered as a result of the programs |
REC126-1997 | 8 - Communications and warnings | That the Emergency Services Agency conduct investigations - and liase with emergency services agencies in other jurisdicions - in order to ascertain what technologies exist and are effective for use in disseminating warnings and associated information to the community of the ACT |
REC126-1945 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That s. 47 of the ACT Coroners Act 1997 be expanded to explicitly state that an inquest and the inquiry are not adversarial in nature and are solely inquisitorial, with a view to establishing the truth |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC121-3668 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The RailCorp emergency response plan should include action checklists of the steps that each employee is required to take, and the order for specific employees to follow in case of emergency. |
REC121-3762 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Chief Executive of ITSRR should have sole accountability and responsibility for the regulation of rail safety in New South Wales. |
REC121-3655 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Procedures should be put in place by RailCorp to ensure that electrical power supply to the area of an accident can be immediately isolated, if necessary, in the event of a rail accident, so as to reduce any risk of exposure of emergency response personnel to injury or harm. |
REC121-3679 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The rail safety regulator should set standards for the design, manufacture, testing and commissioning of rolling stock to ensure that the rolling stock is fit for its purpose. |
REC121-3727 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The relevant legislation should be amended to provide expressly that OTSI and the Chief Investigator have the power to initiate a rail accident or incident investigation. |
REC121-3772 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | RailCorp should establish a safety management system containing the 29 elements identified in the SMSEP report which is in volume 2 of this report. |
REC121-3662 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The rail displan should provide for the site controller to have complete control of the site, with other agencies co-ordinating with and supporting him or her, until the rescue phase of the emergency response has been completed. |
REC121-3667 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | RailCorp should develop and implement an emergency response plan for management of all rail accidents. Such a plan should be subsumed by the rail displan in the case of serious accidents or incidents. |
REC121-3699 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | All reported train defects should be certified by a person in a supervisory position in RailCorp as having been rectified. |
REC121-3761 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Legislative changes should be enacted to ensure the complete independence of ITSRR from the Minister for Transport Services. |
REC121-3652 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | A designated staff member at the RMC should act as the rail emergency management co-ordinator. He or she should be the sole point of contact at the RMC with other rail personnel involved in the rail accident and emergency services personnel during the rescue phase of the emergency response. |
REC121-3676 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | A direct line of communication should be established between the RMC and Emergency Services Operations Control Centre by a “tie line” or otherwise, so as to ensure that in the case of a serious rail accident there is an open line of communication between the officer in charge of the management of the incident at the RMC and the various emergency response services. |
REC121-3771 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | RailCorp should establish an integrated safety management system which includes the following: |
REC121-3661 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The rail displan should include provision for the appointment of a rail emergency management co-ordinator at the RMC, and an on-site rail commander with the sole function of assisting and supporting the emergency services during the rescue phase of the emergency response. |
REC121-3688 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Communications procedures must be standardised throughout the rail network, so that all railway employees describe the same subject matter in an identical way. |
REC121-3736 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The RailCorp passenger containment policy must be abandoned. |
REC121-3666 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The rail commander should have complete authority to direct and control any rail employees attending the site of a rail accident, in accordance with directions given or arrangements put in place by the site controller, until the rescue phase of the emergency response to the rail accident has been completed. |
REC121-3698 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | No RailCorp train should enter into revenue service or remain in service if, in the opinion of the driver in charge of that train, any defect in it creates a risk of injury. |
REC121-3760 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Advisory Board established under the Transport Legislation Amendment (Safety and Reliability) Act 2003 must be abolished. |
REC121-3674 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Uniform verbal descriptions identifying that power has been isolated should be developed by RailCorp and utilised by all railway personnel, electrical service providers and all emergency response personnel. |
REC121-3770 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | A safety management system regulation should be promulgated, specifying the requirements of safety management systems in all accredited organisations, using Annexure I to this report as a guide |
REC121-3660 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The rail displan should include the use by all emergency response personnel of a uniform incident command system, involving procedures for such matters as the establishment of inner and outer perimeters, control of access to the site, orderly evacuation of injured passengers and the establishment of a staging area remote from the accident site, in a unified command structure with the site controller co-ordinating the various emergency services through representatives of each service. |
REC121-3686 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The standard in relation to the collection and use of data from data loggers should provide that such information must be accessed in the circumstances of any accident or incident and can be accessed to monitor driver performance generally. |
REC121-3730 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Legislation should be enacted and any necessary arrangements made, to enable the ATSB to review any reports of any investigation by a rail organisation or the OTSI into any serious incident or accident in New South Wales. |
REC121-3665 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The role of the rail commander should be to provide support and assistance to the site controller and emergency services personnel until the rescue phase of the emergency response to any rail accident is completed. |
REC121-3696 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Defects reporting, recording and rectification should be integrated with the RailCorp regimes for train maintenance. |
REC121-3671 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The RailCorp emergency response plan should include a requirement for the debriefing of all senior rail and emergency response personnel involved in any rail accident, so as to determine the way or ways in which emergency response arrangements for rail accidents can be continually improved, and thereafter implement such improvements. |
REC121-3705 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The ITSRR should develop standards for periodic medical examinations which include the following: |
REC121-3769 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The ITSRR should continue to participate in the development of a national system for rail safety regulation, provided that any ultimate agreement between the States and Territories and the Australian Government does not produce a safety outcome for New South Wales that is less than would be achieved by the implementation of all the recommendations contained in this report. |
REC121-3659 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | A railway disaster plan, or rail displan, should be developed by RailCorp and the emergency services to ensure co-ordinated inter-agency response to rail accidents and incidents on the RailCorp network. |
REC121-3685 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The ITSRR should impose a standard in relation to the collection and use of data from data loggers. |
REC121-3664 | 20 - Role of police | The location of the command post for site control at the scene of any rail accident should be identified by NSW Police by a distinctive flashing light. |
REC121-3692 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Communications protocols and procedures should be standardised and mandated by regulations making them a condition of accreditation. |
REC121-3750 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | ITSRR should initiate and/or participate in the development of a national standard for crashworthiness of all passenger trains. |
REC121-3701 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Train inspections should be carried out at the time of stabling RailCorp trains, as well as a part of train preparation prior to entering service. |
REC121-3763 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The ITSRR should publish guidelines to be followed by accredited organisations. |
REC121-3656 | 17 - Assets and technology | Satellite telephones should be provided by RailCorp to all rail commanders at any emergency. |
REC121-3728 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Any barriers to communication between OTSI and ITSRR should be removed, so as to ensure that any findings made by OTSI in relation to any investigation it conducts are reported immediately to ITSRR. |
REC121-3773 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The ITSRR should ensure that RailCorp establishes a safety management system containing the 29 elements identified in the SMSEP report, and ensure the ongoing monitoring and improvement of the safety management system established. |
REC121-3663 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | The incident command system should clearly identify the roles of the rail commander, site controller, police commander and commanders of the other emergency services, and the way in which each is to work together during the recovery phase of any rail accident. |
REC121-3690 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | All communications protocols must be strictly enforced by all accredited rail organisations. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC119-3647 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | It is recommended that the Board: |
REC119-3646 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | It is recommended that the Board develop response time standards for metropolitan and rural rescue services to guide committees in determining the number, type and location of rescue units (page 25). |
REC119-3645 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | It is recommended that the Board: |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC113-3903 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | Government should: establish emergency management legislation which clarifies State and local government responsibilities, and which rectifies the deficiencies in the State’s bushfire Emergency Management Plan, Westplan Wildfire. |
REC113-3902 | 14 - Incident Mgt Teams | Government should: establish a State-wide command structure across volunteer Bush Fire Brigades for fighting major bushfires, to more effectively manage the coordination of personnel and resources |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC019-4133 | 9 - Community education | The Bush Fires Board take a more active part in enlightening the public generally and the local communities in particular to their responsibilites on fire control. |
REC019-4157 | 18 - Access to fire ground | Local authorities and if necessary the Minister take active steps to enforce the removal of fire hazards from the vicinity of buildings in rural areas and that special attention be given to the removal of dead trees on the edges of pasture land and on firebreaks in timbered country. |
REC019-4153 | 17 - Assets and technology | No opportunity be lost by the Forests Department to improve the efficiency of their fire fighting gangs, radio and other equipment in the light of the latest practical and scientific developments. |
REC019-4136 | 34 - Local knowledge | The Bush Fires Board appoint a Regional Committee of Board members co-opt local members for each climatic region of the State to study the bush fire control problems of the region and advise the Board so that inter alia adequate attention may be given by the Board to co-ordinating the beginning and termination of the prohibited burning times in adjoining districts and to any advisable variations of these duties according to seasonal conditions each year. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC013_3979 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | That burning off by "occupiers" on any lands be regulated by permit or by regulation. |
REC013_3977 | 8 - Communications and warnings | To arrange with settlers who live on hills or have a clear view, and are connected by telephone, to act as " look-outs ", and to communicate with the brigade in the case of fire. |
Rec-ID | Code | Recommendation |
---|---|---|
REC008-3989 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Commission recommends that there be continuous supervision of every chamber in which electrical machinery is worked by currents of medium pressure. |
REC008-3987 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Commission recommends that systematic tests be made and recorded of apparatus and circuits as a precaution against fire and so that any gradual deterioration of the system may be detected. |
REC008-3986 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Commission recommends that every precaution be taken to keep water off electrical machinery. |
REC008-3985 | 17 - Assets and technology | The Commission recommends that conductors carrying currents at medium pressure should not be encased in wood in damp places. |
REC008-3991 | 32 - Doctrine, standards, and reform | The Commission recommends that the provisios of section 185 of the "Mining Act 1905" relating to exits from coal mines be extended to metalliferous mines employing more than 20 men in any one shift. |