My Firefighter Nation
Aussie_Wildfire
Male
Victoria
Australia
Profile Information:
- Type of Organization
- Fire/Rescue Department - Volunteer
- Job Function
- Firefighter
- Years in Fire/EMS:
- 10
- Primary Fire/EMS Department:
- Country Fire Authority Victoria Australia
- Years With Department/Agency
- 10
- Dept. Web Site:
- http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/incidents/incident_summary.htm
- My Training:
- Fireline leadership, wildfire, low structure, Hazmat,Class A foam, fuse removel, 4 wheel truck driving, Crewleader, plantation firefighting. Strike team leader, Brigades in schools.
- About Me:
- I am a volunteer member of a small country brigade of 25 members.
It is a tourist town of 350 locals, but we can have 10,000 tourist at any one time. We only deal with fires. The CFA is a state organization of 50,000 firefighters and 1200 brigades - Relationship Status:
- Married
- Why I Joined Fire/EMS
- A mate asked me to join too make up numbers- and like a mug, I am still here.
- Why I Love Fire/EMS
- Big red toys, water, excitement, fire, mates. It's good to be with mates and get a job done well.
- Top Issues Facing Responders:
- Safety and the lack of ability to change for the better.
Mike Schlags (Captain Busy) Retd
Ah the Canberra Incident... That was one LONG DVD... Was one of you three the driver of the chief's vehicle that was rescuing the civilian population as well as firefighters? The fire seemed to go on and on and on and on... How long was the flame front? It seemed like a very impossible situation, especially when you see a firetruck on fire along the side of the road.
Anyway, what you guys want is some feedback, so here's a start:
1. Why on earth were multiple firetrucks hosing down eucalyptus trees instead of protecting houses?
2. Can backfiring techniques be employed to create black areas to help direct the fires ar0und structures?
3. We need to discuss further the concept of homeowners staying behind to save their structure. Too many needed rescue which diverted minimal firefighting forces to do any suppression activities.
4. Do you have air tankers to do fire retardant drops ahead of the fire front? Helicopters?
5. What was the plan?
6. How much time did you know that the fire front was going to hit the structures?
7. Are your engines set up for pump and roll evolutions, moving from house to house?
8. Do you have the ability to foam structures ahead of the fire front?
9. I did not hear radio traffic that reflected use of the ICS system where areas are divided up into a command structure but then again, some of the language was difficult to understand do to different terminology.
That's a good start guys. Talk to you soon.
Mike
Feb 4, 2009
Tony P
Feb 4, 2009
Tony P
There's been a fire going just east of the Dandenong Ranges since last week, it's just flared up again according to one of the DSE towers. Bunyip State PArk.
Feb 4, 2009