HEADING IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION

JOHN KILGOUR CEO, FPA AUSTRALIA

Fire protection tends to fly under the radar. When most people walk into buildings, they don’t tend to look for sprinklers, detectors, hydrants, or hose reels, let alone fire walls or fire doors.

Nor is any thought given to the work required of practitioners to keep everything ready for when a fire occurs.

This is very different from other building services—you notice when air conditioning, lights, or taps aren’t working, but you shouldn’t have to wait for a fire to know if your fire

Regular checks and annual assessments give owners and occupants confidence that they can be evacuated safely and that the fire brigade has time to attend and extinguish a fire. Reporting on fire system performance and maintenance increases the accountability of practitioners and provides peace of

In NSW, until recently, there was a requirement to maintain systems but no identified standard for that maintenance. However, late in December, the Government changed the regulations to mandate AS 1851 except for where a performance

This brings a consistent process for the routine servicing and testing of fire systems, giving more certainty to owners and

For many this will not have much of an impact—AS 1851 is commonly used by the industry already. However, for some this will lead to changes to their maintenance schedules and to service costs.

While this is unfortunate, the reforms are necessary to ensure that the property sector’s fire systems are maintained and serviced regularly and effectively. And the standard is currently being reviewed to make sure that it continues to be relevant for use

Along with mandatory accreditation or licensing, an accepted standard for routine servicing helps to improve the reliability,

The NSW reforms are a successful example of industry and government working together for community safety, and a case

FPA Australia will be working with the Government to support clients and practitioners as the new regulations are progressively

In This Issue

14 Fire Australia 2023 comes back to Sydney!

17 CEO reflections:

12 months on

20

From PhD to industry success

24 National Large Airtanker lands in Australia

26 Setting a new direction for FPA Australia

28 Recognising resilience

30 Made light, and won’t ignite

32 2022—A big year for interstate flood assistance

34 If you can’t stand the heat … facing the challenge of commercial kitchen fires

36 Sound Pressure Levels estimation

39 Caring for Mob, Caring for Country

Regular Features

4 News

40 Q&A: Perspectives from the sector

42 Burning Ambition: Elvira Nigido, AGAS

43 Blast from the past

44 Standards update

45 Calendar

46 Movers and shakers

OUR COVER

Research by CSIRO could deliver lightweight fireproof PPE for frontline firefighters.

PHOTO: STORYBLOCKS ABOUT FIRE AUSTRALIA

Fire Australia is a joint publication of Fire Protection Association Australia and AFAC. We aim to bring the latest news, developments and technical information to the fire protection industry, fire and emergency services organisations, and hazard and emergency management agencies. Fire Australia is produced quarterly and distributed throughout Australia and New Zealand. Editorial submissions and letters to the editor are welcome and can be sent to magazine@fpaa.com.au. For more details on submitting a contribution, please contact the editors.

FOREST WOOD PRODUCTS , magazine@fpaa.com.au

JOINT EDITORS

PAUL WATERHOUSE (FPA Australia)

Tel +61 3 8892 3133 paul.waterhouse@fpaa.com.au

ALANA BEITZ (AFAC) Tel +61 3 9418 5233 alana.beitz@afac.com.au

Fire Australia magazine is printed by a printer with ISO14001 Environmental Management System Accreditation using vegetable-based inks onto FSC -certified paper.

ISSN 1032-6529 (Print)

ISSN 2200-9221 (Online)

The views expressed in this publication are not necessarily those of FPA Australia or AFAC. Articles and advertisements are published in good faith but Fire Australia magazine and its agents do not warrant the accuracy or currency of any information or data contained herein. Fire Australia magazine and its agents do not accept any responsibility or liability whatsoever with regard It is not possible for FPA Australia to ensure that advertisements published in this magazine comply in all respects with the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 Responsibility lies with the person, company or agency submitting the advertisement for publication. Material in Fire Australia magazine is subject to This publication reproduced printed or electronic form without permission. Contact +61 3 8892 3131