Community Fire Plan
4 Feb 09
her personal Fire Plan
Prepare - Act - Survive
Your Fire Ready Kit
This is the latest Kit available as at December 2009. Please go to the the following link for the latest Kit and information available as at December 2009. All the information you require to complete your personal Fire Plan is contained in the booklets.
www.cfa.vic.gov.au/residents/summer/firereadykit.htm
Bushfire Planning Sheet (developed from notes taken at the Koonwarra Workshops conducted in late 2008)
Bushfire Survival Plan - Hobby Farm
This Fire Plan is strictly for information only as an example and should not be copied for your property as each property has its own needs because of its location and vegetation. It is given here to show residents that it is possible to prepare a plan. Do not be afraid to attempt your own plan as it is imperative that you have one.
The development of the Koonwarra Community Fire Plan
During December 2008 , the Koonwarra Fire Brigade hosted two Fire Plan Workshops to which residents were invited. These meetings were invaluable as residents gained from the expertise of CFA Wildfire Safety Presenters and our experienced local Fire Brigade members.
We were taken through the nature of fire in different circumstances and asked if we have considered important issues – are we actually prepared for the heat we will face, are we aware that running grass fires can travel at 20 kls per hour, have we decided if we are to stay or go, does our home have a defendable space? Do we have our Rural House Number on our gates as this is vital for emergency services to locate our property quickly.
It was particularly beneficial to sit with these people and discuss our own properties and circumstances and begin to write down things specific to us. The need to write our own Plans instead of just holding them in our heads was stressed as was the need to involve every member of the family and to prepare plans for both staying and leaving our properties as either could prove necessary.
We were told our plans must be a realistic assessment, written down, communicated to all and agreed to and understood by all, comprehensive and flexible as we may need to modify the plan.
Our first job was to draw a plan of our property, where the house is situated and the immediate surrounds. This helped us to determine if our home was in fact defendable.
We were provided with the booklet “Living in the bush” and other booklets were available such as “Grassfires” and “On the land”. A numbers of these booklets and a CD are held at the Koonwarra Sustainable Communities Centre at “The Old School”, the Koonwarra Store and the CFA.
A full list of CFA and other bushfire information services can be found on this website under the CFA tab in the Community Directory.
Residents were provided with a worksheet divided up into three categories – Pre-Season Preparedness. Days of High Fire Risk and Response plan for before, during and after the fire front.
Thank you to the Koonwarra Fire Brigade Captain, Ross Considine, for use of the CFA building and all Fire Brigade members for attending, helping and reassuring residents in their endeavours to be well prepared for this and forthcoming fire seasons.
The Brigade is willing to review our individual Plans and hold a template at the Fire Station which is a wonderful service to Koonwarra.
We encourage those residents who were not able to attend the first two Workshops to consider attending a similar Workshop in the future, obtain a copy of “Living in the bush”, and avail yourself of the help given here:
Bushfire Planning Sheet (developed from notes taken at the Koonwarra Workshops)
Bushfire Survival Plan Life Out Guide – Living in the Bush
It would be helpful to learn of residents who are interested in attending future Workshops. Please contact us through “Contact Us” above or ksccinc@bigpond.com , telephone Helen on 5664 2442 or speak with Melanie or Tony at “The Outside Bit” in the grounds of the Koonwarra Store. Please advise when you would prefer these sessions held ie. January? February? March? particular evenings ,weekdays or weekends?
The Minutes of the first meeting of the Fire Plan Committee are available.
The Koonwarra Community Fire Plan - Summary , prepared by the Committee formed at the first Public Meeting in January in conjunction with the CFA and local business, The Closed System Pty Ltd, was presented to the public at the meeting held in the Memorial Hall on 24 October 2007.
A new Committee was formed comprising Dyson Hoggett, Melanie Cole, Elaine Fraser, Susan Neville, Bronwyn Debenham and Helen Guy. This group will meet on 12 November to work through the process set down in Milestones in the Community Fire Plan - Summary, including
- Formulate a database of residents in the area served by the Koonwarra CFA.
- Arrange a series of Workshops to be conducted by the CFA to assist residents prepare their personal fire plans.
- Make up a template with vital information such as names, addresses and whether residents intend to stay or leave their properties in the event of a fire. These will be held by the CFA.
- Prepare new resident kits to ensure all new residents are aware of the procedures in place within the community.
- Work out a system to ensure residents are alerted promptly of any fire danger, such as a "buddy" system or SMS.
The CFA indicated they will be prepared to check properties to ensure the personal fire plans are workable. This was greatly appreciated by those attending.
Mr Leigh Crocker from The Closed System Pty Ltd told the gathering that this website would play an important part in disseminating information to our community and be an example and assistance to other communities wishing to do the same as our Plan will be made available on this website.
Mr Crocker also welcomed the involvement and support of .au Community Domain, who are also communicating the Koonwarra initiative through its website http://www.aucd.org.au/ paving the way for other communities around Australia to become involved in a similar scheme.
Koonwarra Brigade Captain, Ross Considine said, "We need to keep in mind that Koonwarra has changed both in the numbers and type of people so there are now more assets to protect. In my personal view, I believe that 70% of the properties in Koonwarra could be protected from bushfire risk and successfully defended by the residents themselves, if the residents put in place their own fire plan."
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Koonwarra Community Members |
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Members of the Fire Plan Committee |
KOONWARRA ONCE AGAIN LEADS THE WAY - REPORT ON THE FIRST PUBLIC MEETING HELD ON 31 JANUARY 2007
Concerned community members, Leigh Crocker and Peter Arnold, considered the village of Koonwarra should have a Community Fire Plan and were concerned that a template for such a plan was not available. In conjunction with the Koonwarra Sustainable Communities Centre Inc (KSCC), a Public Meeting was called for 31 January 2007 after prior consultation with the Koonwarra CFA and Leonie Parkinson, General Manager of .au Community Domains, the developers of the Koonwarra website www.koonwarra.vic.au .
Leigh Crocker (Closed System Development)
Leonie Parkinson (General Manager .au Community Domains)
Ross Considine (Koonwarra Fire Brigade Captain)
Koonwarra Brigade Captain, Ross Considine said "I am particularly pleased that this initiative is being instigated by the community. The CFA is more than prepared to help. We need to keep in mind that Koonwarra has changed both in the numbers and type of people so there are now more assets to protect. Formerly people were farmers with bush experience."
He spoke on the functions of the CFA and pointed out that " in times of high fire danger it would not be possible for a vehicle to attend every property". He emphasized the need for risk minmization and praised the community for its foresight in wishing to develop a plan for the whole community as well as encouraging each household to make their own plans. "Being able to use the Koonwarra website for communication purposes is also a great bonus."
Deputy Group Office, Lieut Colin Stockdale, spoke on fire history in Koonwarra and the increased risk on bad fire danger days due to weather changes and increase in population. He also mentioned the current water situation and preparations the Brigade/CFA had taken to obtain alternative water sources other than reticulated supplies.
Leigh Crocker from local business, Closed System Development, spoke on the need for a Community Fire Plan with the CFA and the community working together on its construction and implementation. His company has undertaken to complete the plan free of charge as a community service. A formal plan will be in place before the 2008 fire season.
Leonie Parkinson from .au Community Domains (auCD) outlined how they could assist Koonwarra to utilise their community website at www.koonwarra.vic.au as a tool for communication and information dissemination for their Community Fire Plans. auCD will also assist other communities in Australia by making these resources available via their website at http://www.aucd.org.au/. Both Leonie and KSCC Manager, Thomas Burge, spoke of the value of www.koonwarra.vic.au as a tool for communication to help strengthen their community and sustainability. Of course, for those who do not have the internet the information will be printed for them and distributed
Discussion took place on a variety of topics and residents are now urged to contribute their thoughts and concerns by email to website@koonwarra.vic.au or by dropping them into KSCC at the Old School in Koala Drive either on a Tuesday or Friday when the office is open or by popping them under the office door. Ideas will be collated and a further Public Meeting called.
It is hoped the Plan never has to be put into action but it is now up to residents to become involved and share ideas and concerns to assist with this vital Plan to ensure Koonwarra is prepared as best it can be if a fire incident does happen in this area.
Brigade President, Harry Forrester, spoke on the demographic of the Koonwarra Brigade and lack of membership from Koonwarra residents and strongly sought more recruits. The Brigade meets on a Thursday night and Sunday mornings and would welcome new members, including women, with open arms. A copy of the brochure "Does the hat fit" which emphasis the need for volunteers is held at KSCC. This brochure also refers to the CFA website http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/where more information can be viewed.
Publications on Living in the Bush and Community Fire Guard were handed out. Anybody else who would like copies can visit the Fire Station.
Residents in conversation after the meeting
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L-R - Thomas Burge, Don Cook, |
L-R - Harry Prosser, Malcolm Fletcher, Ian Kinnish, Don Paterson |