CFA has been working closely with community members, Forest Fire Management, Parks Victoria, Latrobe City Council and Federation University Australia to develop and deliver the Community Bushfire Connection program within the Latrobe Valley in November 2017.
The program aims to prepare the community for action that needs to be taken before, during and after a bushfire, either individually on their property, collectively in their township or as an organisation involved in emergency management.
CFA Vegetation Management Officer John crane said we all need to be connected as our combined actions will provide the best outcome for a safer community.
“Community Bushfire Connection will provide an opportunity for CFA members, within District 27, to work with our partner agencies, leading bushfire academics and the community to build a deeper understanding of bushfire behaviour and develop valuable connections across communities within Latrobe Valley.
“This will include a deeper understanding of bushfire behaviour across the landscape, community preparedness and importantly an improved understanding of agency response mechanisms and preparedness across the district.”
Key outcomes of the project include the ability for community members to work directly with bushfire specialist such as fire behaviour analysts, in their bushfire survival planning, learning from shared bushfire experiences with other community members and the opportunity to test bushfire survival plans in a realistic Bushfire scenario.
The Community Bushfire Connection program will deliver three community-based, bushfire-related events including:
1. Fire Awareness Program - Friday 10 to Friday 17 November
There will be four fire awareness events over the week delivered in a number of townships. The sessions will include key speakers from across the fire and emergency industry.
2. Bushfire Bus Stop - Monday 20 to Saturday 25 November
An information bus will visit key communities with fire experts and tools to help people plan and prepare their properties for bushfire. Over the week the bus will deliver 12 bushfire planning visits in 8 targeted townships including Tyers, Yinnar, Moe and Morwell.
3. Valley fire scenario
Individuals and communities will work together with fire agencies in a simulated bushfire scenario to test bushfire plans and get a picture of how fire can impact the Valley, how it can affect community members and how fire agencies manage these events.The public will be invited to attend and bring their fire plan to test, as well as communities with Local Emergency Action Plans (LEAP).
“All events are free so community members are invited to come along to one or to all sessions,” John said.
“People who would like to attend the Valley fire Scenario can register via the Community Bushfire Connection website or Facebook group or by contacting cbushfireconnect@gmail.com.”
The Bushfire Community Connections Program is funded by the National Resilience Grants Fund and is an initiative building on the 2014 and 2015 Living with Bushfire Community Conferences at Federation University.
For more information please visit: http://www.communitybushfireconnection.com.au/