Critical thinking research
Brian Basham, Griffith University, is researching the development of critical thinking in emergency service personnel within Ambulance Victoria, Victoria Police and CFA. His research study seeks to examine how critical thinking should be defined within an emergency service training context. It also seeks to evaluate the efficacy of the teaching/training used in emergency service organisations to develop critical thinking skills and to examine the most appropriate methods for assessing critical thinking development.
He is seeking 20 firefighters to participate in an interview about their understanding of critical thinking and how it is developed. To qualify to participate you must be:
- over 18 years of age;
- have two years operational experience with CFA (either as a career firefighter or volunteer); and
- not be a full time employee of Ambulance Victoria or Victoria Police.
Anyone interested in participating in the research can get further information by emailing
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phoning 0437 327 150. The outcomes of the research will be carefully considered by CFA.
Planned Burning Project
The CFA Planned Burning Project is funded for three years until mid-2017. The project will run in parallel to the Vegetation Management Program already delivered in regions and districts through Vegetation Management Officers. The scope of the project is within two of DELWP’s priority Risk Landscapes, specifically the Barwon Otway and East Central areas.
Work commenced in December 2014 with the appointment of Brenton Hastie as the Project Manager and subsequently the completion of the CFA Project Plan. The aim of the project is to increase CFA’s support to public land planned burning and increase CFA’s overall capacity and capability in applying fire to the landscape.
The benefits from the project will be for all of CFA through the improvements of inter-agency systems, development of training and increased support to burn camps. Project progress to date includes:
- appointment of Landscape Risk Coordinators, who will start in late March and be dedicated three days per week to work with DELWP in their Risk Landscape Teams;
- commencement of the Request for Quote process for the development of 'Burn OIC' training, a two-day course targeting volunteers wishing to run planned burns;
- meetings with relevant inter-agency stakeholders to explain the project deliverables.
In the coming month, the priority will be to meet with district and regional personnel to introduce the project and answer questions about the role of the Landscape Risk Coordinators and Planned Burn Resource Coordinators.
Review of performance targets for bushfire fuel management on public land
The Inspector General Emergency Management (IGEM) has been asked by Government to provide recommendations regarding the most effective performance target to drive investment and delivery of the fuel management program on public land, taking into account the intent of recommendation 56 of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, experience of the effectiveness of hectare-based targets, and the risk-based approach to bushfire management developed by DELWP. CFA will be meeting with IGEM to inform this review and support them in their deliberations.
“Properly carried out, prescribed burning reduces the spread and severity of bushfire. It makes a valuable contribution to reducing the risks to communities and firefighters by complementing effective suppression and is one of the essential protective strategies associated with making it safer for people to live and work in bushfire-prone areas in the state.”
Bushfires Royal Commission Final Report
Author: Euan Ferguson