SEMC and EM WA should: ensure all agencies use the same approach to managing incidents.

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

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.

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.

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.

Triggers and a process for transfer of command and control from DEC to FESA should be developed and documented.

Explain the meaning of ‘timely, relevant and tailored’ community bushfire warnings through training and meetings particularly of Information Section staff and Incident Controllers.

Dedicated information packages should be made available to personnel operating Vehicle Control Points at the shift briefing.

Public meetings are to be encouraged for all Level 3 incidents that affect, or have the potential to affect communities.

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.

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.

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.

SEMC and EM WA should: ensure that agencies have a common or compatible crisis information management system in place

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.

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.

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.

Continue to implement the major change projects it has in place, including Professional Pathways, and review them to assess if they will address all the key findings in this report. In particular, within six months DFES should set priorities and Sustainability Strategy.

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.

Within 12 months, improve its processes for collecting and maintaining volunteer membership, availability and training records. To do this it will need to work with local information. governments to improve the accuracy of LG volunteer membership

Within six months, consider improved processes for consulting with and engaging volunteers and continue to work with LGs to improve information sharing and communication.

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.

Within 12 months, develop volunteer specific policies and procedures, including fatigue management, consistent with the Guidelines for Successful Partnerships between Public Sector Agencies and Volunteers.

Add an ‘Aviation’ map to the standard set of incident maps. The standard for this map will need to be developed by subject matter experts from the Air Ops group.

Amend SOP J4.01and other strategic and procedural documents to reflect the goal of ‘timely, relevant and tailored’ for community bushfire warnings.

The Emergency Management Regulations 2006 be urgently amended to determine a HMA(s) for bushfire.

Allow the MFB and SES access to using OSOM.

The DEC Fire Management Policy should be reviewed and updated.

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.

Agencies should: annually assess their capability to respond to emergencies and take measures to address any shortfalls

Review the use of the terms in the templates e.g. ‘out of control’ so that community misconceptions are minimised.

DEC should consider publishing a new reference document that describes policy, doctrine and key systems of work of the fire management system.

Pre-season arrangements to provide high quality food should be encouraged in all emergency management plans

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 role of ‘BFB Task Force Liaison’ be defined and appropriately trained personnel be provided by the HMA (possibly from support brigades) to facilitate brigade movements on and off the fire ground.

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.

Ensure that warning terminology used in the templates and FireWeb is consistent.

The Hazard Management Agency for bushfire has not been defined. Defining the HMA for bushfire should be addressed.

Food storage should be a design consideration in all fire ground appliances

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.

Transport plans for BFB resources should be prepared by the Ground Support Unit in close liaison with FESA who will liaise with the home jurisdictions of the brigades.

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.

Review Emergency Alert and OSOM systems to improve ease of use.

The ISU should be provided with a person with local knowledge at Level 3 incidents.

Perishable food should be ‘stamped’ with an expiry date.

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.

The DEC corporate statement should affirm a strong commitment to fire management.

Unassigned resources arriving at incidents should be encouraged to make themselves known and to undertake alternate duties.

Improve links and interactions between the communication systems e.g. customise OSOM messages to each of the communication mechanisms, link OSOM with Emergency Alert.

Pre-season multi- agency refresher training for Ground Controllers should be undertaken each year.

Ensure that local knowledge, local flavour and local language is used where possible in the development of all community bushfire warnings.

A standard for signage at fire incidents be developed and caches of this equipment be established at DEC and Local Govt facilitates to enable its rapid and effective deployment by Ground Support Unit at fires.

A formal OAMG meeting should be convened as early as possible for incidents with the potential to be Level 3 incidents.

A DEC fire management staff succession plan would minimise the loss of core fire management skills and experience in the future and provide a planned approach to development of prospective fire management staff.

IGEM recommends that Emergency Management Victoria continue to lead the development and application of a comprehensive sector wide preparedness model for integration within and across emergency management arrangements in Victoria.

A strategically located Staging Area serviced with check in/out personnel should be considered as early as possible at incidents involving an extended attack.

SEMC and EM WA should: review procedures for plan preparation and approval so that agencies can prepare their plans in a more timely way

Review OSOM to enable monitoring or tracking of where messages were sent, who they were sent to and when they are due for review.

Pre-season refresher training to include an emphasis on check in/out procedures

Encourage ICCs to use local knowledge to review templates prior to release.

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.

SEMC and EM WA should: ensure agencies fulfil their obligations under the Act

Integrate social media into the OSOM system.

Media liaison personnel are needed to ‘ride’ shotgun’ on media personnel to facilitate them getting their stories without imposing on the effectiveness of operations.

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.

SEMC and EM WA should: submit outstanding legislative changes to Parliament as a matter of priority

Review the potential use of ‘crowdsourcing’ sites such as Bushfire Connect in community bushfire warnings.

The chairpersons of disaster management groups within the Mackay Disaster District, supported by the Queensland Police Service and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, implement the Mackay Disaster District capability improvement strategy.

Agencies should: train their staff who will be involved in emergencies in incident management.

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.

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

Consider the ‘secondment’ of staff into Information Section roles during the fire season along the lines of the seasonal Project Fire Fighters model

SEMC and EM WA should: define key roles within the emergency management framework

Educate and engage with fire-affected landholders about the types of warnings, what they might expect from the warnings and their responsibility for response to prevent loss of life.

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.

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.

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 opera

Agencies should: update out-of-date Westplans and support plans as a matter of urgency

Develop a robust evaluation framework to review community bushfire warning policies, processes, systems and procedures both internally and with communities at regular intervals and immediately after a major bushfire event.

DEC should emphasise the principle of foresight by adopting an appreciation and decision making process and training staff in that process.

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.

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.

Agencies should: identify overlaps between Westplans and develop written procedures for these circumstances

Review the suite of community bushfire warning systems available to tourists across the State.

A staff recognition and reward framework for service to fire management should be considered for DEC fire staff.

Ensure the S61 helicopter has all appropriate channels for water bombing operations throughout the State by including this requirement on a pre-deployment checklist.

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.

Agencies should: ensure their Westplans and support plans have supporting local arrangements in place

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”.

Provide a photocopier in the Mobile Communications Facility or the mobile equipment cache that is capable of large volume production of collated documents.

A summary Incident Action Plan could allow the Incident Controller to more quickly appreciate the situation and articulate a plan early in an incident.

Agencies should: ensure their internal emergency management arrangements are up-to-date and regularly reviewed

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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 reso

SEMC and EM WA should: formally and regularly assess which hazards the state should prepare for

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.

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.