Incorporate Farm Firefighting Units (FFUs) into the Australasian Inter Service Incident Management System (AIIMS) so that IMTs are aware of their presence on the fireground and their welfare and risks are understood.

Review the use of aviation assets including facilities to operate them given the increased pressure from extended fire seasons on northern and southern hemisphere resources. Review line scanning capability with a view to providing real time data to the IMTs on where fires are burning using aviation assets as an intelligence tool rather than just a fire suppression capability.

That the annexure to the State Emergency Management Plan, ‘Traffic management during emergencies’, be updated to include: responsibilities and processes for road closures; and, Department of Planning, Transport and Infrastructure requirements in regards to provision of road closure information, notification of changes in road closure status and publishing of that information.

That the State Emergency Service explores options for providing suitable personal protective clothing to personnel from supporting emergency services during major flooding events and sandbagging operations.

Explore alternative emergency management models including the alternative model proposed above to establish a South Australian Emergency Management Office and State Relief and Recovery Office within the South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission, to ensure that all the objects and guiding principles of the Emergency Management Act 2004, and State Emergency Management Plan are addressed efficiently and effectively.

That systems for Automatic Vehicle Location and personnel tracking be implemented within the emergency services sector.

Review and reinstate the State Emergency Management Training Officer and State Emergency Management Planning Officer (capability development) positions to operate with a broad, strategic and leadership focus.

That the State Emergency Service, in consultation with key stakeholders, identify and implement a robust system and procedures for prioritising, allocating and coordinating multiple tasks.

Consider opportunities to identify synergies between the incident management systems used in SA being the, Australasian Interservice Incident Management System (AIIMS) and ICCS Plus. This might include joint training and exercising in roles that are common across both systems.

Review existing electronic information systems used by emergency services organisations and other government agencies, and: a) establish a single incident information system across the Emergency Services Sector (MFS, CFS and SES), and b) identify opportunities to consolidate incident information systems of other agencies

Review all current SACFS operational facilities (Group, ICC, RCC and SCC) to provide more effective communications, connectivity and resource management.

Plan the establishment of one multi-agency Coordination Centre with sufficient capacity and capability to deal with all incidents in South Australia.

Reviewing how Regional resources are managed and tracked and incorporate into COSO’s to ensure that there is complete situational awareness as to the location and tasking of CFS resources.

That SACFS consider the Traffic Management Procedures and guiding principles adopted in Tasmania as a model that could be implemented within SA.

Should the SES be given the power ‘to register suitable organisations’, then the ‘other person’ in Section 127 – Protection from liability, could be defined to include members of organisations affiliated to emergency service organisations.

SES be given a power ‘to register, subject to any conditions the Chief Officer SES considers appropriate, suitable organisations (such as Volunteer Marine Rescue Associations) as affiliated organisations of the State Emergency Service’. 

If possible the terms of election for CFS Health and Safety Representatives be aligned with group elections.

That the Government resume funding for the helicopter surveillance service rather than by fixed-wing aircraft along Adelaide, South Coast and other high-risk coastlines during summer recreational periods for monitoring shark and other rescue situations, to bring the State back into line with interstate best practice.

That the Government adequately fund Community Safety and Emergency Services budgets so that fire-bombing aircraft are available on call for rapid deployment throughout Autumn and Spring at short notice to bomb fires at the earliest and safest possible opportunity.

That South Australian Country Fire Service create and develop the role of a Regional Public Warnings Officer as a member of the paid staff of the SACFS whose role it would be to identify the need for, and to deliver, timely bushfire warnings to the public during the course of a bushfire incident.

That the Minister for Emergency Services give further consideration to acquiring a firefighting helicopter to be permanently or primarily stationed in South Australia.

That the South Australian Country Fire Service create as part of a Level 2 and 3 Incident Management Team Logistics Division an Officer whose function it is to seek out, locate and identify sources of water, be they on land or provided by carrier.

That the South Australian Country Fire Service identify and impart minimum skills and competencies to members who fulfil the roles of the four core AIIMS functionaries of a Level 2 Incident Management Team.

That the South Australian Country Fire Service utilise wherever possible the skills of paid, professional staff to perform the roles of Incident Controller and/or Planning Officer in Level 2 Incident Management Teams.

Engendering strong working relationships between volunteers and paid staff within the Emergency Services Sector

Reduce the number of hours per month attending meetings

The development of a more efficient, user-friendly website

Paid administrative support at the Brigade/Local level

All members of the proposed reconstituted SAFECOM Board be given full voting rights. 

The presiding member of the Advisory Board appointed under Section 18(4) be also appointed as a member of the SAFECOM Board. 

The selection procedures in the Regulations for SACFS officer positions be reviewed in terms of ensuring that appropriate skills and experience are considered. 

Fresh consideration be given to the title of Commissioner of Fire and Emergencies so as to ensure it does not give the impression that it is operationally superior to the Chief Officers of the emergency service agencies. 

Nominations for candidates for SACFS group elections be received both by written nomination and by oral nomination. 

Accountability for matters of policy, strategy and resource allocation for the emergency services sector, currently the province of the Board, be given to the position created in Recommendation 3 above. 

Provisions remain in the FES Act relating to the emergency service organisations being separate legal entities. 

The United Firefighters Union of Australia – SA Branch (UFU) be given full voting rights on the Advisory Board. 

The Committee recommends that, after a fire, as much vegetation as feasible be retained to minimise soil erosion from wind and first rains.

The Committee recommends that the government assess the impact on fauna movement prior to managing native vegetation.

The Committee recommends that when preparing the plan for fire management (including identifying where and when to undertake prescribed burning, firebreaks and fire access tracks) consideration must be given to the impact on local fauna.

The committee recommends that the government actively manage native vegetation for fuel loads, weeds and pests.