Fire Australia Magazine | Issue 1 2024

TOKYO: LESSONS LEARNED?

MAJOR INCIDENTS REPORT CAPTURES A YEAR OF EMERGENCY EVENTS

MANDATORY AS 1851: WHAT TO EXPECT

NRSC: SIX MONTHS OF INTERSTATE AND INTERNATIONAL DEPLOYMENTS

E-BIKES AND INFERNOS

JOHN COLLIE CEO, FPA Australia

As you navigate the bustling streets of any modern city, the gentle hum of electric bikes is becoming ubiquitous with the urban symphony.

E-bikes have surged in popularity, offering an efficient and eco-conscious mode of transportation; yet beneath the convenience and eco-friendliness lies a potential danger that is not always visible to the naked eye— the risk of lithium-ion battery fires.

The recent blaze at a Croydon e-bike factory in Sydney serves as a stark reminder that, as e-bikes become an integral part of our daily lives, understanding and addressing these fire risks is a conversation that cannot be ignored.

From 1 January to 15 September, 2023, there were 149 battery-related incidents in NSW alone—22% caused by e-mobility devices—and trends suggest that these incidents are increasing.

FPA Australia is at the forefront of efforts to minimise the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries.

In close collaboration with the emergency services sector, we are actively developing a comprehensive good practice guide through our Lithium Battery Special Interest Group to empower industrial, commercial, and domestic consumers with knowledge about the charging, usage, storage, maintenance, and disposal of renewable batteries.

By highlighting potential issues, our goal is to equip individuals and businesses with the information they need to ensure their safety and the safety of others.

This invaluable resource will soon be available to the public, facilitating a proactive approach to battery safety.

In the meantime, there is an urgent need to ensure that consumers are aware of the risks of e-mobility equipment.

Such devices should only be purchased from reputable suppliers, should be charged using the equipment provided by the manufacturer, and should have charging ‘cut-offs’ to prevent batteries from overheating.

It is essential that owners of these devices keep them out of evacuation pathways and common areas, so that building occupants are not trapped by an e-bike or e-scooter fire.

The risks of injury and death from lithium battery fires are very real, and the take-up of this technology far outpaces the knowledge and awareness of the concerns they pose.

The good practice guide will hopefully provide the information members of the public need to prevent themselves from adding to what are already far too alarming statistics.

OUR COVER

The

14 Fire Australia 2024: Going for Gold Coast

16 Celebrating sector success in AFAC Strategic Directions Achievement Report

19 How to keep safe from Li-ion fires this summer season

20 ACT ESA adds to electric-powered fleet with new BA truck

22 Making sense of AS 1851

24 Major Incidents Report: A record of significant events

28 Taking flight: World-class Aviation Centre of Excellence in NSW

30 Disaster Challenge final showcases innovative solutions in emergency management

32 What can be learned from the Tokyo plane crash?

36 Ground Burning in the Desert: Innovative on-Country fire training

38 National Resource Sharing Centre: A record six-month activation

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.

PAUL

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ALANA

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LIGHT EV SKATE TRICKS INCREASING CONCERNS ABOUT FIRE RISKS

A worrying trend has been occurring at Australia’s skate parks.

Encouraged by influencers on the internet, and the thousands of videos showing people performing tricks on e-scooters, e-bikes, or e-skateboards, young people are starting to try to emulate their heroes.

Viewers are treated to advice on how to perform the tricks, encouraging them to attempt them in their community skate parks.

And more and more young Australians are attempting these tricks.

However, there is a very real risk that using these devices in such a fashion could cause damage to their batteries, significantly increasing the risk of fire.

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery fires do not necessarily occur straight away. It may take some time for a battery to show signs of damage, or even catch fire.

Damage to Li-ion batteries can cause thermal runaway, which may start abruptly and violently and be undetected until it is too late. Such fires are exceedingly difficult to extinguish, and can spread to other materials or structures, putting family members at risk.

This means that a young person might attempt these tricks, harming

the battery in the process, but may not know about the danger to themselves or their families.

Of course, most manufacturers advise against doing tricks on e-vehicles, due to the potential damage that might occur, and the vast majority are not designed for such treatment.

By copying these influencers, using equipment not designed for this activity significantly increases the likelihood that their battery could be damaged and catch fire, often when the device is on charge inside the house. Overcharging, or faults in charging equipment, can also damage these devices.

Users who ignore the warnings risk endangering themselves and those they love without knowing what may happen. With each jump, trick, ollie, or slide, those who use these devices inappropriately are increasingly at risk of a catastrophic fire that could destroy the device, their home, and even their neighbours’ premises.

The desire to demonstrate mad skills should not impact upon the safety of others, and we strongly encourage people who own them to study the latest information about the risks and do whatever they can to prevent them from occurring.

Social media fame is simply not worth endangering your life.

BUILDING

LEGISLATION AMENDMENT BILL PASSES PARLIAMENT

The NSW Government’s further reforms to construction have progressed with the unanimous passing of the Building Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 in both houses of Parliament.

Part of ongoing efforts to restore consumer confidence in the state’s building industry, the bill expands on previous reforms by:

ƒ extending the powers of the NSW Building Commissioner to audit building sites and issue stop work and/or rectification orders

ƒ protecting against illegal phoenixing activity by allowing for the refusal or cancellation of builder licences

ƒ introducing new duties on the building product supply chain

ƒ supporting the uptake of ten-year decennial liability insurance (DLI).

Read more at https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/bills/Pages/ bill-details.aspx?pk=18512

PHOTO: PEXELS

Join us at the largest and most influential fire protection event in the Southern Hemisphere. Hear from industry experts, discover new products and services, connect with suppliers and gain insights on the latest industry trends.

80+ EXHIBITORS 2 DAYS OF LEARNING

Key Industry Experts

Learn about new trends, products and services from key industry experts, through a variety of engaging and interactive formats.

Technical Tracks

Attend our technical CPD seminars and stimulate your professional development, ignite your business opportunities and help develop the fire protection industry.

Tradeshow Hall

Connect with our 80+ local and international Tradeshow exhibitors, showcasing hundreds of industry leading products and services.

For more information visit the event website: fireaustralia.com.au

Hosted

Gold

AFAC24 EMBRACES INNOVATION AND DISRUPTION IN SYDNEY

The AFAC24 powered by INTERSCHUTZ Conference and Exhibition returns to Sydney from 3–6 September to explore the theme ‘Embracing innovation and disruption: designing the future for our sector’

There is an immediate need for fire and emergency services to adapt to be prepared for the future, with resource constraints, declining volunteer numbers, and a changing climate driving the need for organisations to think differently and look for new solutions. Creating an inclusive culture that encourages new ideas and diversity of thought is key.

AFAC24 is Australasia’s largest and most comprehensive emergency management conference and exhibition, and is brought to you by AFAC, Deutsche Messe, the Institution of Fire Engineers (Australia), and Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR).

Find out more about AFAC24 at www.afacconference.com.au

Evacuation Planning

LOOKING BACK AT AFAC23

Last year, AFAC23, hosted in Brisbane, focused on the challenges and opportunities of creating a sustainable future, examining new approaches to emergency management, transitions to new fuels and technologies, and evolving cultural standards and expectations.

The AFAC23 Continuing the Conversation video series explores perspectives from last year’s presenters and participants. See www.afac.com.au/ events/proceedings/conversations.

EVACUATION PLANNING HANDBOOK

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience has published an updated edition of the Evacuation Planning handbook.

This handbook incorporates guidelines and considerations for people developing community evacuation plans, underpinned by an all-hazards approach. It uses the nationally recognised five stages of the evacuation process as a framework for planning an evacuation.

The 2023 edition incorporates recommendations, observations, and learnings from inquiries following the Black Summer bushfires and recent catastrophic flooding. Such events highlight the need for

an adaptive, flexible, and inclusive approach to evacuation planning.

This edition focuses on the specific needs of people and groups in communities who may require additional support in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from a disaster.

The Evacuation Planning handbook and related resources are freely available online: https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ handbook-evacuation-planning

PHOTO: AFAC

SIGN UP FOR THE VBA-APPROVED UNPUMPED HYDRANTS COURSE

Enrolments are now open for FPA Australia’s Routine Servicing of Unpumped Hydrants and Valves course.

This has been designed to offer comprehensive training and in-depth knowledge of unpumped hydrants and valves, with a strong focus on Australian standards and operational procedures.

It provides successful students with the training required for restricted unpumped hydrant registration with the Victorian Building Authority (VBA).

The course is a three-day program, consisting of two days of theoretical, knowledge-based training, followed by a final day for the practical element examination.

Please note that the practical exam needs to be scheduled by appointment on the first day of your course.

For inquiries about registration, please contact plumbingreg@vba.vic.gov.au.

To enrol in the course, visit https://www.fpaa.com.au/Web/Skills_ Development/Routine_Servicing_of_ Unpumed_Hydrants_and_Valves/Web/Skills/ Restricted_Licence_Classes_Victoria.aspx

WA REGISTRATION SCHEME FOR FIRE SAFETY ENGINEERS

The WA Government has introduced registration of building engineers working under the Building Services (Registration) Act 2011 (WA).

Registration is being implemented through the Commerce Regulations Amendment (Building Services) Regulations 2023 (Amendment Regulations), which provides a framework to register building engineers, including prescribed qualifications, experience, and competency requirements.

The Building Commissioner is approving applications for assessment entities to certify the experience of registered individuals and for industry bodies to carry out Continuing Professional Development (CPD) schemes, and FPA Australia is in the process of applying for approval.

More information about building engineers’ registration can be found at www.commerce.wa.gov.au/building-and-energy/building-engineersregistration

NEW APPS ARE HELPING TO PREDICT AND PREPARE FOR BUSHFIRES

Two new apps have been released that help firefighters and residents to prepare for the threat of bushfires.

The first, a new fire modelling system called Athena—named after the Greek goddess of wisdom, craft, and warfare—is being used by the NSW Rural Fire Service to map and predict the spread of bushfires.

Powered by artificial intelligence and using data from CSIRO’s Black Mountain fire lab, Athena can automatically detect areas at risk and evaluate a fire’s severity.

It can also track firefighter vehicles and highlight water sources for air tankers.

The second app, Bushfire Resilience Rating— developed by the not-for-profit Resilient Building Council—helps residents to prepare their homes for potential bushfire threats.

The first of its kind in the world, the tool assesses the susceptibility of a particular house to bushfires using information about the house and detailed data about the local environment and current climate conditions.

It generates a list of recommendations to strengthen the home against bushfire risks and tracks the results of improvements to the safety of the property.

The free app can be found at https://rating.rbcouncil.org

LEARNING FROM BUSHFIRES

Analysis of 2023 bushfires by the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, reported on PreventionWeb, has identified five lessons from a year’s worth of bushfires and wildfires:

1. Increasingly frequent and severe wildfires could exacerbate climate change and disrupt global climate systems.

2. Fires can change local weather—and forecasts could incorporate these interactions to assist firefighters.

3. There are serious economic ramifications for industries that rely on forests, such as timber and paper manufacturing.

4. Innovative solutions can reduce wildfire risks.

5. Traditional cultural burning practices have long-term benefits— but they need to be adjusted for a changing climate. While bushfires and wildfires are undoubtedly devastating incidents, studies such as these can help to mitigate their impacts and protect communities.

To read the studies behind these findings, visit www.preventionweb.net/news/what-we-learned-aboutwildfires-2023

SOUTH AUSTRALIAN CFS AWARDED THE BRONZE MEDAL FOR LARGE TRAINING PROVIDER OF THE YEAR

On 17 November 2023, the South Australian Country Fire Service (SA CFS) was awarded the Bronze Medal for the Large Training Provider of the Year in the Australian Training Awards.

The award recognised the highquality training developed, delivered, assessed, and managed by its team of volunteer trainers and staff.

It was the second award received by SA CFS in 2023 in recognition of its high-quality training program—first being recognised as the SA Training Awards Large Employer of the Year in September.

The achievement came as a result of the incredible work of the SA CFS volunteer trainers, the Learning and Development Team, and internal

partners to deliver unique experiential learning across the regions and at the State Training Centre. It emphasised capacity-building outcomes relating to the safety and confidence of their delivery and management of emergency services, fire and rescue operational responses, and related decision-making.

SA CFS provides its volunteers and staff with high quality vocational education and training, with the motivation and vision of being the best volunteer fire and rescue service in the world. It offers nationally recognised training across six qualifications, three accredited short courses, and several units of competency.

The SA CFS Learning and Development Team, in collaboration with key partners, such as AFAC collaboration groups and networks, appreciates the opportunity these awards provide to share insights learned from connecting with other finalists using award-winning approaches to improve training experiences and results.

The awards are well-deserved for their continued efforts in creating a highly professional volunteer firefighting network, leading the way as one of best training organisations across the sector and throughout Australia.

PHOTOS: SA CFS

Right: Then Queensland Minister for Employment and Small Business and Minister for Training and Skills Development, the Hon. Dianne Farmer MP, with Kate Rush (CFS) and Cassandra Curtis (CFS).

Above: CFS Learning and Development Team with CFS Chief Officer.

RESILIENT AUSTRALIA AWARDS 2023 WINNERS CELEBRATED IN PERTH

The winners of the Resilient Australia Awards were announced in Perth on 22 November, recognising recent efforts and new ideas that build community resilience to disasters.

Hosted by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR), the Resilient Australia Awards National Ceremony celebrated initiatives over six award categories: National, Community, School, Local Government, Mental Health and Wellbeing, and Photography.

AIDR Executive Director Margaret Moreton said: “We are inspired by the commitment and consideration of this year’s entries across all categories in the Resilient Australia Awards, and the show of support for and within communities, often amid times of uncertainty and change.

“As we advance our efforts to increase disaster resilience across Australia, this year’s entries show we are now working to bring more people along the journey with us. This inclusive approach brings us closer to our goal to support safer communities before, during, and after disaster.”

Margaret Moreton, AIDR Executive Director

More details about the 2023 Resilient Australia Awards national winners and highly commended projects are available online at www.aidr.org.au/ resources/resilient-australia-nationalawards-2023

RESILIENT AUSTRALIA AWARDS 2023 WINNERS

Resilient Australia National Award

Winner

Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Certificate Course, University of Sydney

Highly commended Delivering community-focused messaging in Gurindji language during major NT floods, Bureau of Meteorology and Northern Territory Emergency Service

Highly commended Flood Resilience in Action: 2022 and Beyond, JDA Co

Resilient Australia National Community Award

Winner EMBER, The Flagstaff Group

Highly commended CALD Community-Locally Led Risk Reduction Project, Australian Red Cross

Resilient Australia National School Award

Winner Harkaway Primary Manifesto and Bushfire Safety Committee, Harkaway Primary School

Resilient Australia National Local Government Award

Winner Towards Community Led Emergency Resilience, Adelaide Hills Council

Resilient Australia National Mental Health and Wellbeing Award

Winner Post-Flood Repair and Recovery Initiative, Shedding Community Workshop Inc

Resilient Australia National Photography Award

Winner Unconventional firefighting, Stephanie Rouse

Highly commended SASES swiftwater technicians, Jayme Moreland

AIDR Executive Director Dr Margaret Moreton (left) and NEMA Deputy CoordinatorGeneral Dr Jill Charker (far right) present the Resilient Australia National Award to University of Sydney.

NATIONAL INDIGENOUS DISASTER RESILIENCE SUMMIT

The inaugural National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Summit was held in August 2023 and brought together Indigenous and non-Indigenous researchers, emergency management practitioners, and agency leaders to build awareness, share new thinking, and network.

Proceedings from the event are now available on the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience website, and include the program, presentation slides, images, videos, media coverage, and graphic harvest of the event by Indigenous artists Allirra Moore and Oumoula Mckenzie.

The summit explored key issues from past disasters, based on the experience of Indigenous peoples, and identified possible pathways to improve on these experiences in the future.

It began with an inspiring presentation from Emily Campbell and Associate Professor Denise Blake on the Māori experience

HAVE YOUR SAY ON OPERATIONAL DECISION-MAKING

CQUniversity and Natural Hazards Research Australia are seeking Australian emergency management practitioners to participate in research on current practice in operational decision-making.

Operational staff and volunteers working at all levels of emergency management and land management organisations (including response, recovery, incident management, and more strategic regional and state-level roles) are encouraged to participate in an online survey and interview.

and ended with a powerful presentation by PhD candidate Amba-Rose Atkinson and Oliver Costello on the power of caring for Country.

This event was hosted by Monash University’s Fire to Flourish and proudly supported by AIDR, Bigibilla, NSW Environment Protection Authority, Jagun Alliance and Natural Hazards Research Australia.

Learn more about the National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Summit and explore the event proceedings at https:// knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/national-indigenous-disasterresilience-summit-2023-proceedings

The aim of the research project is to help develop a better understanding of how people currently make decisions, the tools they use, and the gaps in training and organisational doctrine on decision-making.

The anonymous, 45-minute online survey seeks to capture current decision-making practice in emergency management, looking at organisational policies and procedures on decision-making; operational decisionmaking tools; decision-making training; and how people make decisions in operational situations.

The interviews will help deepen understanding of key issues relating to

operational emergency management decision-making. The 60-minute interviews can be conducted online, via telephone, or face-to-face.

To participate in the research, visit: https://cqu.syd1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/ SV_elcbYXyzhxWs4MS.

For more information about the Enhancing Decision-making in Emergency Management project, contact Dr Peter Hayes at p.hayes@cqu.edu.au.

Shannon Ruska opening the 2023 National Indigenous Disaster Resilience Summit with a smoking ceremony.

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FIRE AUSTRALIA 2024: GOING FOR GOLD COAST

Fire Australia—the Southern Hemisphere’s largest fire protection conference and tradeshow—is heading north for 2024, turning the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre into a hub of ideas, innovation, and inspiration in fire protection.

FPA Australia

Fire Australia is back in 2024! And this year we’re heading to Queensland.

Following last year’s great success, from 7–9 May 2024 we’ll be taking up position at the Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre, one of Australia’s leading conference spaces.

Providing a range of insights and ideas, the conference and tradeshow are shaping up to be a key source of information in fire protection.

Registrations are now open, and early bird prices finish on 14 March, so act quickly to secure your spot at this marquee event.

An inspiring program

This year we’ll be bringing leading presenters and thinkers from Australia and around the world to share their thoughts about the current state of fire protection and what the future may hold.

Over a packed two-day program, delegates will hear from:

„ Captain Richard Birt will be discussing fire risks and response strategies for solar and static battery systems

„ Charley Fleischmann from Underwriters Laboratories in the US, who will discuss the international trends and technologies demanding a fire safety renaissance, and advise what the fire safety research is telling us

„ David Isaac and Jonathan Barnett, who will examine the difference and gaps between fire safety engineering and fire protection engineering

„ Elvira Nigido, from the National Halon Bank, who will present about the responsible end-of-life management of ozone-depleting substances and synthetic greenhouse gas fire extinguishing agents.

The program also includes:

„ a dedicated two-day bushfire practitioner and design stream, featuring world-leading speakers

„ a full-day stream on innovation and technological advancements in fire protection, with a focus on AI and how it’s proving to be a game changer.

On Tuesday 7 May, before the plenary sessions start, we’ll also be running some off-site tours—details are still being finalised, but they are sure to be eye-opening visits to facilities that you’re unlikely to get to visit on a daily basis.

Come along to see how some complex facilities are protected from the risk of fire.

Details of the program and the site tours can be found on our website www.fireaustralia.com.au/program

Keynote speaker Charley Fleischmann will identify the international trends and technologies affecting fire protection.

PAUL WATERHOUSE

PHOTO: FIRE SAFETY RESEARCH INSTITUTE

PHOTO: LAS VEGAS FD

Captain Richard Birt from Las Vegas Fire and Rescue, who will be presenting on how his brigade deals with fires from solar and static battery systems

So, what’s on offer at the tradeshow?

Our free tradeshow is fast filling up with interesting and innovative services and technologies.

Bringing some of the leading suppliers and service providers together under one roof, our exhibitors will be demonstrating their products, showing how they protect the community, and explaining how they can help you with your business.

Open to anyone who may be interested, and free of charge for those who register before 30 April 2024, this is an expo that you won’t want to miss.

Register to reserve your spot and see some of the best the industry has to offer.

Get together with your peers and colleagues

The conference will be officially launched in the Tradeshow Hall at the Welcome Reception on Tuesday 7 May from 6.00 pm–7.30 pm.

This event will give delegates a chance to catch up with old friends and get to know who will be attending the conference.

On the Wednesday night, 8 May, we’ll be hosting the Conference and Awards Gala Dinner at the Event Centre Marquee, at The Star Gold Coast, where

we’ll be acknowledging the best in the industry and raising money to support the Fiona Wood Foundation, helping to rebuild the lives of burn victims.

Come along and celebrate the industry leaders, support our worthy charity partner, and then shake a tail feather on the dancefloor to the sound of our live entertainment.

Praising our industry leaders

Not long to go until the Fire Protection Industry Awards close.

These awards recognise our industry leaders and celebrate those working to improve fire protection.

If you want to put someone forward for consideration, the deadline for nominations is on Wednesday 28 February 2024.

Tell us who deserves recognition, and they might just be the recipient of one of these prestigious awards.

Details about the awards can be found at https://fireaustralia.com.au/ industry-awards-selection-criteria

Join your peers to hear insights about the future of fire protection and visit the tradeshow to see some of the latest innovations the sector has to offer.

BE A PART OF THE CONFERENCE AND TRADESHOW

Sponsorship and exhibition opportunities are still available for Fire Australia 2024.

If you are interested in being part of this annual event, and you’d like more information, visit https:// fireaustralia.com.au/exhibit to find out about the tradeshow and https://fireaustralia.com.au/becomea-sponsor to enquire about sponsorship.

Reserve your spot today, and we’ll see you on the Gold Coast! To register for the event, visit www.fireaustralia.com.au/registration

PHOTO: FPA AUSTRALIA

PHOTO: ACTION PORTRAITS

CELEBRATING SECTOR SUCCESS IN AFAC STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS ACHIEVEMENT REPORT

AFAC recently published its Strategic Directions Achievement Report 2023. This provides examples of industry and jurisdictional activities that support the Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2022–2026.

BRANDON HUTCHINSON

AFAC

The Strategic Directions comprise six priority areas: supporting resilient communities; providing trusted response; credible and timely information; safe, capable, and diverse workforces; knowledge, research, and innovation; and effective and transparent governance.

“These provide the fire and emergency services sector with a collective vision and a joint commitment to enhanced community resilience by informing, clarifying intent, and identifying actions required across the AFAC membership,” said AFAC CEO, Rob Webb.

The Strategic Directions Achievement Report 2023 showcases the progress achieved in a 12-month period by all jurisdictions through a selection of case studies. Sharing these

initiatives across the sector allows AFAC Members to develop good practice and continue to build upon each other’s experience and knowledge.

“ Together, these initiatives contribute to enhancing Australia’s disaster resilience. They demonstrate a national capability embedded in operational readiness, the latest qualifications and standards, lessons management, and research.”

Rob Webb, AFAC CEO

The case studies featured in the report are listed here. More details about each initiative can be found online: https://www.afac.com.au/ docs/default-source/meeting-papers/ afac-strategic-directions-achievementreport-2023.pdf

Supporting resilient communities through risk reduction

Fire and emergency services agencies operate in an increasingly complex environment with climate change influencing the frequency, scale, and intensity of natural hazards and creating new risks that compromise the stability of natural, built, social, cultural, and economic environments.

AFAC Members play an important role in providing leadership and collaborating with governments, businesses, communities, educational institutions, and individuals to develop strategies and actions that reduce disaster risk and support resilient communities. For example:

„ Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience—advancing the practice of Disability inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction in Australia

„ Queensland Fire and Emergency Services—Fire Ed for children with neurodiversity

CFA Firefighters at the Malmsbury Station.

PHOTO: CFA

„ Fire and Emergency New Zealand— launches Ahikura Whānau-Centred Fire Education

„ Victoria State Emergency Service— geotargeted communications for flood-impacted communities

„ NSW Environment Protection Authority—bushfire recovery programs.

Providing trusted response

Fire and emergency services provide a trusted, effective, reliable, operational response through data-based decisionmaking, strategic planning, and the use of appropriate and available technologies. Embedding the concept of national capability allows agencies to share resources and provide cohesive emergency management and operational support at a national, state, regional, and incident level.

Supporting capability and leadership development and cultivating and enhancing relationships with key international emergency response partners and stakeholders also deliver greater surge capacity for extreme events. For example:

„ Fire and Rescue NSW—Türkiye earthquake

„ Fire Rescue Victoria—Keys, Alarms and Turnout Information (KATI)

„ NSW State Emergency Service— public information process after significant weather events

„ Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience—launch of the Incident Management handbook

„ Fire and Emergency New Zealand— building a cross-government common operational picture to support cyclone response.

The source of credible and timely information and data

Accurate, relevant, and timely information is critical to effective decision-making. Modern systems rely on the rapid transfer of information, using well-curated data to deliver impact and value.

Data insights generated by emergency services enhance community advice, improve risk and mitigation planning, strategic planning and operational decision-making. This in turn supports individuals and communities to make appropriate, informed, and timely decisions. For example:

„ NSW Rural Fire Service—‘Athena’ bushfire intelligence system

„ Fire and Rescue NSW—RPAS used for post-disaster recovery—debris in sugar cane fields after 2022 floods in the Northern Rivers

„ Bushfires NT—Bushfire Emergency Management System (BEMS) WebEOC upgrade

„ ACT Emergency Services Agency— ACT fire tower camera early detection and high-risk lightning detection

„ Country Fire Authority, Victoria— transitioning national satellite grassland curing from MODIS to VIIRS.

Safe, capable, and diverse workforce

Australian fire and emergency services have a highly organised and trained workforce of approximately 254,000 registered volunteers, 34,000 paid staff in career roles across fire services and parks and land management

agencies, and 6,000 retained or parttime staff. This provides the nation with considerable surge capacity during disasters and emergency events.

The fire and emergency sector is committed to building an inclusive culture and a diverse workforce that represents the community it serves. Significant outcomes can be achieved by engaging with the community to bring people from diverse backgrounds and different points of view together to innovate, collaborate, and develop evidence-based and locally based practices that represent the collective needs. For example:

„ Victoria State Emergency Service —pioneering a new, inclusive recruitment method to rebuild the VICSES Robinvale Unit

„ Natural Hazards Research Australia —guides for better disaster recovery

„ Fire and Emergency New Zealand— Te Aho Tapu monitoring and evaluation framework

„ Department of Fire and Emergency Services, WA—The Strength Within project

„ NSW Rural Fire Service—Mental Health Strategy 2023–27.

Informed by knowledge, innovation, and research

Emergency management operates in a dynamic environment with major shifts in technology, demography, and community expectations. We are experiencing extremes of weather like never before.

To continually anticipate and respond to these challenges, AFAC collaborates with partners across Australia and internationally

PHOTO: © AUSTRALIAN DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS

PHOTO: VICTORIA SES

Above:

Victoria SES Castlemaine Unit deploying sandbags.

Above left: Disaster Assistance Response Team for Türkiye.

to strengthen opportunities and to leverage emerging knowledge, innovation, and research. For example:

„ Aviation Rescue Fire Fighting Service—ensuring the safety of aviation rescue firefighters when responding to incidents involving Alternative and Renewable Energy Technologies (ARET)

„ Queensland Fire and Emergency Services—Fire in the Mulga (27 July 2022)—flipping ‘upsidedown country’ across Southern Queensland

„ NSW Environment Protection Authority—flood recovery programs— sonar (submerged debris) clean-up program

„ NSW State Emergency Service— Hawkesbury Nepean Valley (HNV)— culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communications approach between NSW SES and Infrastructure NSW

„ SA State Emergency Service— lessons management (LM) WebEOC board.

Effective and transparent governance

The fire and emergency services sector operates within established governance frameworks, by which AFAC Members are directed, controlled, and held to account. Modelling good governance and seeking to build on best practice fosters an environment that results in greater collaboration while delivering value through strategic and transparent business and procurement practices.

The sector is committed to establishing documented statements of practice to ensure agencies and communities make informed decisions, based on appropriate risk management practices. For example:

„ ACT Emergency Services Agency— Bushfire Management Standards review 2023

„ Department of Fire and Emergency Service, WA—Kimberley floods governance structure

„ SA Metropolitan Fire Service— Respectful Behaviour policy and process

„ Country Fire Authority, Victoria— external review of culture and issues management

„ Fire Rescue Victoria—cyber attack response and recovery.

Learn more about strategy and capability across the fire and emergency services sector, including the Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2022–2026, at: www. afac.com.au/auxiliary/about/strategy.

Shipping container removed by EPA.

Australasia’s premier conference and exhibition for emergency management

PHOTO: NSW ENVIRONMENT PROTECTION AUTHORITY

HOW TO KEEP SAFE FROM LI-ION FIRES THIS SUMMER SEASON

Lithium-ion batteries—a commonplace power source in most households and businesses— have the potential to create devastating fires. Used in electronics, e-scooters, e-bikes, e-vehicles, and energy storage systems, the flammable and volatile liquid electrolyte solution in these batteries has been linked to more than 450 fires across Australia.

JUSTIN MORRIS

Wormald

Lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery hazards are varied and can lead to severe injury or death. Often, they arise from low-quality batteries; unsafe charging practices; environmental or external factors, such as when Li-ion batteries are exposed to heat or moisture; or when products containing Li-ion batteries are repurposed or modified. Risks include possible explosions and fires that are difficult to extinguish and that could spontaneously reignite.

Understanding and implementing safety measures is essential to mitigate these risks. There are five steps Australians can take to keep their homes and businesses safe:

1. Proper storage and management: the storage environment of Li-ion batteries greatly influences their safety and longevity. Optimal storage temperature ranges from 5°C to 20°C, as excessive heat can shorten battery life and escalate fire risks, while cold conditions affect device efficiency and can require more frequent charging.

2. Avoid overcharging: overcharging can cause unstable conditions within Li-ion batteries, leading to thermal runaway. This involves an uncontrollable increase in temperature, which presents a significant fire hazard. To prevent overcharging-related risks, users should: limit charging time; avoid leaving devices to charge overnight; and maintain battery charge levels between 50 and 100%.

3. Handle batteries with care: a punctured battery can lead to short circuits and electrolyte leakage, which can trigger chemical reactions that generate heat, damaging the battery and surrounding areas. Proper handling ensures the safety of the user and extends the battery’s lifespan. Users should also take care to dispose of Li-ion batteries correctly to avoid creating additional risks.

4. Do not overlook cleanliness: Li-ion batteries attract dust and grime, which can be a fire hazard. Regular cleaning is essential, especially around vents and ports. A simple cloth can be used to clean these areas for mobile devices, optimising battery performance, and reducing fire risks.

5. Purchase from reputable suppliers: it is crucial that users buy batteries from reputable manufacturers. The market is flooded with counterfeit products that appear genuine but may be made with inferior materials and lack adherence to safety standards, which can lead to short circuits or power surges. Users should check credentials and compliance with safety standards, such as those outlined in the Australian Government’s Electrical Equipment Safety Scheme (EESS).

While it is possible to reduce the risk of hazards arising from the use of Li-ion batteries, understanding how to respond correctly in the event of an incident is essential to protecting homes and businesses.

In the event of a fire, the immediate action is to cut off the current supply, ideally by flooding it with water.

However, the flammable nature of Li-ion batteries means that the window of opportunity for such action is limited—often the safest response is to evacuate the area and to seek professional help.

PHOTO: ISTOCK

ACT ESA ADDS TO ELECTRIC-POWERED FLEET WITH NEW BA TRUCK

In 2022, the ACT Emergency Services Agency announced a program of work with Volvo Group Australia to co-design and manufacture seven sustainable vehicles to address the targets established under the ACT Climate Change Strategy 2019–25.

DAN BIRD

ACT Emergency Services Agency

The electric breathing apparatus support truck was unveiled in August 2023 during the AFAC Conference and Exhibition in Brisbane. It is based on the Volvo FL Electric chassis with a specialist body built by Fraser Fire in New Zealand.

The truck and an electric Volvo prime mover made the two-day, 1,195 km journey from Brisbane to the ACT, where it arrived on 8 November 2023.

The electric prime mover achieved an impressive 1,200 kg greenhouse gas emission saving when compared to a diesel equivalent and set the record for the longest journey undertaken by an electric truck of this type in Australia.

“With the arrival of this vehicle in the ACT, it is clear that we are not only taking big steps to reach our achievable goals but also helping reduce emissions nationally,” said ACT Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Mick Gentleman MLA.

“I am proud of the work we have done to get here and hope that other states, territories, and countries around the world will follow in our footsteps.”

This vehicle is the second electric appliance to be incorporated into the ACT Fire and Rescue (ACTF&R) fleet after the delivery of its state-of-the-art electric fire pumper in June 2023. The Rosenbauer-built electric fire pumper is the first right-hand drive machine of its type in the Southern Hemisphere and includes cutting-edge technology such as four-wheel steering, all-wheel drive, and a deployable thermal-imaging drone capability.

The new electric breathing apparatus support truck will complement this vehicle upon its introduction into service in 2024.

Vehicle design

The electric breathing apparatus truck is designed as a nimble vehicle for urban environments that will provide specialist breathing apparatus capabilities at a range of operations,

The truck and an electric Volvo prime mover made the two-day, 1,195 km journey from Brisbane to the ACT, where it arrived on 8 November 2023.

such as structure fires, hazardous materials (HAZMAT), chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) incidents.

The Volvo FE Electric chassis is equipped with a 265 Kw battery energy storage system capable of providing up to 300 km of operational driving range. Simulated modelling of this vehicle operating within the ACTF&R demonstrates that it is more than capable of achieving the same operational requirements as an equivalent diesel truck, but with zero emissions.

The body design includes a number of beneficial features including a fully powered, clean workspace; modular equipment storage and restraint systems; dual 5 m awnings; folding and self-levelling entry stairs; climate control; a solar PV system; and a full-scale tail lift.

“This truck was created by firefighters for firefighters. Being the ones who are out on the road using our vehicles every day, receiving their input into the design of this truck ensures it meets their needs,” said Superintendent Glenn Brewer.

Under the ACTF&R breathing apparatus support model, the truck does not incorporate onboard breathing apparatus air charging, instead opting for the carriage of large numbers of fully charged cylinders, which are filled at a centralised location in the ACT.

The body also incorporates an innovative equipment trolley system that allows for a range of operational tasks to be carried out depending on which equipment trolleys are loaded into the vehicle. A key benefit of this system is its ability to accommodate a variety of inventory sets based on the requirement of an incident. Using this system, the vehicle’s inventory trolleys can be swiftly transferred to another vehicle, or duplicated and stored for

PHOTO: VOLVO GROUP

use in additional vehicles when a surge capability is required.

The trolley system and groundlevel external pockets allow for all equipment required at a remote staging point to be removed from the truck safely and efficiently via the tail lift, eliminating the need for large inventory items to be manually transported down stairs or over great distances.

Safety and sustainability

Work health and safety was a primary focus of the design of this vehicle, with the goal of providing a cleaner and safer breathing apparatus support truck for ACTF&R firefighters to complete their work.

“Supporting our first responders is the first step in ensuring community safety. Our emergency services staff and volunteers are outstanding members of our community who deserve the safest and best working environments to complete their lifesaving work,” Minister Gentleman said.

In addition to the safety and operational benefits, the truck will provide a significant sustainability impact and greenhouse gas emissions reduction. The implementation of this full battery electric vehicle in place of a diesel equivalent will save over $13,700 in fuel cost per year at current pump prices.

Additionally, by charging with the ACT’s 100% renewable electricity

supply, the truck stands to reduce the ACT Emergency Services Agency’s (ESA) emissions by up to 17,000 kg per year.

This truck is a milestone in a greater sustainability program led by the ACT ESA Sustainability and Fleet team that will deliver an ongoing program of works to provide cutting- edge appliances for the ACT ESA, while also delivering upon the ACT Government’s nation-leading emission reduction targets.

The electric breathing apparatus support truck has now been approved and will commence ACTF&R training and implementation processes in early 2024, with introduction to operational service upon completion.

3. In November 2023, ACT ESA added the electric breathing

4. The

2. ACT ESA’s electric fire pumper was the first of its kind in the Southern Hemisphere.

apparatus truck to its fleet.

Volvo Group unveiled the electric breathing apparatus truck at AFAC23 Exhibition in Brisbane.

1. ACT Fire & Rescue’s electric fire pumper was the first electric truck incorporated into the fleet in June 2023.

PHOTOS: VOLVO GROUP

MAKING SENSE OF AS 1851

In February 2025, AS 1851-2012 becomes mandatory in NSW, bringing the largest state into alignment with the rest of the country. But what does this change mean for practitioners and their clients?

PAUL WATERHOUSE FPA Australia

You could say that AS 1851 Routine service of fire protection systems and equipment is the industry’s standard.

It is the widely supported and applied methodology for the inspection and testing of fire protection systems and equipment, from extinguishers and blankets to fire doors, detection systems, sprinklers, and even special hazards systems.

First developed in 1989, the standard has been expanded, altered, and amended over the ensuing years, growing in relevance and importance until it became accepted as leading practice within the sector.

The latest iteration—AS 1851-2012 Amendment 1—has been called up into regulations across the country, as governments recognised the value in having a consistent approach to routine service work.

One standout exception has long been NSW, which has not previously wanted to regulate for a maintenance standard. This led to a situation where most practitioners used the standard as a guide, but did not necessarily apply it in its entirety, in some cases based on what the client might accept.

This will change in February next year, when NSW regulations commence requiring systems addressed by AS 1851 to be maintained in accordance with the standard.

The intent is to bring more consistency to fire protection—common inspection timeframes, common testing procedures, common reporting

processes—to give greater certainty to building owners and occupants that fire systems will perform as required when needed most.

What does AS 1851 cover?

AS 1851 standardises the maintenance of ‘fire protection systems and equipment’ in buildings.

This term covers nominated safety equipment, fittings, systems, or management measures provided in, or for, a building and required in the event of fire or other emergency to protect against loss of life or property, including:

„ fire sprinklers

„ fire pump sets

„ fire hydrant systems

„ water storage tanks for fire protection systems

„ fire detection and alarms systems

„ special hazard systems

„ lay flat hose

„ fire hose reels

„ fire extinguishers

„ fire blankets

„ passive fire and smoke systems

„ mechanical fire and smoke control

„ emergency planning.

The standard sets out the frequency and processes behind effective fire systems routine servicing. It highlights expectations for reporting on ongoing performance, as well as any:

„ critical defects, which render a system inoperative and could result in loss of life or serious injury, or major environmental or economic damage

„ non-conformances, which are missing or incorrect features that do

not affect the system operation but are required to facilitate ongoing routine maintenance

„ non-critical defects, which have little or no impact on a system’s operation but must still be addressed.

Frequencies for inspection and testing vary for different systems, occurring monthly, six-monthly, and/or yearly. Most elements for these tests are well known and understood within industry and by property owners.

However, the standard also identifies testing requirements for specific systems, with advanced routines at the five, ten, 20, and 30-year mark, to ensure that the system is performing as originally designed and that it will be able to operate effectively in the event of a fire.

For example, a 5-yearly test on a hydrant requires the following actions: changing and lubricating all the washers, performing a hydrostatic test (where a booster is fitted only), and servicing the water supply valve.

These tests are undertaken under pressures that would be experienced during an incident to ensure that the system can perform when the fire brigade needs to use it.

Such tests should not be missed, but often are, because there is a higher cost and an increased risk for some of these activities and owners can be reluctant to indemnify practitioners if something goes wrong, such as flooding of the building.

This is short-term thinking—saving some money and avoiding a problem now, only to have problems occur when a fire breaks out. If a hydrant

PHOTO: FPA AUSTRALIA

system bursts under pressure when being used by the fire brigade, that system will no longer be useable, the building will be destroyed, and there is a high likelihood of injury to occupants or practitioners.

And, as insurers require fire protection systems to be properly maintained, a building owner or manager who has not commissioned the relevant tests to be carried out will no longer be covered by their insurance premium and will lose their asset.

It is also the wrong way to look at the problem—if the system fails during testing, it can be repaired, so that it is ready when needed. If the system fails during a fire, there is no protection for the building and its occupants.

It is like choosing not to get your car brakes serviced because you are worried about the loss of brake fluid and the cost of the brake pads. Yet, that is a much better cost to bear than if those brakes do not work while you are on the road.

Put simply, it is worth taking the risk of something happening during testing to avoid the risk of the same thing happening during a fire event, when operational capacity really matters.

Motivations

So, why is the NSW Government finally mandating AS 1851?

The change came out of discussions in the Fire Safety Working Group, chaired by former Secretary of the NSW Treasury Michael Lambert.

It noted that the standard was voluntary in NSW, but mandatory almost everywhere else. This meant that, in this state, practitioners and

clients could potentially cut corners on maintenance, putting buildings and occupants at risk.

When AS 1851 becomes mandatory in February 2025, it will be clear to all participants what must be done and when, reducing the ability of owners, managers, and/or practitioners to avoid their statutory responsibilities to maintain systems, under section 81 of the Environmental Planning and Assessment (Development Certification and Fire Safety) Regulation 2021.

Owners also need to provide evidence that a property has been maintained to the full extent of the standard as part of the Annual Fire Safety Statement (AFSS) process –regulating AS 1851 makes this easier.

Getting ready—for owners

So, what does this mean?

According to the NSW Government, owners who have contracts in place emphasising maintenance in line with AS 1851-2012 potentially have little to do. However, the question owners need to ask is whether their practitioners are applying the full suite of requirements, as outlined in the standard.

An owner or manager who has any measures not currently maintained to the full extent of AS 1851 will need to review their contracts to ensure that potential differences between the service they currently receive is raised to the level they need by the due date of 13 February 2025.

This should include any advanced testing, usually stated as quotable routines—five-yearly, ten-yearly, and so on. If these are not being done, your systems are not compliant.

Getting ready—for practitioners

Practitioners should be reviewing the work they perform for clients to determine the degree to which they currently maintain in accordance with AS 1851.

If a system is not up to date with its testing requirements, this needs to be brought to the client’s attention, and an upgrade plan developed.

If pitching for new work, the practitioner should make sure that the system is up to date with relevant tests—if the five-yearly or other tests have not been completed within that timeframe, they may have to be factored into the work program.

A new regime

The flexibility that previously existed in NSW will soon end, and the industry (and its clients) needs to be prepared.

The introduction of AS 1851 will be a big improvement on the current requirements but will undoubtedly cost some clients more money.

However, safety should be the biggest concern, and regular testing will ensure that buildings, and their occupants, can be protected.

This will lead to fewer problems and reduced insurance premiums.

So, even if there ends up being a small degree of frustration at the start of the new requirements, the final results will be worth it.

And the community can rest just a little easier.

PHOTO: FPA AUSTRALIA

PHOTO: FPA AUSTRALIA

MAJOR INCIDENTS REPORT: A RECORD OF SIGNIFICANT EVENTS

NSW SES were busy during August 2022 and March 2023, with flooding occurring across all major inland river systems in the state.

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience has released the seventh edition of the Major Incidents Report, contributing to the year-on-year record of incidents considered significant by the emergency management sector.

ALANA BEITZ

AFAC

The latest report spans the 2022–23 financial year and identifies 27 major events, including flooding, storms, bushfires, structure fires, cyclones, earthquake, and a HAZMAT incident.

Of the incidents captured in the Major Incidents Report, nine case

studies, listed below, were selected for in-depth discussion. These identified recurring and emerging insights across hazards, sectors, and jurisdictions, which will be used to improve planning and practice across the emergency management sector.

In the report’s foreword, National Emergency Management Agency Deputy Coordinator General Joe Buffone said each of the case studies brought important insights and lessons and will support upcoming exercises to prepare for the future of emergency management.

“The observations will be invaluable for disaster management for future higher risk weather seasons,” he said. “With several major exercises occurring at the national and state level in 2023–24, the emergency management community can incorporate these lessons and increase both our own and the community’s preparedness and resilience.”

Murray–Darling Basin flooding (NSW, Victoria, and SA)

NSW experienced 213 continuous days of flood operations between August 2022 and March 2023, with multiple, and often concurrent, incident management teams in operation across each state. The River Murray flood in SA was the largest state flooding event in 50 years and is likely to incur the highest cost of any disaster event in South Australian history. The Victorian

statewide flood event lasted 89 days (6 October 2022 to 3 January 2023) across 63 local government areas.

North coast storms and floods (Tasmania)

Northern Tasmania experienced four severe weather events during October 2022. These caused Tasmania’s most significant floods since 2016. The extreme rainfall storm event of 12–17 October led to major flooding and caused evacuations in catchments across the north-west and northern regions.

Bushfires on the Western Downs (Queensland)

This event saw a continuous response to 522 fire incidents, including 38 bushfires that exceeded four hours in duration in the Western Downs region from 6 January to 11 March 2023. This was notable as fire seasons in Queensland have historically not extended into March.

Canberra recycling fire (ACT)

A structure fire on 26 December 2022 destroyed the Hume Materials Recovery Facility that provides waste management recycling services for the ACT and six surrounding regional NSW councils. The fire investigation report identified incorrectly disposed lithium batteries as the cause, highlighting some of the risks of these technologies.

PHOTO: NSW SES

Bushfire Central Region (NSW)

The 17,900 ha Alpha Road fire on 5 March 2023 was the largest since Black Summer. Early community engagement during this incident improved fire response and community outcomes.

North-western Australia flooding (WA and NT)

Cyclone Ellie was a short-lived tropical cyclone. However, as a tropical low, it spent two weeks causing enormous rainfall and flooding impacts on the landscape and communities, with some of the largest volumes of water and flows measured in Australia. The flooding of homes and destruction of the bridge at Fitzroy Crossing isolated the First Nations communities of the Martuwarra–Fitzroy River Valley and necessitated evacuations and complex resupply efforts using sea barges, aircraft, and a 12,000 km road detour.

Tropical low flooding (NT)

The week of 21–28 February 2023 saw storms and heavy rain fall across the northern tropics. The consequences of this event were felt most strongly at Kalkarindji, Daguragu, and Nitjpurru (communities in the Victoria River Valley). A key feature of this incident was the extensive engagement undertaken between the NT Government, NSW Rural Fire Service, community Elders, Northern Land Council, Victoria Daly Regional Council, the Walangeri Ngumpinku Aboriginal Corporation, and other community members to ensure that cultural and personal needs were addressed during the planning process.

HAZMAT radiological incident (WA)

The Gudai-Darri HAZMAT incident in the north-west of WA captured international and national attention as technical specialists attempted to find a ‘needle in a haystack’ by searching for a hazardous radioactive capsule in a vast remote area. The Department of Fire and Emergency Services led a multi-agency response effort using national expertise and technology to recover the capsule successfully.

Echunga dam failure (SA)

After significant rainfall in September 2022, a dam on a private property

in the Adelaide Hills showed signs of potential failure, threatening the small township of Echunga situated below the dam wall. The activation for this ‘sunny day’ event saw many complexities that needed to be managed. This included activating the engineering functional support group and zone emergency support team and implementing response actions with no previous on-ground experience.

Emergency and Disaster Management

Advisor Darryl Glover authored the 2023 Major Incidents Report, highlighting valuable lessons for the emergency management sector, and providing an important reminder of the need to work with the people at the centre of each of these events.

“It really struck me that not only do emergency services respond when we have these major events, but the community responds. We look at the scale of events we had across the nation, and within that there is a really strong story about how people pull together during emergencies,” he said.

For the first time, the 2023 Major Incidents Report is accompanied by a supporting document—Australia’s Riskscape—in which the team applied a systemic risk lens to reveal some of the broader antecedents that

are influencing how people and communities experienced these major incidents. Australia’s Riskscape includes some of the key national and global trends contributing to natural hazard risks, and the ways that social, health, economic, environmental, technological, and climate drivers may have influenced the risks and impacts of the major incidents that occurred in 2022–23.

Amid disruption and destruction, all disasters provide an opportunity to learn. By collating the observations of lesson management specialists and operations specialists involved in each incident, the Major Incidents Report continues to build the collective knowledge and understanding of the emergency management sector and supports measures to reduce the chance of the same thing happening again.

The 2023 Major Incidents Report is the result of multi-agency, nationwide collaboration. It was made possible through the support of Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee, the National Emergency Management Agency, and a steering committee of emergency management organisations from across Australia.

The 2023 Major Incidents Report and companion document Australia’s Riskscape are available on the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience website: https://knowledge. aidr.org.au/resources/major-incidentsreport

Left: Locals worked together to save the Ngurrarra Canvas artwork during flooding in Fitzroy Crossing.

PHOTO: ANDREA MYERS, YANUNIJARRA ABORIGINAL CORPORATION

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TAKING FLIGHT:

WORLD-CLASS AVIATION CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE IN NSW

Regional communities across NSW are set to benefit from an enhanced emergency response facility, with the NSW Rural Fire Service recently opening the new Aviation Centre of Excellence.

EMILIE KOEK

NSW Rural Fire Service

On 11 December 2023, NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib MP opened a new $8 million state-of-theart Aviation Centre of Excellence in Dubbo. The facility is the first of its kind in Australia and will be a base for specialist aerial firefighting personnel to train and prepare for responding to emergencies.

Located next to the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) State Training Academy near Dubbo Regional Airport, the Aviation Centre is home to four aerial training simulators where personnel can hone their skills in helicopters, fixed-wing aircraft, and winching in a controlled environment. To ensure the training is relevant to real-world scenarios, the technology creates realistic simulations based on real incidents that have been faced in recent fires, helping air crews to respond across a variety of aircraft.

Minister Dib said the Aviation Centre represented a modern approach to harness the latest in aerial technology.

“Emergency services require the tools and resources to protect our communities from the ever-present threat of bush and grass fires,” he said.

“Around the world, aviation resources are playing an increasingly important role in firefighting efforts and new technologies are helping to improve the way we target fires, so upskilling in this area is essential.”

NSW RFS provides training for

The new aviation training facility in Dubbo.

“The aviation simulators at the Centre provide the NSW RFS with the ability to train and develop skills safely that may be too unsafe to test in a real-world bushfire environment.”

NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers

more than 140 personnel to support aviation operations in a variety of roles including air attack supervisors, air observers, air base managers, air base operators, aircraft officers, and air operations managers. Most personnel who perform these roles are NSW RFS volunteer members across the state, who have received specialised training.

Housing two dedicated training spaces and 27 accommodation rooms, the new centre will be available for use by personnel from NSW RFS and from partner agencies.

NSW RFS Commissioner Rob Rogers said the purpose-built training centre was a significant asset.

“This is a game changer for our personnel, providing an invaluable platform for refining skills critical to aerial firefighting, contributing to the overall readiness of the service.

“The aviation simulators at the Centre provide the NSW RFS with the ability to train and develop skills safely that may be too unsafe to test in a real- world bushfire environment.

“These programs expand the experience and skills of our highly trained personnel and further increase the protection of residents across the state.”

The NSW RFS aviation training system has been developed and designed to simulate Air Attack Supervisor and Air Observer roles, with the ability to incrementally increase training intensity.

Virtual reality headsets are used to simulate all types of weather and fire conditions, and enable the personnel to look in, around, and out of a visual representation of a full aircraft.

The helmet-mounted devices simulate air traffic management and enable the instructor to alter scenarios to create new challenges. The NSW RFS Aviation and Operational Capability teams will continue to assess how best to integrate the simulator as part of the fire agency’s broader aviation training program.

AVIATION SIMULATORS

The four aviation simulators at the Aviation Centre of Excellence are in addition to four winch simulators operated at NSW RFS locations in Mogo, Armidale, Lithgow, and Glendenning.

PHOTO: NSW RFS

PHOTOS: NSW RFS

DISASTER CHALLENGE FINAL SHOWCASES INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS IN EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

A concept for young people aged 13–18 to take a leading role in disaster resilience in their local area took out the 2023 Disaster Challenge, run by Natural Hazards Research Australia in Melbourne.

NATHAN MADDOCK

Natural Hazards Research Australia

‘Youth Guardians’ was the winning concept by Lydia Wardale that addressed the ‘wicked problem’ posed for the Disaster Challenge: “In the midst of disruption, chaos, and calamity, how can resources from across society be accessed and connected in new and innovative ways to improve disaster response and link those who have the resources and supports with those that are most in need?”

“My solution to the wicked problem empowers teenagers to use their knowledge and experience,” said Lydia, a recent master’s graduate in development economics and public policy economics from the University of Queensland.

The inspiration behind the concept

comes from Lydia’s own experience as a teenager during the 2011 Brisbane floods, when her family home was flooded.

“Youth Guardians would be a youth-led engagement program for 13 to 18-year-olds to cultivate disaster resilience in their local area. Youth Guardians would provide youths with knowledge on disaster resilience and climate adaptation, while empowering them to connect and innovate in their communities, building on local strengths, and tackling local challenges and adaptation for likely future emergencies.”

Held on 12 October 2023, the eve of the United Nations International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, the Disaster Challenge invited early career researchers, undergraduate, and postgraduate students to present solutions to the wicked problem.

Natural Hazards Research Australia will now work with Lydia over the next 12 months to explore her concept further.

Joint runners-up Maya Walton, Chloe O’Brien, and Kathy Tran— undergraduate students from the University of Technology, Sydney— showcased their concept ‘Climate Day: Disaster preparedness in high schools’, which would build community resilience and emergency preparedness to help alleviate young people’s climate anxiety through immersive education

experiences, with the help of virtual reality.

Dr Catherine Kim (Queensland University of Technology), Dr Kate Saunders (Monash University/ Queensland University of Technology), and Dr Jess Hopf (Oregon State University) represented their broader team at the final and were also awarded as runners-up for their concept ‘Flood vulnerability index for Brisbane City’. The team drew on its own experience of the 2022 flooding in Queensland to tackle the overwhelming amount of data available during an emergency, with a concept for an app to give individuals insight into what flooding in their area will personally mean for them and their family.

The Disaster Challenge was adjudicated by an expert judging panel with extensive disaster management expertise comprising Dr Margaret Moreton, Executive Director at the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience; Jamie Devenish, Manager Community and Communications at Victoria State Emergency Services; and Dr Mittul Vahanvati, senior lecturer in sustainability and urban planning at RMIT University. The day also featured a special keynote from the Australian Red Cross’s Andrew Coghlan on the theme for the International Day for Disaster Risk Reduction, ‘Fighting

Above: NHRA CEO Andrew Gissing presents the award to Disaster Challenge winner Lydia Wardale.

PHOTO: NHRA

inequality for a resilient future’.

The 2023 Disaster Challenge was coordinated by Natural Hazards Research Australia and hosted with support from universities and emergency management organisations in Victoria: the Australian Red Cross, AFAC, the Country Fire Authority, the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action Victoria, Emergency

Disaster Challenge 2023

finalists:

“...Youth Guardians would provide youths with knowledge on disaster resilience and climate adaptation, while empowering them to connect and innovate in their communities, building on local strengths, and tackling local challenges and adaptation for likely future emergencies.”

Lydia Wardale

PHOTO: NHRA

Kathy Tran, Chloe O’Brien, Maya Walton, Dr Catherine Kim, Lydia Wardale, Dr Kate Saunders, and Dr Jess Hopf.

Management Victoria, Fire Rescue Victoria, the Inspector-General for Emergency Management Victoria, Monash University, RMIT University, the University of Melbourne, and the Yarra Ranges Council.

WHAT CAN BE LEARNED FROM THE TOKYO PLANE CRASH?

On 2 January 2024, an A350 plane collided with a Dash-8 coastguard aircraft while landing at Tokyo’s Haneda Airport. Miraculously, the 379 passengers on the jet survived, although tragically five lives were lost on the smaller plane. The incident gave insights into the fire risks and extinguishment challenges of modern composite aircraft, but will those lessons be learned?

MIKE WILLSON Willson Consulting

Larger modern aircraft using composite materials are becoming increasingly complex challenges for modern aviation rescue and firefighting (ARFF) services. Despite increasing passenger numbers, larger fuel loads, and the greater use of composites, weakened fire test standards like the new F3 MilSpec (US military specification) are potentially exposing passengers to increased risk.

When the Japan Airlines A350 crashed earlier this year, the ensuing fire burned for more than six hours before being extinguished.

The fire engulfed the entire plane, leaving the fuselage in cinders, with “… the severely damaged A350’s wings as the only identifiable pieces remaining of the plane’s charred and broken fuselage”.

But, given our knowledge of modern aircraft and their fire risks, what is stopping firefighters on the ground from controlling the fire more quickly? Why did it take so long before it was put out?

The complexity of composite materials

The US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) found in 2012 that smouldering composite material was difficult to extinguish and had the potential to reignite suddenly and unpredictably during passenger evacuations.

The US Navy additionally found that carbon fibres exposed to fire and/or

heat can release methyl ethyl ketone peroxide, a liquid catalyst used to accelerate the curing of fibreglass.

This polar solvent liquid is highly flammable, requiring alcohol-resistant (AR) foams to be extinguished quickly, effectively, and reliably.

Unfortunately, regular aviation fluorine-free foams (F3), or AFFF, are attacked by polar solvents, significantly reducing their effectiveness.

Composite materials increasingly used

There has been a surge in composite material use in recent years across many sectors, but especially in aviation. Boeing’s 787 uses 50% composites, Airbus’s A350 comprises 53% composite materials, and there is about 25% composite in Airbus’s A380.

This increased use of composite to make planes lighter has been driven by the need to reduce fuel consumption, maintenance, and corrosion, and to ensure that flying becomes more efficient without compromising safety.

In a 2019 review of these materials, the US Defense Systems Information Analysis Center (DSIAC) concluded that these had varying flammability, with higher fire hazard risks with a higher heat release rate, although this could be reduced with flame-retardant polymers, ceramic fibre blankets, and wraps.

This was demonstrated in Guam in 2008, when a mostly composite B-2 stealth bomber crashed shortly after take-off, resulting in a large fire and the complete loss of the aircraft. To fight the fire, respondents used 83,000 gallons

(314,155 L) of water and 2,500 gallons (9,463 L) of AFFF concentrate, but it still took six hours to extinguish.

Given that the larger A350 plane burned for a similar length of time, despite available sources of water and concentrate, and multiple response vehicles, it is hoped that lessons can be learned that will help to fight such fires in the future.

With global temperatures rising, affecting the performance and manoeuvrability of aircraft, there is a significant increase in the risk of overruns, runway incursions, near misses, and unforeseen accidents.

Yet, current foam agents potentially deliver slower fire control, resulting in longer times for extinguishment and quicker escalation risks if composite materials are off-gassing toxic and flammable vapours.

At a time when realistic live-fire training is harder to achieve, firefighters need confidence that the materials they use will be fit for purpose and able to bring high-hazard, hightemperature fires quickly under control.

Hot summers may reduce the foam cooling effect

Research by the US Naval Research Laboratory in 2015 and 2017 has shown that foams provide a dramatic cooling effect on high-temperature fires because “[as] a result of the large temperature gradient between the foam and fuel layers, heat conducts very quickly from the fuel to the foam, which reduces the surface temperature of the fuel”.

This has been shown to work at

room temperature (20°C), decreasing the temperature at the foam-fuel interface by around 15°C in less than 10 seconds. However, there are concerns that this could be dramatically reduced in hotter temperatures, making aircraft fires harder and slower to control and extinguish.

The introduction of composite materials into the mix, with their increased risks of reignition, could make these substances substantially less effective in dealing with aircraft fires.

The dangers of off-gassing

While Europe’s 2014 AircraftFire project found that composite burn-though times significantly exceeded five-minute regulations, suggesting that composites might be an efficient fire barrier, it cautioned that:

„ warming of the resin will destroy the cohesion between carbon fibres, changing the mechanical properties of the composite

„ a mechanical stress could therefore break the fibres as soon as the first layers of fibres are de-correlated „ the fast heat penetration in the composite can induce an off-gassing of pyrolysis products, which is potentially toxic and flammable.

When released into a cabin, it could have a fatal effect on passengers and the crew.

Such materials were also found to release an excess of fuel from the skin of the fuselage, which increases the danger for passengers as they evacuate and for firefighters attending the blaze until it is brought successfully under control.

F3s have previously been tested at the International Civil Aviation Organization’s Levels B and C, which require extinguishment within two minutes under cool (15°C) conditions, while in the latest NFPA 403 ARFF Services Standard, response times have been extended to three minutes.

Yet, given the potential for toxic and flammable gas to be released from composite material inside a plane after just tens of seconds, and potentially igniting within one minute, it would appear that the testing benchmarks are not reflecting the reality of modern aircraft, particularly during realistic, challenging summer operating conditions.

What does the NFPA recommend?

In NFPA 403-2018, an application rate of 7.5 L/min/m2 (0.18 gpm/ft2) has been recommended for ICAO Level B.

The standard explains, “There has been limited full-scale testing of ICAO C foams, but tests to date have reflected extinguishments on Jet A within one minute at ICAO application rates of 0.992 gpm/ft2 (3.75 L/min/ m2). The 0.13 gpm/ft2 (5.5 L/min/m2) application rate requirement for AFFF meeting MilSpec in NFPA 403 is 40% higher [safety factor].”

AFFF MilSpec uses a higher 330% safety factor to cover unexpected challenges when fire strikes, in order to keep people safe. Yet, it is questionable whether a very low 40% Level C safety factor would still be effective during hot summers, and Level B’s equivalent safety factor may be even worse, with the use of composites and the likelihood of hotter conditions.

Annex B.6 of the standard continues, “Airports adopting ICAO foam concentrates should evaluate equipment requirements any time a switch to a new manufacturer of foam concentrates is considered. Therefore, starting with 2018 edition of NFPA 403, the following application rates by test standard are used:

1. Mil-F 24385 and ICAO Level C = 0.13 gpm/ft2 or 5.5 L/min/m2

2. ICAO Level B = 0.18 gpm/ft2 or 7.5 L/min/m2

3. ICAO Level A = 0.20 gpm/ft2 or 8.2 L/min/m2.”

Increasing Level B ARFF application rates above the standard 5.5 L/min/m2 rates widely used by major airports currently, may be a valuable NFPA caution that airports should be urgently adopting to keep travellers safe.

Equally, it may be sensible to apply this increased Level B rate to new F3 MilSpec foams using the same fire test density.

Important additional tests absent from ICAO

At the moment, ICAO has no mechanism in its fire test protocol to check lean foam induction, dry chemical compatibility, realistic 5:1 expansion nozzle capability, or verifying firefighting foam functionality under the challenging temperatures of 40oC or above that are being increasingly experienced across continents.

A once only, single new foam (premixed) fire test conducted at 15°C is all that is needed to gain ICAO certification, and this result is valid forever. In contrast the MilSpec qualification requires nine or ten fire tests, with five-yearly repeat testing.

Clearly, more frequent testing and reverification is important to ensure passenger safety, particularly when materials are constantly changing and their performance under fire may not be well-known.

ICAO objectives underline safety, but fall short on delivery

ICAO’s latest Global Aviation Safety Plan (GASP) 2023-2025 confirms, “Values: GASP strives to enhance global civil aviation safety by:

a) promoting a positive safety culture

b) recognising and promoting the aviation sector’s responsibility for the safety of the public

c) encouraging collaboration, teamwork, and shared learning in the management of safety

d) protecting safety data and safety information

e) promoting the sharing and exchange of safety information

f) taking data-driven decisions

g) prioritising actions to address operational safety risks and organisational challenges through a risk-based approach

The growing use of composites in aircraft manufacturing increases fire risks and raises questions about current firefighting strategies.

PHOTO: JIJI PRESS/EPA-EFE/SHUTTERSTOCK

h) allocating resources to identify and analyse hazards, and address their consequences or outcomes through a risk-based approach i) proactively managing emerging issues.”

ICAO’s principal ARFF services’ objective is “to save lives in the event of an aircraft accident or incident. For this reason, the provision of means of dealing with an aircraft accident or incident occurring at, or in the vicinity of, an aerodrome assumes primary importance” (Chapter 10.5.7.1 of 2015 Airport Services Manual).

Providing such means—i.e. verifying that firefighting foams will work effectively—should be of primary importance. Duty of care requires more thorough testing, including beyond the minimum 15°C ICAO requirement to verify year-round functionality.

How do the F3 MilSpec v ICAO v AFFF MilSpec fire tests compare?

The comparison table at the end of this article highlights the significant differences between new F3, existing MilSpec, and ICAO, including fire testing mostly on easier Jet A fuel, not gasoline.

It shows that the new F3 MilSpec is more equivalent to ICAO Level B not C,

but with important extra testing beyond ICAO requirements. With slower extinguishments and a longer 50 ft2 preburn, it raises the question as to whether fuel volumes should be higher for F3 MilSpec.

ICAO uses a special nozzle delivering generally higher foam expansion than proprietary nozzles widely used by ARFF services (typically closer to 5:1 expansion), making it tougher to pass than ICAO’s test nozzle nearer 10:1 expansion.

NFPA Research Foundation testing in 2020 confirmed that F3s may require 25–50% higher application using 3–4:1 expansion than 7–8:1 expansion on volatile fuel fires like gasoline (relevant for on-airport car parks, including multistorey, often adjacent to terminal buildings).

F3 MilSpec benefits from reduced wind speed and short delay before burn-back testing, which does not represent realistic firefighting conditions.

However, do not be fooled by wide ambient temperature testing ranges, as fire testing is always conducted under the minimum required temperature conditions to attain the best results for qualification.

Verification testing requirements

should instead be conducted under hot summer conditions of 40°C or above, particularly when prevailing temperatures exceed the 38°C flashpoint of Jet A/A1 increasing vaporisation and volatility, so it behaves more like gasoline and is harder to extinguish, if we want to get a realistic understanding of the effectiveness of F3s.

Mandatory high temperature fire test requirements under MilSpec and ICAO should be an essential urgent inclusion to current regulations, to ensure that the lives of passengers, flight crews, and firefighters are not placed under unnecessarily increased danger, when operating under prevailing hot summer conditions.

The relatively safe aviation industry, which has had few major fires and has been able to rely upon rigorous existing MilSpec fire testing to date, has led to complacency, but maintaining high safety levels without unintentional erosion or compromise, through regular and rigorous testing, is critical to saving lives as aircraft fire conditions become more challenging.

Let us hope new evidence can be gleaned from this Tokyo A350 fire to help make us all safer as we travel in future.

Suitability

Land-based, freshwater only

Foam proportioning % 3% only

Foam proportioning tolerance

Fire area

Fuels

Volumes fuel used (on water base)

Qty fire tests required

Foam used

Normal 3%: 2.9–3.1%

Lean 1.5%: 1.45–1.55%

Rich 6%: 5.8–6.2%

Circular 28 ft2 (2.6 m2)

Circular 50 ft2 (4.64 m2)

Freshwater only

Land and sea, fresh and seawater

1%, 3% or 6% 3% and 6% versions

Normal 3%: 2.8–3.1%

Lean 1.5%: 1.45–1.55%

Rich 15%: 12–18%

Level B: circular 4.5 m2 (49 ft2)

Level C: circular 7.32 m2 (79 ft2)

All Jet A except 1 x 28 ft2 ULG Jet A1

10 gals (38 L) 28 ft2

15 gals (57 L) 50 ft2

9: 8 x 28 ft2 (1 x ULG) 1 x 50 ft2 (Jet A)

New and aged*

Dry chem fire compatibility Yes

Passes required

Foam nozzle and flow rate

Application

Foam solution temperature

Fuel and water substrate temperatures

Wind speed max

2 of 3 attempts (66% success!) why is 33% failure rate acceptable? … Increases life risk

Requalification every 5 years

MilSpec 2 gpm (7.5 L/min) – 28 ft2

Modified 3 gpm (11.3 L/min) 50 ft2 Jet A

Level B: 100 L

Level C: 157 L

1 only

Circular 28 ft2 (2.6 m2)

Circular 50 ft2 (4.64 m2)

All ULG

10 gals (38 L) 28 ft2

15 gals (57 L) 50 ft2

10: 9 x 28 ft2 1 x 50 ft2 (all ULG)

New only New and aged*

None Yes

One pass only potentially out of 100 attempts ... No duplicate pass required … ever

UNI86 11.4 L/min (2.8 gpm) special high-expansion nozzle

g/ft2) freshwater only

0.06 g/ft2 (2.46 L/m2) freshwater only

18–28oC (64–82oF)

10–32oC (50–89oF)

5 mph (2.23 m/sec)

Foam expansion ratio min 7:1

Preburn

Extinguishment time (pass)

Burn-back commenced (from end foam application)

KEY

All tests must pass (100% success) Requalification every 5 years

MilSpec 2 gpm (7.5 L/min) – 28 ft2 and 50 ft2 (all ULG)

0.07 g/ft2 (2.87 L/m2) fresh and seawater

Level C: 1.56 L/m2 (0.04 g/ft2) freshwater only 0.04 g/ft2 (1.64 L/m2) fresh and seawater

ND

15oC (59oF)

3 m/sec (6.7 mph)

10 sec 28 ft2 (Jet A and ULG); 60 sec 50 ft2 (Jet A)

28 ft2: Jet A—30 sec (new foam, 60 sec aged), 60 sec ULG

50 ft2: Jet A—60 sec (75% out in 20 sec) freshwater only

After 30 sec (45+-15 sec)

NR = not required; ND = not defined; ULG = unleaded gasoline; * = 10 days @65oC (149oF)

More stringent testing

18–28oC (64–82oF)

10 mph (4.7 m/sec)

ND (typically 8–10:1) min 5:1

60 sec

Level B: flickers allowed up to 120 sec freshwater only

Level C: flickers allowed up to 120 sec freshwater only

After 120 sec

Easier Potential danger

10 sec 28 ft2 and 50 ft2 (ULG only)

28 ft2: ULG—30 sec (new and aged, fresh and seawater), 45 sec half-strength, (fresh and seawater), 55 sec RICH seawater; 50 ft2: ULG 50 sec (seawater)

Within 60 sec (implying 55–59 sec)

GROUND BURNING IN THE DESERT: INNOVATIVE ON-COUNTRY FIRE TRAINING

The Bushfire Centre of Excellence and the Indigenous Desert Alliance have joined forces to create Ground Burning in the Desert, a new and innovative planned burning training course.

BUSHFIRE CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE, DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES, WA

Ground Burning in the Desert is a unique course that has been specifically designed for and by Traditional Owners and First Nations ranger groups in Desert Country to be culturally appropriate and delivered on-Country. It incorporates local, cultural, and environmental needs and teaches valuable skills for deliberate burning around cultural sites, threatened species habitats, and infrastructure to reduce fuel loads.

The training is flexible enough to incorporate existing ranger skills and local knowledge, increasing awareness of contemporary equipment and methods.

Bushfire Centre of Excellence (BCoE) District Officer Training

Delivery Russell Wells said the course provides knowledge, skills, and resources to help rangers gain a better understanding of planned burning.

“The rangers will learn how to use the latest tools and techniques to identify, prepare, and conduct a planned burn. They will also learn to identify fuel loads, assess fire risk, and develop a burn plan,” District Officer Wells said.

“Due to the practical, hands-on

nature of the training, it’s relevant and contextualised to the local conditions to give the rangers more tools to use fire the right way. They will also learn how to monitor and assess the effectiveness of their burn plan, how to prepare and use fire tools, and the importance of fire safety and awareness.”

In June 2023, BCoE staff, together with Indigenous Desert Alliance (IDA) trainers, travelled to Yagga Yagga to run a three-day pilot of the training course with the Ngururrpa Ranger Group. The pilot course trialled the training product and consisted of a range of activities including burn planning, a burn site tour, weather monitoring, creating firebreaks, and asset protection.

A second pilot was held in July 2023, in Cosmo Newberry with the Yilka Heritage and Land Care Rangers. There was a shared enthusiasm by both ranger groups, IDA and the BCoE,

and the feedback on this shared learning was extremely positive.

BCoE Traditional and Cultural Fire Officer Clifton Bieundurry, who assisted with the pilot courses, said that burning is an important tool used to care for Country, and that these partnerships provide great opportunities to share both cultural and contemporary knowledge.

“What sets this course apart was the shift from traditional classroom-style delivery to a more practical approach,” explained Officer Bieundurry.

“It was great to see the dynamic two-way learning environment, and the active and engaging participation of all the rangers.

“Traditional Owners managing their Country draw on a long tradition of burning expertise when undertaking bushfire mitigation. This course acknowledges and respects this and

allows traditional knowledge to be shared in the right way.”

Feedback and insights from both pilots will play a key role in finalising the course by the end of 2024 and in ensuring its sustainability.

IDA will manage the delivery of the training with desert ranger groups.

The Ground Burning in the Desert course will give rangers practical training and more confidence to protect their land and their culture, and continue to support sustainable fire management practices with future generations.

For more information, contact bcoetraining@dfes.wa.gov.au

“It was great to see the dynamic two-way learning environment, and the active and engaging participation of all the rangers.”

BCoE Traditional and Cultural Fire Officer Clifton Bieundurry

PHOTOS: DFES

NATIONAL RESOURCE SHARING CENTRE: A RECORD SIX-MONTH ACTIVATION

During 2023, the AFAC National Resource Sharing Centre recorded its longest activation to date, from 18 May to 28 November, supporting deployments to the NT, NSW, WA, Queensland, and Canada.

BRANDON HUTCHINSON

AFAC

In late May 2023, the first contingent of more than 200 firefighters and incident management specialists was deployed to Canada, following a request for assistance from the Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre. By the end of that international deployment a total of 746 personnel from all jurisdictions across Australia, as well as New Zealand, had been deployed to Alberta, British Columbia, and the Northwest Territories.

Canada had been battling one of its most difficult fire seasons, with early and unprecedented fire activity seeing more than 6,000 wildfires burning 16.5 million hectares across the country. Thousands of international resources from Australasia, the US, Central and South America, Europe, and South Africa were key in assisting wildfire suppression efforts. Antipodean personnel fulfilled arduous firefighter, incident management, and aviation management and supervision roles, representing fire, land management, and state emergency service agencies. Activations continued nationally

Thousands of international resources from Australasia, the US, Central and South America, Europe, and South Africa were key in assisting wildfire suppression efforts.

on 13 September, following a request for assistance from Bushfires NT. From the SA Country Fire Service and NSW Rural Fire Service, 117 personnel were deployed to Tennant Creek to support bushfire suppression activities, including liaison officers and strike teams. The territory had been battling multiple fires fuelled by protracted catastrophic fire conditions, including a large fire in the Barkly Region.

The National Resource Sharing Centre (NRSC) responded again on 27 October following a request for assistance from Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. Several regions in Queensland had been experiencing significant fire activity since early September, with complex fuel conditions favourable for continued and intensifying fire activity. Over the course of four weeks, 665 personnel and 33 vehicles were deployed from the ACT, Victoria, and New Zealand. Most personnel were strike team crew members (523), with liaison officers, aviation support, specialist roles, IMT personnel, and NRSC deployment managers also deployed.

Further deployments were seen in NSW following their significant and protracted fire activity throughout October.

1. An Australian Incident Management Team in Fort Smith, Canada, prior to evacuation.

2. Australians integrated with Canadian and American personnel, in May 2023 to bolster the international incident management team during the Canadian wildfire response.

3. South Australian firefighters deployed to Northern Territory in September 2023 to support operations.

4. Victorian firefighters are welcomed home following their deployment to Canada.

PHOTO: TERENCE SIRIWARDENA

PHOTO: NSW RFS

PHOTO: SA CFS

PHOTO:FFMV

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“The Certificate II course has given me the knowledge and confidence to present to clients as well as within the industry when conducting testing and inspections. It has also given me a greater understanding of the Australian Standards which is beneficial on every aspect within the industry.”

Patrick Markos Sales and Service Technician

SECONDS MATTER: MODERN HOMES REQUIRE MODERN FIRE SAFETY SYSTEMS

Modern homes, filled with plastics and foams, can spiral rapidly into flashover, blocking safe escape and placing the lives of you and your loved ones in peril. The quest to make our homes more comfortable has inadvertently introduced fire risks—synthetic furnishings and furniture, open-plan designs, and lightweight construction all helping to stoke the rapid development of a modern home fire.

MARK WHYBRO

Home Fire Sprinkler Coalition Australia

Fire was once a slower-moving threat, when buildings constructed and furnished with fire-resistant materials smouldered, rather than rapidly flamed.

But today—thanks to significantly increased fuel loads—our modern homes burn at a fierce pace, a stark contrast to the double-brick-andhardwood-timber constructions of previous generations.

Synthetic building materials can release lethal and highly flammable fumes at lower temperatures, feeding the fire, and creating thick, toxic smoke that can rapidly disorient and incapacitate residents. The result is that people now have as little as two to three minutes to escape a burning building safely, before their lives are critically threatened by heat and smoke.

Each year in Australia there are around 64 preventable fire fatalities —a ‘diffused disaster’ of one here, another there, maybe more than one, or a family. Tragically, this means that, on average, more than one Australian every week loses their life in a home fire.

And yet there is a tried, tested, and trusted solution: automatic home fire sprinkler systems. Unlike smoke alarms, which can only warn of danger, home fire sprinklers actively fight the fire. Each unobtrusive concealed sprinkler head in a residential system can sense a tell-tale rise in temperature, releasing

a spray of water that directly tackles the fire at its point of ignition.

Targeting the source as early as possible not only controls or extinguishes the flames but also reduces the toxic gases produced, cools the surrounding environment, and greatly increases the chances of a safe evacuation.

Statistics consistently prove the lifesaving benefits of home fire sprinklers. The US National Fire Protection Association’s research confirmed homes where sprinkler systems were installed have an 87% reduction in firerelated deaths. That’s nine out of ten lives potentially saved by a network of strategically placed water sprinklers. There is simply no single home fire safety measure as effective as home fire sprinklers.

Sprinklers don’t just prevent deaths—burn injuries can be among the most debilitating and expensive conditions. Studies have shown that sprinklered homes reduce fire-related injuries by more than 50%, halving the number of people who suffer the physical and psychological trauma of the smoke and heat.

While life safety is primary, fire sprinklers also do a remarkable job of reducing damage and loss in homes and their contents. Homes with fire sprinklers more than halve the fire

damage of uncontrolled fire, saving financial stress and dislocation.

Sprinkler systems can also protect your neighbours by confining the fire to its area of origin, reducing the threat of house-to-house fire growth, an escalation too often seen in Australia’s bushfires.

Faced with this consistent and compelling evidence, the reasonable question to ask is “Why aren’t home sprinklers currently required in Australian homes?” While perceived concerns persist, ranging from water leaks to ugliness, these can be managed with effective and sensitive design.

Cost, too, is an oft-stated reason for resistance, but in new buildings this is offset by other concessions and in retrofits these systems can be installed affordably. And any cost pales in comparison to the cost of a lost life or having to rebuild or start again.

Despite fire sprinklers being common in workplaces, offices, commercial, industrial, and retail buildings, knowledge of how they work is not universal. Sprinkler heads are precision-designed, activating when the plug, link, or glass bulb holding back the system’s water fails at a specific temperature (around 60–70°C for residential heads). Because they are primarily intended for saving lives, residential sprinkler heads are typically designed to operate at lower temperatures than commercial or industrial heads.

Water released through the sprinkler head hits a deflector, turning the stream into a spray and spreading it in a pattern calculated to provide the most effective fire suppression. By hitting the fire as quickly as possible with water, our most effective and readily available extinguishing agent, it considerably increases the chances of a fire being contained to the object or area of origin and minimising damage.

Our homes are increasingly designed for comfort and convenient living, but this comes with a known increased risk in the event of fire.

The fires of our grandparents’ days are a thing of the past, and the challenges of protecting your loved ones, and yourself, are far more significant than ever before.

Fire safety needs constant improvement, and home fire sprinklers are increasingly becoming the most effective fire safety measure we have, and a vital and fitting addition to all modern homes.

The year 2024 marks the 150th anniversary of Henry S Parmalee of New Haven, Connecticut in the USA, taking out a patent on a fire sprinkler that noticeably improved the performance of the earliest models. For a century and a half, fire sprinklers have successfully protected life and property with dependable, well proven, and often innovative technologies. As buildings developed, grew, and evolved, so too did the systems that provided safe, reliable, fit-for-purpose, and cost-effective, water-based fire safety. Underpinning this evolution is a simple principle—putting the fire out as early as possible drastically reduces the number and size of your problems.

PHOTO: PEXELS

ADVOCACY CORNER

FPA Australia is gearing up for a busy year in the regulatory space, as governments throughout the country continue to roll out fire safety reforms.

PAUL WATERHOUSE

FPA Australia

A new year, new goals, and a desire for change—for 2024, most governments have put regulatory reforms on their list of new year’s resolutions.

From the detection of defects to the registration of engineers, the construction sector—including fire protection—will still face significant changes over the next 12 months as regulators continue to grapple with the recommendations of the Building Confidence report.

The fire protection industry has not escaped scrutiny, with reports from NSW suggesting that a quarter of all defects in buildings still relate to fire safety systems … not a leaderboard anyone wants to be on.

This higher level of concern underpins the increase in attention,

as regulators look to reduce costs and angst for apartment owners, and deliver better quality buildings.

In NSW, that’s led to the development of a Building Act that, when passed later this year, will capture all areas of construction, including licensing and registration.

In WA, SA, and the ACT governments have been rolling out registration for engineers and allied roles, as they seek to exert greater control over the design process requirements.

The Victorian Building Authority (VBA) redefined fire safety roles as plumbing work some time ago, and the restrictions on who can perform such activities have required some practitioners to undertake additional training for routine service work.

The Queensland Building and Construction Commission (QBCC) has taken a lead on registration, licensing almost everything that moves in the construction sector a few years ago, and the industry is still adapting.

Tasmania and NT are also looking at reforms, with some licences and permits already in place in the Apple Isle, and conversations about possible changes are ongoing with both jurisdictions.

For practitioners, the differences in state requirements have been a little confusing. For the industry as a whole, creativity in definitions has been restricting options for automatic mutual recognition, which is becoming a worthwhile but relatively unobtainable goal.

FPA Australia’s National Advocacy Framework aims to increase our local representation, build relationships, and ensure national consistency in our policy positions.

We’re working on our strategies for the next 12 months, engaging more with governments, and reinforcing our position as the voice of fire protection.

There’s a lot to do, but we’re committed to the cause. We’re working with our members to increase professionalism, to make fire protection a career of choice for future entrants, and to be a world leader in the industry.

The goal for everyone is a safer community—the differences lie in how we’re going to get there. The Association is determined to ensure that our positions are consistent and our advocacy is effective.

PHOTO: PEXELS

BLAST FROM THE PAST

1.

2. Theatre on fire, 24 February 1809.

3. The theatre as it was in 1809.

4. The Theatre Royal Drury Lane as it is today.

THEATRE ROYAL BLAZE DEVASTATES DRURY LANE—1809

BARRY LEE OAM

Built when a royal charter was granted in 1662, the Theatre Royal Drury Lane gained notoriety as the place where Charles II first saw his mistress, Nell Gwyn. It escaped the Great Fire of London, but was then completely destroyed by fire in 1672. Rebuilt by Christopher Wren and reopening in 1674, it fell into disrepair by the 1790s and was closed for renovation, when extra tiers were added, water tanks were installed above the auditorium, and a fire-resisting iron safety curtain added, which was given star billing when the theatre again opened in 1794.

The theatre survived for 15 years but, despite the new precautionary measures, around 11.00 pm on 24 February 1809, flames burst from the lobby windows and smoke began to pour from every part of the theatre. In less than 15 minutes, the building was covered in an unbroken wall of flame.

After about 30 minutes, a great statue of Apollo holding a lyre crashed into the pit, followed by the roof falling in. The water tank on the roof was empty on this particular day, so the fire continued unchecked. Ten minutes after the fire was discovered, the auditorium—constructed almost entirely from timber for acoustic reasons—was completely engulfed.

At 11.45 pm, a body of horse guards, foot guards, and volunteers arrived on the scene. However, by that time, very little could be done. The theatre walls began to collapse, and the spreading fire damaged a great number of houses all the way up Drury Lane.

According to an authoritative source, the owner, Richard Brinsley Sheridan, was engaged in a debate in the House of Commons when news of the fire came. Although it was moved on his behalf that the House should adjourn, he insisted that “public duty should precede all private interest”, and

remained there with Roman fortitude while his theatre burned.

Not only was the fire a financial disaster—the damage bill exceeded £250,000—but it was also a great heritage loss. Objects of historical and sentimental value were destroyed, including both an organ once owned by Handel and a bust of George IV, which had been presented to the theatre by the King. The cause of the fire was never satisfactorily resolved.

The current Theatre Royal Drury Lane was designed by Benjamin Dean Wyatt and finished in 1812. Fire protection then installed was detailed by Congreve. Among other things, it included a pressurised reservoir (capacity 400 hogsheads), feeding pipework “connected to every part of the theatre in which a fire may happen”, and operated by register outside the building.

“The reservoir was furnished with a powerful condensing air pump (air compressor) and half filled with water. Such a condensation of air was produced in the other half of the reservoir (equal to about six atmospheres) as was sufficient, on opening of the sluice on the water supply main, to force the whole of the water contained in the reservoir into every part of the theatre. As this compressed air is well guarded from escape, the small loss by absorption, or otherwise, will be such that the required condensation may be kept by very little occasional attention to the condenser.”

Metal-covered fire doors were installed circa 1902, and the theatre was extensively renovated in 2013, returning the public areas of the Rotunda, Royal Staircases, and Grand Saloon, all of which were part of the original theatre.

PHOTO: ACKERMANN’S REPOSITORY OF ARTS

PHOTO: VICTORIA AND ALBERT MUSEUM, LONDON PHOTO: BARRY LEE OAM

The new theatre in 1812.

PHOTO: GUILDHALL ART GALLERY

PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SECTOR: TAKING COLLABORATION TO THE SKIES

In this regular series, AFAC CEO Rob Webb interviews a leader in the fire and emergency services sector.

This edition he speaks to Josephine Stirling, National Aerial Firefighting Centre Deputy Director, about the contracted national Large Air Tanker helping state and territory governments to keep Australians safe during the 2023–24 bushfire season.

ROB WEBB AFAC

This is the third time the national Large Air Tanker (LAT) has been stationed in Australia.

How is this arranged and what are the benefits to fire authorities?

The national LAT is a significant boost to Australia’s capability this season and demonstrates a continued partnership between the federal and state and territory governments to protect communities against the impacts of bushfire. The National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) is proud to support this partnership as a collaboration entity and deliver greater value by streamlining the procurement of the national LAT alongside other aircraft in the NAFC fleet.

The national LAT, a converted Boeing 737 operated by Coulson Aviation, is funded by the Australian Government to the tune of $4.1 million. This provides for the standing charges of the national LAT and the smaller lead plane, and contributes to the cost of ferrying the aircraft across the country. States and territories play an important role by contributing infrastructure, supervision, support, and covering operational costs while the aircraft is in-country, with hourly operating charges borne by the jurisdiction benefiting from the resource.

Contracting an aircraft of this scale is a significant cost that is out of reach for many Australian fire agencies. By pooling resources together and working collaboratively with the support of the Australian Government, all Australian states and territories now have exclusive access to the national LAT until March 2024. NSW will support the aircraft initially at Richmond RAAF Airbase, although it can be moved to a longerterm deployment to other airbases if required.

The National Large Air Tanker for the 2023–24 season was launched at Richmond RAAF Airbase in December 2023.

The speed of the national LAT means that it can be on the east coast of Australia in the morning and deploy to operations in the west in the afternoon. How are decisions about the positioning and deployment of the national LAT made?

LATs are extremely mobile and able to quickly deploy across the country. This is especially effective for situations that may not otherwise be well served by other aerial or ground firefighting resources, or where there is an identified need for increased capability to a major event.

The national LAT is pre-positioned across Australia based on the areas of highest risk or concern, and is able to be deployed wherever the need is greatest throughout the season, based on risk factors on the ground. Visibility of national risk levels are shared between agencies through the Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee (CCOSC), representing emergency management leaders across the country. Working together, the CCOSC members map their jurisdictional capability against current and forecast risk, and agree to pre-position or deploy the national LAT accordingly.

The AFAC National Resource Sharing Centre (NRSC) facilitates these CCOSC decisions about deploying the national LAT, by managing requests from jurisdictions and providing CCOSC with the information and timelines needed for their decision. This process aligns to the other work of the AFAC NRSC to facilitate sharing of other NAFC contracted aircraft between jurisdictions, and to support the deployment of personnel and other resources to large-scale incidents.

Tell us more about the national LAT aircraft. What are some of its key features and how is it supported by the national lead plane?

The national LAT, also known as Tanker 137, is a Boeing 737 commercial airliner converted by Coulson Aviation into a multi-mission Fireliner. Coulson Aviation is the first company in the world to convert these commercial aircraft to use for aerial firefighting, and each Fireliner receives more than 43,000

PHOTO: NEMA

technician hours to become fully compliant and operational.

This model can drop up to 15,000 litres of retardant or water. Importantly, it offers increased safety, productivity, and cost-effectiveness, and provides a capability that is effective in bushfire situations where other resources may not be available, deployable, or effective. There is a diversity of aircraft in the national fleet that each play a critical and specialised role in how we manage emergencies, but the LAT stands out for its weight of suppression, particularly for initial attack, and its speed of deployment and repositioning.

The national LAT is supported by a lead plane, a smaller aircraft that plays an important role by assisting and directing the LAT to drop retardant. Lead planes are also responsible for the initial scouting of appropriate drop zones for LATs. The national lead plane, also funded by the Australian Government, is a Cessna Citation 525 operated by Australian company AGAIR and will support the national LAT and other LATs as required across the country this fire season.

The Australian and international crews on these aircraft have decades of flying and aerial firefighting experience and have worked in Australia for the last nine fire seasons in various states. They are familiar with the terrain and work side-by-side with Australian agencies to get the best outcomes for communities they are protecting.

The national LAT supports the existing NAFC fleet in Australia. What is the composition of the fleet in 2023–24 and how do they work together?

The national LAT is contracted to work with and supplement the current 174-strong fleet of large air tanker, fixed wing, and rotary wing firefighting aircraft that are operating across Australia in 2023–24. Australia’s capability is further supported through NAFC’s call-when-needed fleet of more than 250 aircraft.

The diversity in the NAFC fleet continues to be an effective approach to aerial firefighting in Australia that accommodates our range of emergencies and differing budgetary environments. The Australian Government funds $31 million annually to NAFC to coordinate a fleet of highly specialised firefighting aircraft, alongside contributions from state and territory governments. Through AFAC NRSC arrangements, these state-based resources can also be deployed interstate by request, further reinforcing Australia’s collaborative and flexible approach to emergency management.

Larger aircraft such as the national LAT have an important role to play in initial attack, and this capability is both complemented and supported by the role of smaller and more versatile aircraft in the fleet. Together, they work with ground crews to represent the agencies’ best aerial firefighting expertise.

NAFC’s purpose is to deliver aerial support to its members through national collaboration and cooperation. We’re proud to have delivered our largest aerial firefighting fleet in the 2023–24 season to support fire agencies’ important work to protect communities from the impacts of bushfire.

2

3

Procuring a shared national LAT signifies a shift in the way we contract firefighting aircraft. What does this say about arrangements into the future?

Every year, bushfires in Australia threaten communities and cause substantial damage and economic loss. Well-documented changes in climate, demographics, and settlement patterns indicate increasing risk and a greater role for mitigation measures such as aerial firefighting.

The Royal Commission following the Black Summer bushfires recommended that Australia maintain a sovereign aerial firefighting capability, and in September 2021 the first national LAT was added to Australia’s existing firefighting capability. The 174-strong NAFC contracted fleet is provided mostly by leases with Australian companies, supplemented by larger aircraft sourced from North America in partnership with Australian providers. We are continuing our work with federal and state and territory governments and Australian industry to again secure a sovereign capability in Australia for the 2023–24 season.

We know that climate challenges are not unique to Australia, and with changing fire seasons globally and demand for the larger resources growing, we have to remain adaptive as the risks and resources shift. NAFC will continue to work with the Australian Government to explore opportunities to guarantee the availability of these aviation assets, which could include greater sovereign capability into the future.

The collaborative effort to secure the national LAT demonstrates that the capability of fire and emergency aviation is optimised through resource sharing, cooperation, and communication with the Australian, state and territory governments, international bodies, and industry partners. Whatever challenges the future brings, our success will be grounded in the valuable collaboration we are continuing to build upon each year. w

1. Federal Minister for Emergency Management Murray Watt aboard the national LAT with Coulson Aviation pilot John Gallaher.

2. Federal Minister Murray Watt introduces the National LAT at Richmond RAAF Airbase.

3. National Emergency Management Agency Deputy Coordinator General Joe Buffone and Coordinator General Brendan Moon with the national LAT.

WOMEN IN FIRE AND EMERGENCY: AWE EXCELLENCE AWARDS

The Australasian Women in Emergencies Excellence Awards recognise

and honour

the contributions of women to emergency management and disaster resilience.

BRIDGET TEHAN

President, Australasian

Women in Emergencies Network

The inaugural Australasian Women in Emergencies (AWE) Excellence Awards were presented at the AWE Day Forum in October 2023 by Ruth Wraith OAM, who acknowledged the award recipients’ dedicated work across a wide range of services that support Australasian communities.

“Today, in comparison to the relatively recent past, women hold key roles and responsibilities in all aspects of emergency management and disaster resilience, and carry these out to a high standard. It is more than timely that their contributions are acknowledged in a public way,” she said.

The winners of the AWE Excellence Awards across eight categories are:

Excellence Award (Leadership) for an individual whose leadership has significantly enhanced the emergency management and disaster resilience sector.

Natasha Hallett, Maritime New Zealand

Natasha Hallett inspires with her positive, can-do attitude. She excels in both strategic thinking and operational delivery, and her exceptional people skills and the respect she earns from peers and colleagues are noteworthy. Natasha’s inclusive and proactive approach greatly influences her work’s success.

Excellence Award (Individual) for an individual that has made an important contribution to emergency management and/or disaster resilience.

Natalie Gyles, New Zealand Red Cross

Natalie Gyles plays a pivotal role in the Wellington Emergency Response Team (NZRT8), leading it to become the first accredited team in New Zealand under a new framework. She demonstrates keen attention to detail and her commitment and capabilities make her an exemplary emergency responder.

BURNING AMBITION

Excellence Award (Senior) for an individual who has made an important legacy contribution to emergency management and/ or disaster resilience.

Sue Gordon, Telstra (retired)

With a 41-year career at Telstra, Sue Gordon served as Telstra’s Emergency Services Liaison Officer from 2011. She played a crucial role in supporting Tasmania during various emergencies, including fires, floods, storms, and the COVID-19 pandemic. Her telecommunications expertise ensured connectivity for communities in need.

Excellence Award (Emerging Leaders) for a younger individual who is making an important contribution to emergency management and/or disaster resilience.

Pareesha Mehta-Wilson, Greater Wellington Regional Council

In just eight months, Pareesha MehtaWilson progressed from a volunteer to an accomplished emergency management professional at Greater Wellington Regional Council. She excels in policy interpretation, crisis management team readiness, and business continuity management.

Excellence Award (Mentor) for an individual who supports and encourages women in the emergency management and/or disaster resilience sector.

Cheryl Ames, Tasmania Fire and Emergency Service

With extensive experience in emergency management, Cheryl Ames is highly respected in her role and the wider sector. She offers valuable guidance and mentoring, going above and beyond to support others. Cheryl’s contributions have helped to increase the number of women in emergency management in Tasmania.

Excellence Award (Volunteer) for an individual whose volunteering makes a significant contribution to local emergency management and disaster resilience.

Kerry Turpin, NSW Marine Rescue

A dedicated NSW Marine Rescue volunteer, Kerry Turpin demonstrated exceptional leadership and selflessness during the 2022 floods in Wardell, Northern Rivers. Kerry’s extensive training and community involvement, coupled with her calm and empathetic nature, make her a highly deserving candidate for recognition.

Excellence Award (Community member) for an individual or small group whose contribution has strengthened their community’s disaster resilience.

Cheryl Dimmock, Iluka NSW

Cheryl Dimmock has made exceptional contributions to the Iluka community including founding the Iluka Community Organisation Planning for Emergencies (ICOPE). She has organised community events, enhancing awareness of emergency situations, and her meticulous attention to detail and strategic thinking has set new standards.

Excellence Award (Inclusion and Diversity) for an individual or small group whose work is helping ensure emergency management and disaster resilience is inclusive of everyone.

Rachel Burns, Emergency Recovery Victoria

Rachel Burns has made an exceptional contribution to emergency management through her focus on resilience building in support of First Nations peoples in Victoria. By quickly building connecting relationships, she has focused on community choice in recovery outcomes ahead of the next emergency.

Learn more about the AWE Excellence Awards at: www.awenetwork.org.au/awe-day/awards

AUSTRALIAN STANDARDS

CE-030 Maritime structures

AS 4997 Guidelines for the design of maritime structures is being drafted by the Standards Committee. Working group meetings continue.

EL-031 Alarm and electronic security systems

Public consultation has closed on the open supervised device protocol (OSDP) in AS/NZS

IEC 60839.11.5 Alarm and electronic security systems, Part 11.5: Electronic access control systems

AS 4421 Guards and patrol security services was published on 15 December 2023.

EM-001 Electric vehicle operation

Progress continues on the revisions of SA TS 5396 Technical Specification—Electric vehicle (EV) chargers for residential use and SA TS 5397 Technical Specification— Electric vehicle (EV) chargers for commercial applications.

FP-002 Fire detection, warning, control, and intercom systems

AS 1670.1 Fire detection, warning, control, and intercom systems—System design, installation and commissioning, Part 1: Fire and AS 1670.4 Fire detection, warning, control, and intercom systems—System design, installation and commissioning, Part 4: Emergency warning and intercom systems are out for public comment.

AS 1670.3 Fire detection, warning, control, and intercom systems—System design, installation and commissioning, Part 3: Fire alarm monitoring is being drafted.

AS 4428.17 Fire detection, warning, control, and intercom systems—Control and indicating equipment, Part 17: Fire services key is out for public comment.

The Standards Committee is also drafting AS 7240.2 Fire Detection and Alarm Systems, Part 2: Fire detection control and indicating equipment (ISO 7240-2:2017, MOD).

FP-004 Automatic fire sprinkler installations

AS 2118.1-2017 Amd 3 Automatic fire sprinkler systems, Part 1: General systems and AS 2118.4 Automatic fire sprinkler systems, Part 4: Sprinkler protection for accommodation buildings not exceeding four storeys in height are being drafted.

Public consultation on AS 2118.6. Automatic fire sprinkler systems, Part 6: Combined sprinkler and hydrant systems in multi-storey buildings has closed.

FP-018 Fire safety

The Standards Committee is drafting AS 1530.4 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 4: Fire-resistance tests for elements of construction

Public comment is being sought on:

◆ AS 1530.1 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 1: Combustibility test for materials

◆ AS 1530.8.1: 2018 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 8.1: Tests on elements of construction for buildings exposed to simulated bushfire attack—Radiant heat and small flaming sources

◆ AS 1530.8.2-2018 Methods for fire tests on building materials, components and structures, Part 8.2: Tests on elements of construction for buildings exposed to simulated bushfire attack—Large flaming sources

FP-020 Construction in bushfire-prone areas

Handbook Part 1 for AS 3959 Maintenance of construction in bushfire-prone areas: practitioners handbook (SA HB 208) is in the final stages drafting.

Changes to AS 3959 Construction of buildings in bushfire-prone areas are being drafted by the Standards Committee and are expected to be available for public comment in February.

LG-007 Emergency lighting in buildings

Three documents are being drafted by the Standards Committee:

◆ AS 2293.1 Emergency lighting and exit signs for buildings, Part 1: System design, installation, and operation

◆ AS 2293.2 Emergency lighting and exit signs for buildings, Part 2: Routine service and maintenance;

◆ AS 2293.3 Emergency lighting and exit signs for buildings, Part 3: Emergency luminaires and exit signs

ME-002 Gas cylinders

Revisions of AS 2030.1 Gas cylinders, Part 1: General requirements and AS 2030.5 Gas cylinders, Part 5: Filling, inspection and testing of refillable cylinders are being drafted.

ME-062 Ventilation and Airconditioning

The Standards Committee is drafting:

◆ AS/NZS 3666.1 Air-handling and water systems of buildings—Microbial control, Part 1: Design, installation, and commissioning

◆ AS/NZS 3666.2 Air-handling and water systems of buildings—Microbial control, Part 2: Operation and maintenance

◆ AS/NZS 3666.3 Air-handling and water systems of buildings—Microbial control, Part 3: Performance-based maintenance of cooling water systems

◆ AS/NZS 3666.4 Air-handling and water systems of buildings—Microbial control, Part 4: Performance-based maintenance of air-handling systems (ducts and components)

◆ AS 4740 Natural ventilators—Classification and performance

◆ AS 4902 General conditions of contract for design and construct Public comment is being sought on:

◆ AS 1668.2 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings, Part 2: Mechanical ventilation

◆ AS 1668.4 The use of ventilation and air conditioning in buildings, Part 4: Natural ventilation of buildings.

FPA Australia is advised about standards by our Technical Advisory Committees. Members interested in contributing can find out more at www.fpaa.com.au/advocacy-technical/ technical-advisory-committees

TECHNICAL DOCUMENTS

FPA Australia’s technical documents can be found at www.fpaa.com.au/advocacytechnical/technical-documents

LITHIUM BATTERY SIG

The Lithium Battery Special Interest Group (LB/SIG) is finalising a lithium battery Good Practice Guide to help industrial/commercial and domestic consumers, providing guidance on charging, usage, storage, maintenance, and disposal, and highlighting potential issues. This will be released soon.

TECHNICAL ADVISORY COMMITTEES

FPA Australia recently held elections for TAC Chairs and Deputy Chairs for the upcoming two-year term, encompassing all committees. This nomination process has been completed and the following appointments were made:

TAC/1: John Lynch (Chair)

Russ Porteous (Deputy Chair)

TAC/2: Carmelo Scaffidi (Chair)

Deputy Chair position available

TAC/3/7: Ray Mergard (Chair)

Steve Birch (Deputy Chair)

TAC/4/8/9: William Porteous (Chair)

Deputy Chair position available

TAC/11/22: Brett Staines (Chair)

Justin Morris (Deputy Chair)

TAC/17: Brenton Honor (Chair)

Dean Broadwood (Deputy Chair)

TAC/18/19: Keith Nicholls (Chair)

Vance Rowe (Deputy Chair)

TAC/20: David Boverman (Chair)

Rod O’Loan (Deputy Chair)

7TH INTERNATIONAL FIRE BEHAVIOUR AND FUELS CONFERENCE

The 7th International Fire Behaviour and Fuels Conference offers a forum that documents past fire management experience and lessons learned, showcases current work, and shares emerging research, innovation, and techniques on fire management to develop integrated solutions to challenges.

The conference is hosted by the International Association of Wildland Fire and will be delivered across three locations, Canberra (Australia), Tralee (Ireland), and Boise (US). It provides an opportunity to showcase how different countries can implement newly developed fire management policies and frameworks at national, regional, and local levels to address fire risks and build resilience.

The Canberra conference will be hosted at Hotel Realm on 15–19 April. Registration and event details, including keynote speakers, are available online: https://canberra. firebehaviorandfuelsconference.com.

FIRE AUSTRALIA 2024

Fire Australia, one of the most important conferences in the fire protection industry calendar, will be heading to the Gold Coast on 7–9 May 2024.

The event will bring together leading presenters from Australia and overseas, offering some of the most up-to-date and inspiring content, as well as advanced solutions to the industry’s challenges.

The program will again be offering different streams of content, from the political to the practical, giving delegates an opportunity to learn new things and earn CPD points in the process.

Additionally, the best goods and solutions the fire industry has to offer will also be on display at our world-class tradeshow, which will provide you with plenty of opportunities to speak with distributors.

Find out more at www.fireaustralia.com.au

LESSONS MANAGEMENT FORUM

The 2024 Lessons Management Forum will focus on the future of lessons management—embedding and expanding lessons management as a key component of developing a learning culture in the emergency management sector.

The Lessons Management Forum will be held 28–30 May in Adelaide and will explore the theme ‘Lessons management: where to from here’. The forum will include presentations, workshops, and networking opportunities.

The Lessons Management Forum is hosted by AFAC and proudly supported by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. It provides an opportunity for lessons management practitioners, those interested in this area, and those new to the area to share good practice, learnings, and innovations.

More information about the event is available at: www.aidr.org.au/ events/44125?locationId=44260.

SAVE THE DATE: FPA AUSTRALIA’S BUSHFIRE CONFERENCE

Are you passionate about safeguarding our communities from the devastating impact of bushfires?

Make sure to save the date for FPA Australia’s ‘Bushfire Conference—Ignite Change in 2024’, which will take place on 16 and 17 July 2024 in Perth.

This conference is a platform for experts, professionals, researchers, and community leaders to come together and explore cuttingedge strategies, technologies, and insights aimed at revolutionising bushfire protection and response.

Earlybird registration opens in April 2024. In the meantime, visit https://bushfireaus. com.au to start planning your attendance.

AFAC24 POWERED BY INTERSCHUTZ

AFAC24 Conference and Exhibition powered by INTERSCHUTZ is Australasia’s largest and most comprehensive emergency management conference and exhibition, brought to you by AFAC, Deutsche Messe, the Institution of Fire Engineers (Australia), and Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience (AIDR). Last year, the conference and exhibition attracted record attendance of more than 3,500 emergency management personnel.

Hosted on 3–6 September at the ICC in Sydney, AFAC24 Conference and Exhibition will offer more than 100 conference presenters and the industry’s most impressive range of exhibitors covering all facets of emergency management equipment, technology, and services. The theme for AFAC24 is ‘Embracing innovation and disruption: designing the future for our sector’.

The host agencies for 2024 are ACT Emergency Services Agency, ACT Parks and Conservation, Fire and Rescue NSW, Forestry Corporation of NSW, NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service, NSW Rural Fire Service, NSW State Emergency Service, and Surf Life Saving NSW.

Find out more about the event at: www.afacconference.com.au

FPA AUSTRALIA EVENTS

FPA Australia runs technical events catering to the fire protection industry on a range of relevant and interesting topics.

Covering the whole of the sector— wet systems, dry systems, passive fire, mechanical fire protection, special hazards, bushfire, and emergency planning—these seminars and webinars provide useful opportunities for practitioners to pick up continuing professional development points.

Presented by leading experts, our seminars and technical webinars provide all the information you need about relevant fire safety topics.

For a full list of upcoming events, visit www.fpaa.com.au/events.

To catch up on some of our previous events, visit FPA Australia+, where you can access technical content in your own time and at your own leisure, without having to interrupt your workday.

Visit www.fpaaplus.com.au to browse our recorded webinars.

2024 BUSHFIRE ATTACK LEVEL SHORT COURSE DATES

For those interested in correctly assessing Bushfire Attack Levels (BAL) and to determine the construction requirements that apply, there are courses this year booked for:

◆ Perth: 26 February–1 March; 22–26 July; 28 October–1 November

◆ Albany, WA: 27–31 May

◆ Sydney: 8–12 April

◆ Melbourne: 18–22 March; 12–16 August; 11–15 November.

Details can be found at http://tinyurl.com/4yx5cwse.

MOVERS AND SHAKERS

RICK NUGENT APM

Rick Nugent APM has been appointed as the new Victorian Emergency Management Commissioner for five years, starting 11 September 2023.

He succeeds Andrew Crisp AM APM, who has served as Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner since 2018.

Mr Nugent is a skilled emergency management leader, with a 35-year career with Victoria Police.

JEREMY FEWTRELL AFSM

Jeremy Fewtrell AFSM was appointed Commissioner of Fire and Rescue NSW by NSW Minister for Emergency Services Jihad Dib in October 2023.

Commissioner Fewtrell joined FRNSW in 1997, serving in frontline firefighting roles, before rising through the ranks to manage multiple areas, including the Fire Investigation and Research Unit, and most recently as Deputy Commissioner of Field Operations.

JOINT EDITORS

GREG LEACH AFSM

Greg Leach AFSM has been appointed Chief Executive Officer of the Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) commencing December 2023. He succeeds Stephen Griffin who has served as VICSES CEO since 2014.

Since December 2019, Mr Leach has served as the Commissioner of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES).

Mr Leach has worked extensively in emergency services throughout Victoria with a career that began in 1986 at the Country Fire Authority (CFA) in Bendigo. He also held executive positions with Ambulance Victoria and Metropolitan Fire Brigade.

MICHAEL MORGAN AFSM

Chief Officer Michael Morgan

AFSM has resigned after 38 years of service at the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (SA MFS).

Mr Morgan joined the MFS in February 1986, as a firefighter and progressed through the ranks. He was appointed as Chief Officer

and Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service on 1 July 2019.

Mr Morgan took up the role of Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Fire Rescue Commissioner at Fire Rescue Victoria in January 2024.

JOSHUA FISCHER

Joshua Fischer left his role as Deputy Chief Fire Officer at the NT Fire and Rescue Service in December 2023. He joined the agency three years ago as Assistant Chief Fire Officer, and most recently led the commands of fire safety, special operations, and training and development.

Mr Fischer has returned to Victoria to take up a new role as Deputy Commissioner, Community Safety with Fire Rescue Victoria from January 2024.

COSTA KATSIKIS

Costa Katsikis stepped into role of Deputy Commissioner, Central, South and East Operations for Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) in January 2024. He has acted in several Deputy Commissioner

portfolios at FRV and ably led the Community Safety Directorate in recent months.

Mr Katsikis has a long history of service to the Victorian community, including as a commander for the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. During his career, Mr Katsikis has worked in various operational and functional roles, including secondments to the Tyne and Wear Fire Service UK in 1998 and the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet.

EDWARD (EDDIE) LACKO

Eddie Lacko has commenced the role of Deputy Commissioner, Strategy at Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) in January 2024.

Mr Lacko has more than 35 years of experience in the fire, rescue, and emergency management fields. He began his career as a firefighter at Country Fire Authority, Victoria before moving to Queensland to commence more than 20 years of service at the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services. During this time, he held roles responsible for training, business operations command, the State Disaster Coordination Centre and regional development. In 2022, he returned to Victoria as an Assistant Chief Fire Officer for Fire Rescue Victoria.

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