Alen Slijepcevic is the Deputy Chief Officer for Bushfire at CFA. Today he provides an update on the summer season and also some of the major projects being conducted under the Bushfire portfolio.
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The climatic outlook from the Bureau of Meteorology shows above average temperatures this summer, with less rainfall, meaning we are expecting greater fire activity.
The north and western parts of Victoria are now 100% cured, so we can expect more fires in these areas as the summer continues. There is still a little moisture present in the forested areas and gullies however, which will help us in suppressing any fire activity.
I’d like to take this opportunity to praise our first responding crews for their hard work during the grass and crop fires we’ve seen so far this season, and also acknowledge these crews have been well supported by our aircraft.
There are several projects under the new Bushfire portfolio which I’d also like to talk about today.
CFA is currently delivering our grassland curing service to firefighting jurisdictions right across Australia, which we’re very proud of. We are also continuing work on our crew protection systems, particularly for our ultralight tankers. I urge all our members to watch the crew protection video launched last month by CFA, and also regularly review our burn over procedures.
Operations Manager Garry Weir has been working with Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic ) on the Dangerous Trees Awareness Package, a very important safety initiative which will be rolled out this year.
The vegetation management and planned burn projects have been making great progress in risk reduction right across the state, and are also bolstering the capability and capacity of CFA members in the planned burning space. All members can get involved in training and burn camps, so if you are interested make sure you get intouch with the Vegetation Management Officers and your training managers.
Finally, the Safer Together policy was announced by the Victorian Government in November 2015, and CFA and FFMVic have been working together closely to implement the four main components. These include putting community first, land and fire agencies working together, measuring success, and providing ongoing investment in technology and science.
That’s it for today – I encourage all of you to get in touch with me if you have any questions on these projects or wish to discuss anything further.
Stay safe this summer.
Alen Slijepcevic
Author: CFA News