• Including the Whole Isolated Community Before, During and After the Fire

Including the Whole Isolated Community Before, During and After the Fire

Kathleen Oakes
Mt Wilson/Mt Irvine Brigade Community Safety Officer
NSW Rural Fire Service

In an isolated community, the local volunteer rural fire brigade becomes the focus for emergency planning. The wind storm of July 2011 was the catalyst for the brigade to examine its capacity for dealing with a community emergency. The resulting philosophy is that everyone in the village has a role to play.
The Community Protection Plan (CPP) process gave the brigade a tool for engaging with residents to raise awareness of bush fire risk and plan for bush fire survival. The State Mine fire tested the community’s planning.
Review continues and includes what changes participants would now make to survival plans, increasing the membership and role of the Community Engagement Team and property protection activities on the CPP.