June 2011
FIREMARK
News from the Metropolitan Fire Brigade, Melbourne Australia
Winter Fire Safety Campaign launched New CEO to lead MFB into the future Exercise Anglepark: USAR deployment to Adelaide Recruits hot fire training at Sale Nunawading Fire Station open day
From the Acting CEO skills maintenance training. Operational training and development is in full swing right across the organisation, with Recruit Course 102 well into their intense training schedule. Make sure to check out the spectacular photos of their hot fire training conducted at CFA’s Sale training ground in May.
On 1 June, MFB and CFA partnered to launch the Winter Fire Safety Campaign on the first day of winter. This year’s campaign will span 100 days of winter, calling on Victorians to be vigilant about fire safety in their own homes with the slogan: “In my home … I am a fire warden.” The launch was a terrific success, attracting media as well as engaging a number of city workers and passers-by to form a Home Fire Wardens Human 100. Two local heroes were also recognised, for coming to the rescue at recent fires in Altona and Bentleigh, assisting an elderly woman and a young family in making two very lucky escapes. These fires certainly highlight the increased dangers in the colder months, and the need for vigilance in ensuring your home is fire safe this winter. Operational deployments at the start of the year set the pace for 2011, and the autumn months have proved no less busy. Following deployments to Queensland, regional Victoria and New Zealand to assist with flood and earthquake response and recovery, the deployment of Victorian Urban Search and Rescue technicians was further tested in Exercise AnglePark. This training drill put emergency management and logistics arrangements to the test, deploying over 80 technicians to Adelaide in shifts over the course of a week, where they took part in a long-duration emergency scenario and page 2
Meanwhile, the 46th Station Officer promotional course started with a unique team building exercise, rebuilding a wildlife refuge in the Yarra Valley, which was destroyed in the Black Saturday bushfires. Easter saw MFB’s community spirit out in force, fundraising for the annual Good Friday Appeal. MFB has been a key supporter of the campaign for over 50 years and this year’s tin shaking efforts combined with the 2nd annual MFB/CFA 24hour relay in Melbourne’s CBD contributed over $43,000 to the appeal. MFB has also been successful in appointing a new Chief Executive Officer, and I am pleased to report that Nick Easy will be taking up his appointment with us on 6 June. Nick brings a strong record of leadership, innovation and achievement, coming from the Port of Melbourne Corporation, where he held the role of Executive General Manager Port Capacity. Nick’s outstanding planning and project management skills will significantly enhance our capacity to deliver the Organisational Realignment and Future of Operational Learning and Development projects. I’d like to welcome Nick to MFB, I’m sure that he will do an excellent job in leading us into a successful and sustainable future. This will be my last column as Acting CEO, and I’d like to take this opportunity to thank my colleagues at MFB as well as fellow government and emergency service agencies for your support during my time in this role. Shane Wright Acting CEO / Chief Officer
Winter Fire Safety Campaign launched at City Square MFB and CFA’s Winter Fire Safety Campaign was launched at City Square in the CBD on Wednesday 1 June, to coincide with the first day of winter. MFB Chief Officer Shane Wright and CFA Deputy Chief Officer Geoff Conway were joined by Fire Services Commissioner Craig
The launch served as both a community education and media event, with a photo opportunity based on the 100 days of winter concept: a human 100, created from MFB and CFA firefighters, key stakeholders, and members of the public. MFB and CFA also took the opportunity to acknowledge the heroic efforts of Deborah McGregor, who saved her elderly neighbour from a fire in Altona and Tony Morris, who saved a baby from a fire in East Bentleigh. (Pictured on cover.)
Lapsley to launch the campaign, which aims to raise awareness about winter fire safety and reduce the number and severity of winter fires and their associated injuries and deaths.
Winter is the busiest time of year for house fires with the likelihood of residential fires increasing by around 15-20 per cent. Last winter there were over 1200 residential fires in Victoria – more than 12 fires each day of winter.
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Firefighters, and community members from a human 100 to signify 100 days of winter.
Above: Getting into the winter fire safety spirit.
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Above: Winter fire safety campaign poster.
Recent fires highlight the importance of working smoke alarms Two recent fires have shown the importance of having smoke alarms – one where a smoke alarm was to thank for saving a woman’s life and the other where the lack of a functioning smoke alarm very nearly cost the life of a small baby and quite possibly other members of the family. In the first fire, an 85-year-old Altona woman owes her life to her working smoke alarm, and quick-thinking neighbours who came to her rescue on 4 May. Neighbour Deborah McGregor heard the alarm operating and went to investigate; finding the elderly woman overcome by smoke, lying on the floor just two metres from the front door. She assisted the woman outside, while another neighbour attempted to extinguish the fire with a domestic fire extinguisher.
MFB firefighters were quickly on scene; one firefighter administered oxygen to the woman until an ambulance arrived, while others extinguished the small fire and ventilated smoke from the home. In the second fire, again actions from members of the public averted tragedy. On 25 May, fire broke out in a house in East Bentleigh and it was the quick response and bravery of nearby tradesmen that saved the life of a small baby. The fire quickly took hold of the house and the mother managed to make it outside with her two-year-old daughter. The heat and smoke made it impossible for her to re-enter the house for her baby daughter. The tradesmen answered the distress calls from the mother, smashing the side window, grabbing hold of the eight-month-old baby and lifting her to safety. It was a near-tragic example of the dangers posed from drying clothes too close to a heater, coupled with not having a functioning smoke alarm. Both of these fires started from heaters – an alarming statistic, providing a stark reminder of the importance of being vigilant around the home during winter. Left: Deborah McGregor. (Photo courtesy of Glenn Daniels, Leader Community Newspapers.)
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Top left: Using the concrete cutting circular saw. Above: Watch the exercise on YouTube. Left: Raising the SRT tripod to perform a rescue. Below: MFB crews complete USAR skills maintenance. Right: Deploying the USAR cache interstate tested logistical arrangements.
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Exercise Anglepark: USAR deployment to Adelaide MFB’s Urban Search and Rescue (USAR) deployment capabilities were tested from 12-19 April as part of a multi-agency interstate deployment exercise. Held at the South Australia Metropolitan Fire Service’s Anglepark training facility, the exercise, which was led by MFB, was a multi-agency response to an earthquake scenario, together with Ambulance Victoria, VICSES, CFA and Victoria Police. The exercise, which included over 80 USAR operators, tested Victoria’s Heavy USAR response capability, including the logistics of deploying equipment and crews interstate and working with
other agencies on the ground. This involved hands-on USAR Cat 2 skills maintenance in victim location and rescue, covering reconnaissance, assessment, marking, breaking and breaching, cutting, lifting and moving, and shoring from a base of operations. The week-long exercise included four 40-hour deployments to Adelaide to allow teams from each MFB platoon to participate. Each deployment consisted of two 10-person USAR teams, under the command of a Task Force Leader. The exercise also aimed to improve interagency coordination in receiving an interstate team, as well as staging, orientation and integration of multi-agency USAR teams during an interstate response; including site induction briefs and training. The capability demonstrated in the exercise will be evaluated at a multi-agency debrief in Melbourne next month, in accordance with the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group Methodology Cycle and will examine preparedness, mobilisation, operations, demobilisation and postmission. page 7
Car fire safety revs up MFB recently teamed up with V8 Supercar drivers Karl Reindler and Steve Owen to promote car fire safety for Channel Seven’s Sunrise program. Reindler and Owen are now spectacularly famous for their firey crash at Perth’s Barbagallo Raceway at the start of May. Reindler’s car stalled on the starting grid, right in front of Owen, who smashed into the back of Reindler at approximately 160km/h. On impact, Reindler’s fuel tank ruptured, igniting a blaze that engulfed both cars. Amazingly both Reindler and Owen were able to walk away from the crash, although Reindler suffered serious burns to his hands. Just weeks after the crash, the two drivers were in Melbourne to promote the next round of racing and a media opportunity was seized to highlight car safety. MFB Station Officer John Hale explained to the assembled media that knowing how to
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respond quickly to a vehicle fire could prevent major damage to the vehicle and potential injury. He said having a dry powder fire extinguisher in your car was a vital piece of equipment and could be used on a car fire if the fire was in its early stages. Vehicle fires are rarely as spectacular as the fire Reindler and Owen experienced on 1 May. However, even a small fire has the potential to be devastating. Car fires are certainly not uncommon; MFB attends over 1000 vehicle fires each year, with about 550 of these caused by mechanical or electrical faults.
Below: (L-R) Karl Reindler, Station Officer John Hale and Steve Owen filming for Sunrise. Top: Reindler (left) and Owen learn how to put out a car fire.
New CEO to steer MFB into the future June marks the start of the next exciting chapter in the history of MFB – with new Chief Executive Officer Nick Easy starting on 6 June. The Board is delighted to have secured a senior and experienced executive of Nick’s calibre for the critical position of CEO of the MFB. Nick has been at the Port of Melbourne Corporation since October 1998 and currently holds the role of Executive General Manager Port Capacity. In this role Nick was the senior executive responsible for the channel deepening project – a major Victorian infrastructure project that was completed ahead of schedule and delivered $250 million under the project budget of $969 million. Nick has also acted as Chief Executive at Port of Melbourne on a number of occasions. Prior to this role, Nick has worked in local government in planning roles. Nick will bring a strong record of leadership, innovation and achievement to the MFB and his outstanding planning and project management skills will significantly enhance MFB’s capacity to deliver the Organisational Realignment and of Operational Learning and Development (FOLD) projects. Nick’s tertiary qualifications include a Bachelor of Applied Science Planning from RMIT University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Environmental Management from Deakin University. Mr Easy said he is delighted to accept his appointment at MFB.
Above: Nick Easy.
“MFB is an outstanding organisation, which provides vital fire and emergency services to almost four million Melbournians,” he said. “My role as CEO will involve managing a business that employs nearly 2000 firefighters and corporate staff with an annual budget of $350 million protecting an area of more than 1000 square kilometres. “MFB is a forward looking and innovative organisation that will deliver what the community expects of it. I’ll work closely with the Executive Leadership Team, including Chief Officer Shane Wright, who will manage operational issues, to maintain leadership in preventative and response services. “It’s all about delivering the best service for a safer Melbourne and I am proud to be a part of that.”
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Community turns out to the opening of Nunawading Fire Station A grey Melbourne day with the occasional rain shower didn’t dampen the spirits of over 450 Nunawading residents, who turned out for the official opening and community open day at Nunawading Fire Station on Sunday 22 May. The crowds just kept rolling in the engine bay doors, as the smell of sausages cooking lured
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them toward fire safety activities, including a road rescue display, the SmokeBUSter experience of a house fire from a firefighter’s perpective, a historic fire truck and crew and station tours. Board President Neil Comrie officially opened the station, before official guests including Fire Services Commissioner
Craig Lapsley, City of Whitehorse Mayor Cr Ben Stennett, MFB Acting CEO and Chief Officer Shane Wright and our Emergency Services Chaplain David Thompson, who blessed the new station, while SO Mick Convery perfomed a fantastic operatic rendition of the Australian National Anthem. Acting Assistant Chief Officer Darren Davies said the day was a great opportunity for local residents to meet their local firefighters and check out the new station. “Opening a new fire station is a special event not only for the MFB, but for the whole community, and we wanted to share this event with the people who benefit from this great new facility.”
Top left: Fomer Officer-in-charge of Nunawading fire station Jim Hunter came down to see the new facility. Left: Nunawading crews perform a road rescue demonstration. Top right: Watch the video on YouTube. Right: A sausage sizzle lured the crowds into the yard. Bottom right: (L-R) Emergency Services Chaplain David Thompson, DCO Paul Stacchino, City of Whitehorse Mayor Ben Stennett, DCO David Youssef, MFB Board President Neil Comrie, Acting CEO and Chief Officer Shane Wright, Acting ACO Darren Davies, Fire Services Commissioner Craig Lapsley and CFA Region 13 Operations Manager David Renkin.
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The ever dependable Uncle Bob This year marked MFB’s 52nd year of involvement in supporting the Royal Children’s Hospital Good Friday Appeal, fundraising for the Uncle Bob’s Club; a tradition that began back in 1960 and has continued each year since. Uncle Bob’s Club may have a strange name, but it has a long and proud history. Dating back to December 1941, the club has raised money in many ways for hospitals across Victoria and has been supporting the Good Friday Appeal since 1948.
around Bourke Street Mall in Melbourne’s CBD. The relay kicked off at 9am Thursday 21 April, with MFB and CFA Deputy Chief Officers Paul Stacchino and Steve Warrington joined by City of Melbourne councillors Cathy Oke and Carl Jetter to run the first lap. MFB and CFA ran side-by-side throughout the day and night to complete a total of 330 laps in 24 hours, finishing at 9am on Good Friday and fundraising a total of $18,480.30 for the appeal. Thousands of people also turned out for the annual Kid’s Day Out event at Etihad stadium, where MFB crews from West Melbourne and Community Education showed them through a fire truck and SmokeBUSter.
On Good Friday this year, approximately 100 volunteers, including MFB firefighters, retired firefighters, Fire Services Museum staff and friends and family helped shake tins around Eastern Hill Fire Station and Melbourne CBD. In addition, operational crews from Eastern Hill, Richmond, Croydon, Mentone, Ormond, Windsor, Port Melbourne, Deer Park and Keilor helped out by collecting at local approved intersections in their areas. Tin shaking efforts were again complemented by some fast-paced fundraising, with MFB and CFA Charity Running Clubs joining forces for the second running of the 24-hour relay page 12
Total tin shaking efforts raised $24,752.10, bringing MFB’s grand fundraising total to $43,232.40; another terrific contribution. Left: Senior Station Officer Mark Carter. Top: SmokeBUSter was popular at the Kid’s Big Day Out. Below: MFB Deputy Chief Officers Paul Stacchino, Cr Carl Jetter, Cr Cathy Oke and CFA Deputy Chief Officer Steve Warrnington.
Station Officer’s Course rebuilds Yarra Valley wildlife refuge Injured water birds in the Yarra Valley now have a new rehabilitation centre thanks to the work of 26 future MFB Station Officers. As part of Station Officer Course 47, the participants worked together to build a new wetlands aviary for injured birds for the Babbajin Park Wildlife Shelter. An exercise on leadership and management is a regular component of the course, and for the first time a community project was brought in to test new skills and help with team building among the participants.
The three-day project was set up just like a fire incident, with an incident controller, sector teams, conflict resolution and all the challenges of managing a team. Two years ago the entire wildlife shelter was destroyed during the Black Saturday fires and the $7000 MFB donation of materials and labour for the aviary will be an important part of its redevelopment. Tony Wooley, wildlife carer and manager of the shelter, was full of praise for the work of MFB, which he said would provide a much-needed boost for the shelter and the animals. “It is very important for us,” he said of the 12m by 6m enclosure. “This will provide a whole new aviary for the wetland birds, a bigger enclosure that will allow the rehabilitating birds to fly and also to swim.” Left: Course participants work as a team to rebuild the enclosure. Top right: The finished aivary.
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Blast from the past Melbourne’s iconic City Square, which was the location of this year’s Winter Fire Safety Campaign launch, was the site of a dramatic rescue in June 1981.
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Special visit to Royal Children’s Hospital MFB firefighters provided the needed tonic for a sick young boy recently when they visited him at the Royal Children’s Hospital. Brad Warren has been in the Royal Children’s Hospital for the past five months undergoing treatment for stage four neuroblastoma – a cancer that develops from nerve tissue. The tough little four-year-old is the son of a NSW firefighter and is passionate - to say the least - about all things related to firefighting. While in the midst of going through a series of blood transfusions to assist his ridding the cancer from his bone marrow, Brad was well enough to leave his hospital bed to have a quick ride in the fire truck. Brad’s father David said Brad had been extremely excited before the visit, clearly evident by the look of joy on his face when putting on the Junior Fire Chief’s uniform and helping operate one of the hoses.
“Brad loves fire trucks and this is really the sort of thing to lift his spirits,” he said. “This is a very important day for Brad and I am so thankful for this great visit from MFB.” While Brad seemed a little over-awed by the occasion he did say that he would like to be a firefighter when he grows up. SSO Ross Smith said it was an honour to be able to help out a sick child. “Brad is going through a courageous fight,” he said. “I am so pleased to be able do something that may help him through this.”
Young Brad (centre) with Firefighter Tim Carbarms and father David Warren. Top: Watch the video on YouTube.
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Burwood crew star in emergency procedure training DVD MFB firefighters from Burwood fire station recently assisted National Australia Bank’s Burwood branch in the filming of a workplace safety training video. On a chilly Sunday morning in early April, the crew from Burwood Fire Station were involved in the filming of a branch evacuation scenario to demonstrate the actions NAB staff should take in the event of an emergency at the branch. In the scenario, firefighters arrived in response to a suspected gas leak. The crew investigated and assisted the bank manager to evacuate the branch, before determining the situation to be a false alarm. The film crew took shots from every angle, including from within the appliance and we soon learnt that Leading Firefighter (LFF) Adam “Clooney” Smibert loved every minute of it, while crew members LFF John Simon” Baker, LFF Ian “Harvey” Barnes and Station Officer Gavin “Mickey” Rooney should probably consider a career in radio. Right: (L-R) NAB Burwood branch staff members Brent McConville and Veena Saldanha, NAB Head of Retail Financial Services East Victoria Carolyn Morris, DCO David Youssef, Alannah and Madeline Foundation CEO Judith Slocombe, and NAB Branch Manager Heather Hutton.
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Above: During filming, Station Officer Gavin Rooney liaises with NAB Branch Manager and chief warden Heather Hutton about the situation.
In return for MFB’s assistance, NAB made a $1000 donation to the Alannah and Madeline foundation, and presented the cheque to CEO Judith Slocombe on Thursday 12 May. MFB Regional Director, South East Metro Region and Deputy Chief Officer David Youssef, who attended the cheque presentation, said he was pleased to see local businesses making safety a priority and providing training to their staff in emergency procedures. The money donated will go towards the Alannah and Madeline Foundation’s Better Buddies program, an initiative which sees children in their first and last year of primary school buddy up to create friendly and caring primary school communities where bullying is reduced.
L-R: Baby Aaron with Leading Firefighter Shane Sanderson, mother Sue with brother Brett, Leading Firefighter Peter Killick, Firefighter Andrew Farrance and Senior Station Officer Ross Halliwell. Front - Basil the dog.
Large factory fire in Dandenong sparks inter-agency response A number of MFB crews were called on to assist CFA at a large factory fire in Dandenong South on 19 May. CFA firefighters arrived on scene to find the oil storage and manufacturing plant fully ablaze, with at least one of six vertical storage tanks, containing between 20,000 and 40,000 litres of oil, had ruptured and produced a large flammable liquid fire, impinging on the other tanks. Fire crews worked to cool the tanks and let the oil product burn off, before applying foam to eventually extinguish the fire around 4:30am. MFB Commander Darren McQuade attended the fire as a liaison officer, where he was able to brief the CFA Incident Controller on MFB’s available capabilities and specialist resources. This led to a number of MFB appliances
being deployed, to assist in the large operation, including two ladder platform aerial appliances from Oakleigh and Windsor, a pumper truck from Mentone, which formed part of a 1km relay with CFA trucks to access water hydrants - a great example of the interoperability between MFB and CFA trucks.
Photo courtesy Keith Pakenham, CFA.
Transporters from Richmond fire station also brought additional hoses and the foam module, which was pivotal in the eventual extinguishment of the fire. In all, 12 MFB firefighters were involved and worked extremely well with CFA crews. CFA Chief Officer Ewan Ferguson attended the large operation and was impressed by how well the two services worked together.
Residential fire fatalities study A recent research project conducted by visiting American students has shown that with Melbourne’s projected ageing population, older people will account for 62 per cent of preventable residential fire fatalities by 2021 and 73 per cent by 2031. The students, from the Worcester Polytechnic Institute, Massachusetts, USA, identified common features of fatalities in preventable residential fires in the Metropolitan Fire District over a 10-year period. The project was developed and supervised by MFB’s Community Education Department, and followed on from the study of hoarding completed by WPI students two years ago.
Other findings included: • 50 per cent of all fatalities were people aged 65 years and over; • 69 per cent of these fires occurred between 8pm and 8am; • 46 per cent occur in the bedroom; • 58 per cent of these homes had no working smoke alarm; • 63 per cent of the victims lived alone. Further to this, they found that older people and people with disability receiving “in home” support and services were over-represented. These findings strongly support the need for MFB to continue to advocate for improved safety outcomes for community care recipients, such as the successful inclusion of basic home fire safety into the national curriculum for community care workers.
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Recruit hot fire training Recruit Course 102 recently spent some time at CFA’s training ground in Sale to undertake hot fire training. These spectacular photos are from a night drill on 19 May.
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Diesel spill causes peak hour chaos in Camberwell Peak-hour traffic on one of Melbourne’s busiest roads came to a standstill following a diesel spill on 26 May.
The spill was believed to have come from a 20,000L oil tanker, and spread by passing vehicles.
Burke Road in Camberwell was subject to lengthy closures while emergency crews worked to contain and clean up the spill which had also spread into a number of side streets. First reports of the spill came from drivers who said the road surface was slippery to drive on. Firefighters worked with Police, VicRoads, Boroondara Council and the Environmental Protection Authority in a clean-up operation that stretched from early morning well into afternoon. MFB crews worked to spread sand and dirt on the road to absorb the diesel and prevent it from entering the drains.
Above: The spilled diesel spread from Prospect Hill Road and Harold Street and then down Burke Road in Camberwell, bringing morning peak hour traffic in Burke Road to a halt.
June 2011
FIREMARK
News from the Metropolitan Fire Bridade, Melbourne Australia
Next edition – August 2011 FireMark is the bi-monthly magazine from the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board. Editorial enquiries and feedback - firemark@mfb.vic.gov.au Subscribe now: If you would like to subscribe to FireMark, please email your name, position, company and email address to firemark@mfb.vic.gov.au. Please visit www.mfb.vic.gov.au for further information about the Metropolitan Fire Brigade. Your Privacy: Please be assured your details will not be shared for any other purposes. Your email address is safe with us!