Summary Report – Phase 1 – Fire season preparedness and response
Observations, findings and recommendations Chapter 3 Preparation for the 2019–20 fire season Governance Finding 3.1
The Victorian emergency management sector applies well-established command and control arrangements that align with leading practice.
Finding 3.2
The Victorian emergency management sector demonstrates a clear ability to consider and prepare for immediate seasonal bushfire risk.
Observation 3.1
The Victorian emergency management sector's approach to the incorporation of medium and long-term risks and risk-based planning at municipal, regional and state tiers of emergency management is less mature than its approach to seasonal risk. There is an opportunity to further develop risk-based planning across the sector and with communities through strategic initiatives such as the 2030 Strategy and Planning reforms to address recommendations made by the Inspector-General for Emergency Management in previous reviews.
Planning and communications Observation 3.2
The State Bushfire Plan was endorsed in 2014 and is now out of date. There is an opportunity to update the content to accurately portray the roles and responsibilities of relevant organisations in the Victorian emergency management sector.
Observation 3.3
Across the Victorian emergency management sector efforts to assess the effectiveness of community preparedness programs are limited. Further evaluation of such programs would allow the sector to focus its efforts on bushfire preparedness initiatives that reach the target audience, are understood and support people to take action.
Observation 3.4
Where emergency management preparedness and planning are well-supported – and led by community – there is stronger community resilience to bushfires. This community-led approach could be broadened to consider all emergencies.
Preparation to protect flora and fauna Finding 3.3
Considerable work has been conducted to increase preparedness for the impacts of bushfire in wildlife welfare through reform of key conservation legislation, regulation, strategies and policies. While work for ecological biodiversity is less mature, the foundations for greater preparedness and protection of Victoria’s wildlife and biodiversity have been established.
Personnel Finding 3.4
The number of career firefighters has increased over the last three years while the number of volunteer firefighters has steadily decreased.
Finding 3.5
The number of Level 3 Incident Controllers was below the target number in 2017–18 and 2018–19.
Observation 3.5
Across the sector there are examples of capacity and capability assessments, however, there is a lack of collective understanding of current and future capacity requirements.
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