24seven - DFES

Official magazine of the Government of Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services

Issue 2, 2014

24seven

From the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner

Magazine articles are welcome – please email 24seven Editor at DFES Media and Corporate Communications: [email protected]

Stories should be up to 500 words in length and submitted with accompanying images and captions wherever possible. Digital photographs are required at high resolution (300dpi) to ensure acceptable quality for printing.

For permission to use material in this publication, please contact the Editor on (08) 9395 9588.

Cover photo: Statues at Firefighters’ Memorial Grove, Kings Park. Photo courtesy of Matt Hayes.Managing Editor: Ivana Oroz-BootsmaEditor: Roslyn MulcahyRegular Contributors: Lauren Gardiner, Nic Hatherly, Dana Jackson, Elena Kane, Laura Keating, Bren McGurk.Special thanks to the departing editor Kristine Smith for her 15 years as editor of 24seven.

ContentsGeneral News .......................... 3 – 21Operational Incidents.............. 22 – 32Resources and Training .......... 33 – 39Awards and Recognition ......... 40 – 45Youth .................................... 46 – 48

WAYNE GREGSON APM COMMISSIONER FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES

The momentum of progress has continued well into 2014, as we have completed a significant amount of the ground work required to build a more cohesive and dynamic Department. The attainment of further milestones has demonstrated that the DFES family continues to deliver on its commitment to improve our operational efforts and maintain high standards that we are already known for.

In April the Fire and Emergency Services Simulation Centre (SIMCEN) was officially opened to further enhance our operations. Located in Belmont, the centre is a key asset in providing all emergency responders with the exposure, training and experience they need, in the kind of environment they can expect to deal with at a real incident.

SIMCEN is part of the bigger picture to ensure that the skills, knowledge and experience of our personnel and volunteers are tested so they are fully prepared for a range of incidents. The facility has been fitted with the latest audio visual technologies, information systems and infrastructure to ensure the most realistic emergency management setting. As it utilises the systems that DFES, the Department of Parks and Wildlife, WA Police and volunteers all use, both individually and collaboratively, this will enable the transition from training to responding to real world incidents to be seamless.

Concurrently, we have been working towards making fire and emergency services legislation more relevant to the

current environment by progressing with the legislative review. As this legislation provides the framework for guiding our operations, it is critical that it is in line with current practices across our state and best practice across the globe. A Concept Paper outlining possible options for the legislation was open for comment earlier this year and provided an opportunity for all DFES personnel, volunteers and stakeholders to provide feedback to be considered as part of the review process.

The enhancement of the State’s capability and our ability to meet the future needs of the community have continued to develop with a number of new fire stations, including the Kiara Fire Station and the opening of five upgraded volunteer fire stations in the South West Capes region. A new Perth West Fire Station and the replacement of the station in Albany were also announced with the State budget. Combined with new fire stations in Butler, Bunbury and Geraldton due for completion in 2014/15, this provides us with a great foundation to meet the growing demands of the increasing WA population.

At the same time we have seen the continuation of important community support from all of our emergency services. This has ranged from State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers devoting almost 2,000 hours to the MH370 aircraft search, as well as SES and Volunteer Marine Rescue Service involvement in a number of other searches and incidents.

I am also pleased to announce that the RAC will continue to sponsor our Perth-based emergency rescue helicopter, which provides much needed help to West Australians involved in medical emergencies.

While we think big in terms of our strategic goals, it is also fundamental to remember that underpinning these larger plans is a raft of equally vital local activities. It is great to see so many community engagement accomplishments from street meets through to bushfire ready programs, station open days and cadet participation.

As we are to be at the forefront of emergency services it is essential that we continue to educate ourselves and share our learning with our peers. The 2014 WA Fire and Emergency Services Conference will be held in October and is a fantastic opportunity for career and volunteer emergency services personnel to increase their knowledge, as well as network with fellow delegates.

We have accomplished a great deal already this year and there are more initiatives to come in 2014 that will keep us firmly on the path of progressing our capability.

I thank you all for your continued dedication to achieving our strategic vision of being a leading fire and emergency services organisation and working towards building resilient Western Australian communities.

GENERAL NEWS

2 24seven Issue 2, 2014 24seven Issue 2, 2014 3

“Having highly trained and experienced

personnel is vital for the State to

respond effectively to the variety of

emergency situations we face.”

Fire and Emergency Services

Commissioner Wayne Gregson said

the SIMCEN is a key asset in providing

emergency responders with the

exposure, testing and experience

they need, in the kind of environment

they can expect to deal with when

disaster strikes.

“In the past, this real life experience

has been developed on site, in the heat

of battle, at real emergencies where

mistakes can and do happen, with real

life consequences,” Commissioner

Gregson said.

“With the opening of SIMCEN, we

can now test our people in a safe but

realistic environment.

“The incident management training

held at this new facility will enable us

to build truly dynamic and well trained

personnel across the sector, ensuring

we meet the level of preparedness,

response and recovery expected of us.

“It will also form the basis for us being

recognised as a centre of excellence for

world class emergency management.”

The new Fire and Emergency Services Simulation Centre (SIMCEN) will enable WA’s emergency services personnel to be better prepared to respond to emergencies and disasters.

Officially opened in Belmont on Friday 4 April 2014, the dedicated SIMCEN is housed in WA’s only purpose built bunker from World War II.

Speaking at the official opening, Emergency Services Minister Joe Francis said SIMCEN’s emergency management incident simulation capability would be statewide and apply to all hazards.

“The SIMCEN uses the latest audio visual technology to simulate real life emergencies, allowing our career and volunteer personnel to gain valuable experience in incident management,” Mr Francis said.

“When a life-threatening incident occurs, whether it is a bushfire, cyclone or earthquake, personnel need to be practised, tested and trained to respond immediately, whatever circumstance they encounter.

The SIMCEN combines adult

learning processes, emergency

management experience, quality

training methodologies and computer

supported simulation to provide a

realistic, scenario driven incident

management and co-ordination

environment. It operates within a

discussion and operations based

training and exercising framework.

Personnel began training at the

SIMCEN in October 2013, ahead of the

2013/14 bushfire and cyclone seasons.

The facility was modified thanks to

funding through the $2million DFES

Command, Control and Co-ordination

Information Systems project.

‘Real life’ training centre opens


bravery and sacrifice of all Western

Australian firefighters and was a tribute

to those who have given their lives.

Premier Colin Barnett spoke of the devotion and perseverance of Western Australian firefighters and said the statues were a fitting commemoration.

About the statuesThe life size statues encapsulate

a distressed firefighter who is

kneeling with head bowed, holding

a helmet and mourning the loss of

a fellow firefighter. His firefighting

companion has a hand on his shoulder

symbolising comfort, support and an

unspoken understanding.

Standing at 180cm tall at the highest

point and weighing approximately

400 kilograms together, they are made

of bronze silicon and are painted with

a silver nitrate patina, resulting in an

ash-like colour. This is intended to

blend the statues with the bushland

setting and represent a realistic look

and feel of firefighters in action.

The statues are part of an

enhancement of the Firefighters’

Memorial Grove, originally unveiled

in 2000 to mark 100 years of WA

fire services.

Complementing them is a

commemorative curved stone wall

which includes a script reading,

‘In memory of all Western Australian

firefighters who have served and

given their lives in protecting our

communities’. New pathways have

also been developed to increase the

amenity of the space and provide

greater community access to

the memorial.

Western Australian artist Jon Tarry

who originally created the memorial

returned to design the new statues, in

collaboration with landscape architect

David Smith.

At this year’s International Firefighters’ Day Memorial Service more than 300 DFES personnel, volunteers and distinguished guests gathered in Kings Park for the unveiling of new firefighter statues to enrich the memorial.

A fitting memorial for firefighters

The two life sized bronze statues,

modelled on real WA firefighters, give

families, friends and the community

a place to honour those who have

passed away while serving and

protecting the community.

The memorial service, held in

Firefighters’ Memorial Grove on Forrest

Drive in Kings Park, honoured the


GENERAL NEWS

“We are extremely grateful to have

dedicated firefighters who battle very

difficult conditions without hesitation

to assist people in times of need,” the

Premier said.

“As we pay respect to firefighters who

have given their lives, it is important

to acknowledge the sacrifices that all

firefighters and their families continue

to make.

“The statues have been designed to

reflect the sorrow felt by firefighters

losing a comrade, and are a fitting

tribute to commemorate the courage

and selflessness of the State’s

fire services.”

Emergency Services Minister Joe

Francis said the date chosen for

International Firefighters’ Day was

linked to the feast day of Saint Florian,

the patron saint of all firefighters.

“On the fourth of May he is globally recognised and honoured, and now so too, is International Firefighters’ Day,” Mr Francis said.

“It is a fitting tribute to hold this service on a day that honours those who serve communities all around the world.”

Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson then addressed guests and said the addition of the firefighter statue

and the memorial service were an acknowledgement of the ultimate sacrifice that has been made.

“It provides an opportunity for friends and family to come together and remember their loved ones, and for

A fitting memorial for firefighters

the community to show their gratitude,” he said.

“I trust that people will feel a sense of serenity and comfort when observing the statues, knowing that firefighters are steadfast and resolute to continue to protect the community even when facing the most challenging of circumstances.

“The memorial represents the deep respect held for firefighters in the Western Australian community, and is a tribute to those who have fallen whilst serving.”

Following the unveiling, Chaplain

Ron Wingate recited the Firefighters’

Prayer, and representatives from the fire

services read out the names of fallen

firefighters, punctuated by the ringing of

a brass bell.


Seventeen Western Australian fire and emergency services personnel travelled to Adelaide to assist the South Australian Country Fire Service (SACFS) respond to significant bushfires earlier this year.

The WA Strike Team was made up of 12 personnel from DFES, four from the Department of Parks and Wildlife (DPaW), as well as one volunteer from Jandakot Bush Fire Brigade.

Country Assistant Commissioner Chris Arnol said the group provided assistance to support the South Australian incident management team working on the Eden Valley bushfire in the Barossa region.

“Despite recent bushfires in our own state at the time, WA immediately responded to the request for help from its eastern states neighbour,” Chris said.

“While the safety of our state remains the priority and we always ensure there is adequate protection in place, SACFS was battling a significant number of major protracted bushfires across the state and we were happy to bolster their resources.

“We provided specialist incident managers and firefighters to help the SACFS tackle the blaze both from a logistical perspective and on the frontline.”

The fire that the WA Strike Team provided support to the SACFS with burnt through 25,000 hectares and at the time had destroyed three homes.

The team from WA was deployed to an Incident Control Centre at Gumeracha to work in Eden Valley, north east of Adelaide. Along with a team from NSW, they filled the roles within an Incident Management Team to manage the fire on a 12 hour rotating roster system.

Country North Chief Superintendent Rob Cox, the state liaison for the contingent, said that with the SACFS badly in need of incident commanders and firefighters, the West Australian firefighters acted quickly to fill the void.

“After receiving the call for help we arranged a skilled team and departed to South Australia within 24 hours,” Rob said.

“Upon arrival our team worked during the nightshift to consolidate boundaries around the fire, protect residential properties, key infrastructure, deal with any flare ups, develop logistics plans and resourcing, and keep the public and relevant agencies informed.

“This allowed local crews to get some rest after a number of gruelling days battling the large fires across the state. It also played a large role in assisting the NSW dayshift to maintain control of the fire and it was soon declared as contained.

“The deployment provided an excellent opportunity for contingent members to work together as an interagency team, interact with fire managers from South Australia and trade processes and procedures used in dealing with large fires.”

Jandakot Bush Fire Brigade Captain Shane Harris said the experience was a positive one.

“Being a firefighter myself, I put my hand up as I wanted to help our neighbouring firefighters and be involved in a multi-agency effort to overcome such difficult conditions across multiple locations,” Shane said.

“I was the resources manager for the four days I was there, ensuring that we had the appropriate resources we needed, from dozers through to firefighting equipment and spare tyres.

“Although I was the only volunteer in the WA crew the career firefighters made me feel welcome and part of the team, and the experience has enabled me to make further friends and contacts.”

Chris said feedback received from the SACFS after the incident was very positive.

“They remarked on the can do attitude and collaborative efforts of the WA team.

“The SACFS were extremely grateful for the prompt and expert assistance that we provided.”

© S

ACFS

Avi

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Cross-border firefighting

6 24seven Issue 2, 2014

GENERAL NEWS

SES volunteer assistance in MH370 search

“The focus required to search the seas

for hours on end can be draining, but

we were willing and able to contribute

to the international response to

this tragedy.

“The volunteers searched with all their focus on finding any piece of the puzzle that might assist. We have families too and feel for those that had loved ones on the missing flight.”

Volunteers provided specialist expertise as air observers from Saturday 22 March 2014, assisting the Australian Government led operation.

The SES volunteers assisting with the operation came from units across the Perth metropolitan area, the Goldfields/Midlands and Pilbara regions, with DFES co-ordinating.

Operations Deputy Commissioner Lloyd Bailey congratulated those involved for their efforts.

“The SES commitment to the search operation has been outstanding, with volunteers from across the service putting up their hand to perform shifts.

“They have spent time away from family, friends and their workplace to put in hours searching as part of this international effort.

“On behalf of the WA community, we

are proud to have such committed

emergency services volunteers serving

our state,” Lloyd said.

Cockburn SES volunteers May

Bowser and Paul Neville contributed

approximately 72 hours between them.

May said volunteers were

completing long shifts, which included

the flight to reach the search area,

an intense period of searching the

ocean from the plane and then the

flight home.

“Whilst the search techniques can

be quite demanding, it is rewarding

to be able to help and really make a

contribution,” said May.

SES air search observers regularly

assist the Australian Maritime Safety

Authority (AMSA) and WA Police in

searches for missing aircraft, vessels

or people on land or at sea.

SES volunteers have to be

qualified air search observers

to assist as air searches require

special techniques, which differ from

land search. Training for SES air

observers is undertaken by AMSA.

More than 75 State Emergency Service (SES) volunteers completed over 1,900 hours in the air searching for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370.

The volunteers completed 176 shifts

over two weeks, scouring the waters

of the southern Indian Ocean from civil

aircraft for any signs of debris.

SES volunteer Lyn Bryant said the

SES volunteers were well versed in

searching for missing persons, but the

MH370 search operation was beyond

the norm in scale and difficulty.

“The search area was vast, weather

conditions at times difficult and

spotting items in the swell can be

extremely challenging,” she said.

SES volunteer observers assisting with the Australian Government led search for missing Malaysian Airlines flight MH370, on 27 March 2014 (l to r): John Preece Belmont SES, Lynette Bryant Canning SES, Michael Wood Northshore SES and David Brennen Wanneroo Joondalup SES.

24seven Issue 2, 2014 7

This year we are embarking on a new

strategy to increase the effectiveness

of Portal2Progress (P2P) that involves

looking at and stimulating discussion

on specific campaigns, as well as

giving DFES personnel and volunteers

the opportunity to provide feedback.

With this aim in mind, Fire and Emergency

Services Commissioner Wayne Gregson

launched the P2P Innovation Campaign

Strategy earlier this year.

Commissioner Gregson said P2P was

a key tool in helping the Department to

continuously improve the way things

are done and the use of campaign

focus areas would form part of a

broader innovation strategy.

“P2P is a channel of communication

that enables us to draw upon the

knowledge and vast experience of our

staff and volunteers,” he said.

“Central to its success is the way in

which it can capture ideas from those

who know fire and emergency services

management best.

“The use of campaigns will provide

further opportunity to enhance

communication, prompt concentrated

discussion and seek input on current

issues.”

The individual campaigns will run for

a period of six weeks alongside the

normal P2P and Safety Matters sites.

Empowerment CampaignThe first campaign Empowerment ran

from the 5 March to 18 April, calling

for ideas from P2P users who may not

feel sufficiently empowered to make

decisions and take appropriate action

in their roles.

Executive Director Governance and

Strategy David Caporn said there

is no doubt that when people feel

empowered, they perform more

effectively.

“In my experience they are usually

much happier coming to work.

“Six issues have been raised through

the campaign, mostly identifying

cumbersome approval processes.

“These ideas have been reviewed by

the Innovation Council and are being

progressed for implementation with the

business,” David said.

Commissioner Wayne Gregson APM at the campaign launch.

P2P continues to impressSince its launch in 2011, the Department’s online platform for sharing of ideas and feedback has undergone a process of continual improvement.

Not registered for P2P?Visit the DFES Intranet or Volunteer Portal and join the P2P community. Get involved today.

Contact the P2P teamEmail: [email protected] or call 08 9395 9882.


GENERAL NEWS

Mr Francis said the new station would

service the growing city, with an extra

15,000 residential dwellings expected

to be built in the CBD, East Perth and

West Perth over the next 10 years,

resulting in a doubling of the population

in those areas.

“Major infrastructure projects including

the Perth City Link, Elizabeth Quay and

Riverside Drive will also increase the

number of daily visitors to the CBD,

adding to the demand on emergency

services,” Mr Francis said.

A suitable site for the new station is

being evaluated and it is expected

to become operational in 2016/17.

The station will complement the

existing Perth station at Wellington

Street, which is nearing its operational

capacity and experiencing a five per

cent growth in demand every year.

The State Government will also spend

$9.1million replacing the 78 year old

Albany Fire Station.


Commissioner Wayne Gregson said he

welcomed the major new investment in

fire and emergency services.

“Developments such as the new

station west of Perth will enable DFES

to keep pace with the demands of

protecting the growing city community,”

Commissioner Gregson said.

“A second CBD fire station is a

necessary development in order for

DFES to continue providing effective

emergency services into the future,

particularly in the rapidly growing urban

West Perth area.

“The new facility in Albany, due to open in 2017, is also a much needed boost for the Great Southern region

New fire stations for WA communitiesEmergency Services Minister Joe Francis announced a new $20.3million fire and rescue station would be built west of Perth CBD, as part of the 2014/15 budget.

Major infrastructure projects including the Perth City Link, Elizabeth Quay and Riverside will also increase the number of daily visitors to the CBD, adding to the demand on emergency services.

“

”

and will help us to accelerate response times to house fires and road crash emergencies in the area.”

Fire stations due for completion in 2014/15 include Butler and two in Geraldton, one being a career Fire and Rescue Station (FRS) and one a volunteer FRS Station.


Metropolitan Assistant Commissioner

Brad Stringer said the agreement

consolidates the collaborative working

relationship that currently exists

between the two agencies.

“The document acknowledges that

both parties will provide specified

support services to produce and

maintain an effective and efficient SAR

capability,” he said.

“As a statewide emergency service

provider with expertise in SAR, DFES

is responsible for assisting at major

incidents that require significant

co-ordination of search operations,

when requested by either AMSA or

hazard management agency WA Police.

“This may involve people lost or in

distress on land, inland waterways and

in fishing vessels or pleasure craft.

“This is the first formal MOU between

DFES and AMSA. It has been entered

into in a spirit of co-operation, with

each agency agreeing to jointly develop

and maintain SAR support capability

that would otherwise not be available to

the community.”

Commitments made by DFES under

the MOU include provision and training

of State Emergency Service (SES) Air

Search Observers, Observer Leaders

and Radio Direction Finding Operators,

as well as supplying and administering

relevant equipment and materials.

DFES will also co-ordinate the delivery

of welfare services for air search crew

during incidents, including catering,

local transport, rest areas and

accommodation.

Additionally, in consultation with AMSA

and at their request, DFES will assist in

co-ordinating the availability of suitable

facilities and services for use as an

AMSA air search base.

AMSA has accepted responsibility

for assisting with co-ordination of

aircraft and pilots to support search

and observer training and assessment

activities and will also provide

safety and technical training to SES

instructors.

In consultation with DFES, AMSA will

maintain and audit the national Air

Search Observer and Observer Leader

competency set.

Importantly, it will conduct

assessments of the workplace health

and safety hazards and risks likely

to be encountered by Air Search

Observers, Observer Leaders and

Radio Direction Finding Operators and

take steps to minimise these.

South Coastal District Officer Will

Blackshaw, who frequently delivers

training courses and responds to

operational incidents including SAR

operations, said it was opportune to

have the joint responsibilities outlined

in an MOU.

Joint search and rescue is go with MOU

Commissioner Wayne Gregson APM and AMSA Manager SAR Resources and Training, Mr Julian Mitchell, with the inaugural MOU.

The provision of search and rescue (SAR) support services between DFES and the Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) was recently formalised with the signing of an inaugural Memorandum of Understanding (MOU).

“The MOU clearly states the roles and

responsibilities of our two agencies,

and this effectively removes any

ambiguities that may arise,” Will said.

“In the WA metropolitan area we

have approximately 100 trained SES

observers and leaders, with many more

strategically located across the State.

“The number of requests for DFES

to participate in significant SAR

operations is increasing and in the past

year alone SES volunteer air observers

have been involved in eight incidents

offshore and three over land.”

… entered into in a spirit of co-operation, with each agency agreeing to jointly develop and maintain SAR support capability …

“

”


GENERAL NEWS

Over the weekend of Saturday

29 March and Sunday 30 March,

25 teams from 21 brigades across

Western Australia and including two

from Victoria, entered the heat of

battle at Gilbert Fraser Reserve in

North Fremantle.

The going was tough throughout the

competition, with 18 events testing

a range of skills. There were timed

activities that included running with

large fire carts, as well as events

showcasing skills and accuracy with

hydrants, hoses and water targets.

No strangers to success, Bassendean

VFRS once again claimed the title of

Champion Brigade, their 16th win

since 1970.

Roleystone scored top honours in

‘B’ Class, while Harvey were placed

first in ‘C’ Class and Bassendean

pipped Roleystone at the post in the

Junior Class.

Marc Papalia from Bassendean VFRS

continued his winning streak, taking out

his 6th consecutive title of Champion

Firefighter, with 13 points.

Operations Deputy Commissioner

Lloyd Bailey said the championships

showcased the agility and skills of our

VFRS firefighters.

“The competition events have evolved

from training exercises that were

undertaken for firefighting at the turn of

the 19th century,” Lloyd said.

“The use of various traditional and

modern day equipment and the types

of exercises are designed to enable

teams and individuals to demonstrate

their speed, dexterity, teamwork

and leadership.”

Lloyd said the championships also

provide an opportunity to acknowledge

the outstanding contribution made by

the State’s fire and rescue volunteers.

“Recent bushfire emergencies have

shown the invaluable contribution our

volunteers continue to make as they

selflessly risk their own lives for the

safety of our communities,” he said.

“This was an opportunity for volunteers

to gather in friendly rivalry and socialise

at the end of a busy fire season.

“Congratulations to all who took

part and well done to the WAVFRS

Association for such a well planned

and successful weekend.”

Fiery competition at volunteer championshipsMore than 200 volunteer firefighters fought it out at the 111th Volunteer Fire and Rescue Services (VFRS) Association Easter State Championships, as teams and individuals vied for the honour of being named Champion Brigade and Champion Firefighter.

Marc Papalia took out his sixth consecutive title.

The Bassendean brigade with their trophies.


On the morning of Saturday 22 March

the sounds of the Last Post rang out at

the State War Memorial in Kings Park for

a special memorial service. It was played

by Station Officer Ted Tait accompanied

by two Belgian buglers from the Menin

Gate, Mr Dirk Vandekerckhove and Mr

Tommy Desodt.

Operations Deputy Commissioner

Lloyd Bailey was present along with a

contingent of firefighters to lay a wreath

in honour of the former firefighters

who joined the armed forces and died

in the Ypres Salient during the First

World War.

Menin Gate is a war memorial dedicated

to the tens of thousands of British and

Commonwealth troops who remain

missing in France and Belgium. Its Hall

of Memory contains names on stone

panels of almost 55,000 soldiers who

died in the Salient but whose bodies

have never been identified or found.

Station Officer Ted Tait said firefighters

had been playing the Last Post at

Menin Gate since 1928, broken only

during the German occupation of Ypres

from 1940 to 1944.

“It is a tradition that goes back a long

way. After the opening of the memorial

the citizens of Ypres wanted to express

their gratitude towards those who had

given their lives for Belgium’s freedom,”

Ted said.

“As such, every evening at 8pm,

buglers from the local fire brigade

close the road which passes under the

memorial and sound the Last Post.

“The Last Post at Menin Gate has

always been played by a member

of the fire brigade and the Last Post

Association. It is the intention of the

Association to continue this daily

homage in perpetuity.”

The buglers were invited to Perth by Mr

John Davis of Forrestfield, who funded

their trip after being inspired by his visit

to Menin Gate last year. The buglers

were accompanied by the Head of

the Belgian War Graves Service Mr

Didier Pontzeele and Chairman of

the Last Post Association Mr Benoit

Mottrie, who also attended the special

memorial service.

“For me, the journey of the Belgian buglers to Perth can be seen as symbolic of them bringing home the Australian spirits they pay their respects to every night,” John said.

State RSL President Graham Edwards said the visit was an opportunity to repay the hospitality and commitment of the Last Post Association in Belgium.

“On a nightly basis they play the Last Post at Menin Gate to recognise those men and women who gave their lives during the First World War,” Mr Edwards said.

“They have done this in Belgium nearly 30,000 times.”

Mr Vandekerckhove has been a Last Post Bugler at Menin Gate for 30 years and says it is a very small thank you for what soldiers did for Belgium and for those who never returned home.

Written by Lucy McLeod, ECU journalism student.

(Far left) Deputy Commissioner Lloyd Bailey AFSM and Mr Didier Pontzeele, (front and centre) WA RSL President Graham Edwards AM and (kneeling) Mr Benoit Mottrie, (in middle, centre) Belgian buglers Mr Tommy Desodt and Mr Dirk Vandekerckhove and Warden of the State War memorial Jan Stewart PSM, (far right) Lance Corporal Dave Scott and DFES Station Officer and bugler Ted Tait. Also pictured are firefighters from the Perth, Daglish and Osborne Park Fire Stations.

© T

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Last Post tribute


GENERAL NEWS

The group of ‘Girls on Fire’ really were

on fire as they put themselves through

their paces at the triathlon course

north of Hillarys Marina, with most

members of the team opting to

complete the challenging long triathlon.

The course involved a 750 metre

swim, 20 kilometre cycle and a five

kilometre run.

Firefighter and triathlon participant

Carla Ball said it was a great

opportunity to raise the profile of

women in firefighting.

“Although there are only a fraction of

women firefighters compared with

male firefighters, we pass the same

highly competitive recruitment criteria

and are equally important members of

the team,” Carla said.

“Entering the triathlon also motivated

some of us to step up our usual fitness

training regime and I personally enjoyed

the friendly competition against my

colleagues.”

DFES Principal Workforce Planning

Consultant Jodie Saunders said

benefits of participation in the event

were several fold.

“Competition in the triathlon was a

great team building exercise for our

female firefighters,” she said.

“It also helped them realise that

although they may be at different fire

stations, they still have female peers

and can support each other.

“The event was also a good

recruitment opportunity as triathlon

athletes generally possess personal

drive, emotional resilience and high

levels of personal fitness.

These are all valuable attributes that we

look for in firefighter recruits.

Girls on fireA team of six female firefighters banded together as ‘Girls on Fire’ to compete in the SunSmart Women’s Triathlon on the morning of Sunday 16 March.

The Girls on Fire (l-r) Kelsie Stanford, Brittania Bailey, Karen Roberts, Kellie Betts, Simone Paardekooper, Pippa Williams and Christina Stephan.

“This was the first year we have had

a team competing and I think we

will be back next year with an even

bigger team.”

During the event, Firefighter Brittania

Bailey and several DFES staff were on

hand to talk to interested women and

give out goodie bags which included

information about an upcoming

recruitment day.

“Having a presence on the day meant

that staff were able to talk to competing

athletes about the DFES open day

in April. This led to increased female

attendance and many of those who

came along seemed very interested,”

Jodie said.

Corporate staff members Karen

Roberts and Stacey Naughtin also

competed in the triathlon event.

Firefighter Carla Ball (left) on the home stretch.


Great Southern Community

Engagement Officer Sarah Matthews

said DFES was keen for tourists to

know where and how to get emergency

information and have a planned escape

route in the event of a serious bushfire.

“A range of emergency services have

participated in the project and are

represented in the handy reference

guide,” Sarah said.

“These include DFES, WA Police,

Department of Parks and Wildlife, St

John Ambulance and local Volunteer

Marine Rescue Services.

“The effectiveness and success of the

initial concept also encouraged four

other Great Southern regional Shires

with similar safety issues to adopt

localised booklets of their own.

“In addition to the first publication

tailored to the Shire of Jerramungup,

others who have embraced it include the

City of Albany and Shires of Esperance,

Denmark and Ravensthorpe.

“Visitors often lack essential local

knowledge and this fold out guide

includes important emergency contact

details and safety messages.”

The booklet also lists the DFES

Emergency Information Line number

which enables visitors to keep up to

date with any significant bushfires or

incidents impacting the region.

Great Southern Superintendent Daniel

Austin said it was rewarding to see

the booklets in circulation after many

months of hard work.

“There was great collaboration

between all the agencies which worked

well together in the interest of public

safety,” Daniel said.

“The population of many Great

Southern towns swells in summer

when around 15,000 people head to

the south coast, and this will be an

extremely useful resource for everyone.

“The way the booklets are intended

to work is that a dialogue is initiated

when they are being handed to people

registering for accommodation,

requesting local tourist information or

making purchases.

“This opens up an avenue for

increasing visitor awareness of regional

emergency services.

“There is also an opportunity for shire

rangers, police, firefighters, ambulance

officers and volunteer marine rescuers

to provide booklets and give advice to

visitors who are unfamiliar with the area.”

Shire of Jerramungup Chief Executive

Officer Bill Parker said the idea was

first suggested at a Local Emergency

Management Committee.

“Instead of each agency handing out

their own individual contact information,

we agreed it would be more effective to

combine them,” Bill said.

“It took off from there and all agencies

represented in the booklets supported

DFES in their development, production

and launch.”

The booklet fits easily into a pocket

or wallet. It will be distributed through

visitor and resource centres, holiday

homes, caravan sites, local roadhouses

and bait shops.

Safety at heart of new visitor guide

Photo caption: Celebrating the booklet launch in Albany (l-r): Department of Parks and Wildlife Regional Fire Co-ordinator Mick Hand, DFES Superintendent Daniel Austin, City of Albany Manager of Ranger Services Tony Ward, WA Police Superintendent Cath Bullen, City of Albany Ranger Rob Forster, visitor to the local area Chris Graham, St John Ambulance Regional Manager David Schober, Denmark Sea Rescue volunteer Derek Stone, DFES Community Engagement Officer Sarah Matthews and Shire of Jerramungup CEO Bill Parker.

A newly released visitor information booklet co-ordinated and developed by DFES in collaboration with shires in the Great Southern is now circulating in the region, providing essential information about emergency services.

© A

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GENERAL NEWS

Fremantle Sea Rescue joins the foldFremantle Sea Rescue was formally approved under the DFES Act one year ago, bringing the busy volunteer marine rescue group into the Department’s family.

With 121 active volunteers, Fremantle

Sea Rescue operates a fleet of four

dedicated rescue vessels across their

area, distributed from Rottnest Island in

the west to Perth City in the east.

Commander Philip Martin said the

formal approval from DFES was

welcome as it means Fremantle Sea

Rescue enjoys all the support and

assurance that goes hand in hand with

having official affiliation.

“We are a very busy volunteer marine

rescue service, having undertaken

712 rescues in the last year alone,”

Philip said.

“We commonly assist with a wide

variety of incidents, ranging from

vessels that are adrift following

mechanical failure through to vessels

running aground, medical issues,

vessel fires, missing swimmers, divers

and kite-surfers, and vessels striking

the reef at Rottnest Island.

“For example, on Easter Sunday we

were called to assist with a five year

old girl who slipped on a yacht at

Carnac Island and had a suspected

spinal fracture.

“We despatched two of our vessels at

speed from the Swan River.

“While all of our crew are qualified

first aiders, several of them are also

paramedics and fortunately we had a

paramedic on board that day who was

able to stabilise the injured girl.

“We then transferred her onto our

vessel using a spinal support board

and medivaced her back to Fremantle

to the waiting ambulance.”

Commander Martin said that due to the

nature of volunteer marine rescue and

instances such as this one, support

from DFES is immensely important.

“Assistance with running costs

helps us with operating, training and

administration expenses and enables

us to budget ahead more effectively

with funds raised from sponsorship and

donations,” he said.

“This ensures that we can afford the

best safety gear for volunteers, as

well as the best search and rescue

equipment for our vessels, which

enables us to respond quickly

and effectively.

“It is also reassuring for our volunteers

to know they are covered by the most

comprehensive insurance possible,

which they are with the state insurer.”

Fremantle Sea Rescue currently has two rescue vessels underway at all times during weekend daytime hours, however more than half of their annual rescues are conducted either at night or during midweek working hours.

These call outs are handled by a dedicated volunteer on-call crew who are on a five minute standby for emergencies and a 30 minute standby for non-emergencies.

“We have four vessels and also have access to up to six more private vessels when required, such as during major sporting events that we assist with.

“Now that we are under the DFES umbrella, we are in the process of entering our gazetted vessels into the DFES refit and replacement program to ensure they are in line with the latest and best standards.”

The rescues undertaken by Fremantle Sea Rescue are usually evenly split across their area, with around a third occurring in the Swan River, a third at Rottnest Island and the remainder in the ocean around Fremantle.


Regional fire stations across the state marked International Firefighters’ Day with open days and a range of family friendly activities for the community.

GeraldtonGeraldton Fire Station opened its doors

to around 350 people to mark the day.

Appliances and equipment were on

display for the community, while career

and volunteer firefighters engaged with

attendees, providing information on

smoke alarms, home fire safety and

triple zero calls.

Firefighters completed a road crash

rescue display for interested members

of the public, showing them how

casualties are removed from the vehicle

using rescue equipment and how

injuries are managed in the process.

Geraldton Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Service also provided a sausage sizzle

to feed the hungry crowd.

Appliances and equipment were on display for interested community members.

Firefighters demonstrated a road crash rescue removing a casualty from the vehicle.

International Firefighters’ Day around WA

BunburyCareer and Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Service personnel together with

volunteer Bush Fire Service members

from across the Greater Bunbury area

joined together at the Graham Bricknell

Music Shell with their appliances to

celebrate the day.

They held a variety of demonstrations

for the gathered crowd of around 300

people, including road crash rescue

scenarios and kitchen fire simulations.

Crews also educated the community

on home fire safety and home fire

escape plans, while miniature fire

engine Freddy was on hand to entertain

Superintendent Rick Curtis and Salvation Army Chaplain Harriette Farqhaur, who recited the Firefighters’ Prayer.


GENERAL NEWS

Regional fire stations across the state marked International Firefighters’ Day with open days and a range of family friendly activities for the community.

Kids also got the chance to try using the firehose at the open day.

Young Bradley Austin tried on a firefighter helmet for size.

International Firefighters’ Day around WA

Albany Albany Fire Station held a family

open day where career and volunteer

firefighters took the opportunity to carry

out fire safety related competitions and

activities.

Four fire appliances were on display,

with community members encouraged

to ask questions about the equipment

and how it is used. There were also

displays of home fire safety and

smoke alarm information, and a room

the kids and Bunbury Surf Life Saving

Club provided a sausage sizzle.

In commemoration of fallen firefighters,

Salvation Army Chaplain Harriette

Farqhaur recited the Firefighters’ Prayer

and a minute’s silence was observed.

Eaton/Australind VFRS undertook a kitchen fire simulation for the crowd.

Liam Waite tries his hand with the jaws of life.

of personal protective equipment

(PPE) set up for demonstration and

discussion. Children were able to spray

the fire hose, have their photo taken

in front of a light tanker and enter a

colouring competition.

The sausage sizzle was snapped up by

young and old and there was a free raffle

which was entered by 100 families, with

the lucky winner receiving a fire bucket

containing a collection of fire safety

items. Close to 500 local community

members turned out for the day.


Jennifer said the team recognises

the valuable contribution that DFES

volunteers and career staff have in

delivering the message of ‘shared

responsibility’ to the community.

“The Directorate will be introducing a

process of evaluation and will continue

to regularly update the Toolbox to

reflect research into community

engagement and best practice

methods,” she said.

“We would like to hear success stories

from staff and volunteers so they can

be shared with other brigades, units

and groups through the Toolbox.

“We are also interested in hearing

about activities that may not have been

successful, as we learn as much from

these as we do from successes.

All these stories help us better support

community engagement efforts across

the organisation.

“Any comments or suggestions from

those using the Toolbox are welcome

too as the Community Engagement

team want to ensure the information

provided is relevant and easy to use.

“This will assist us with continuous

improvement and ensure that DFES

volunteers and career staff are

well supported in their community

engagement related activities.”

The toolbox can be accessed through

the DFES intranet and extranet.

We would like to hear success stories from staff and volunteers so they can be shared with other brigades, units and groups through the Toolbox.

“”

Community Engagement Toolbox a guide to best practice

The Community Engagement Toolbox has been created as an online tool to support DFES career personnel and volunteers conduct effective community engagement activities.

The Toolbox provides information,

examples, case studies and templates

to assist personnel and volunteers to

plan, conduct and evaluate community

engagement activities and events.

Community Engagement Acting

Director Jennifer Pidgeon said

users are provided with examples of

successful community engagement

activities that DFES personnel have

either organised or participated in.

“These examples provide great

ideas for how successful community

engagement activities can have

a positive effect on community

preparedness,” Jennifer said.

Importantly the Toolbox provides a

calendar of community engagement

programs and campaigns to enable

personnel and volunteers to plan their

activities over the year. Also included

are publication catalogues, resource

order forms and contact details for the

Community Engagement team.


GENERAL NEWS

Launched last year, the Commissioner’s

Aboriginal Scholarship Program offers

two annual scholarships of up to

$5,000 each, to undergraduate and

postgraduate Aboriginal students in

Western Australia.


Commissioner Wayne Gregson

said the program demonstrates the

commitment of DFES to working with

Aboriginal people to ensure they are

armed with the knowledge to prepare

for, respond to and recover from a

diverse range of emergencies.

“Aboriginal students are being given

the opportunity to apply for the

scholarships if they are studying a

field that contributes to emergency

management,” Commissioner

Gregson said.

“The program aims to provide them

with the necessary tools to assist

with employment, volunteering and

inclusion in decision making that

will help to develop and maintain

safer communities.

“At DFES we value the importance

of education and recognise the

opportunity that a tertiary qualification

provides for Aboriginal people when

they are applying for a job.

“In the long term we want to see

increased employment of Aboriginal

people in the public sector and it is

through programs like this that we

hope to achieve this.”

Senior Workforce Management

Consultant Gabrielle Bird said that

DFES was aware that many Aboriginal

communities in Western Australia

were especially vulnerable to natural

disasters and other emergencies.

“In its Reconciliation Action Plan

2008-2013, DFES made a commitment

to work with Aboriginal people to

promote opportunities for employment

and volunteering,” Gabrielle said.

“These scholarships are a first

for DFES that will increase

Aboriginal understanding of

emergency management.

“All eligible Aboriginal and Torres

Strait Islander students are being

encouraged to consider this unique

opportunity.

Aboriginal student scholarships openA scholarship program developed by DFES to support Aboriginal university students who are studying emergency management related units is now seeking applications for 2015.

“The scholarships have an immediate

practical purpose and can be used

for unit fees, course materials or

sundry expenses associated with

relevant studies.”

Applications for the scholarships can be submitted all year round through the University of Western Australia and Edith Cowan University Scholarship websites at www.scholarships.uwa.edu.au and www.ecu.edu/scholarships/overview.

For further enquiries contact the DFES Senior Workforce Management Consultant on 9395 9312 or email [email protected]


Primary school students can now learn about natural hazards in the classroom thanks to the development of an online tropical cyclone and flood program.

Developed by DFES for upper primary

school teachers to access and use in

class, the lessons are aligned with the

Australian curriculum and are suitable

for students in years five to seven.

School Aged Programs Co-ordinator

Liz Addison said the materials

consisted of a teacher overview, an

introductory lesson on natural hazards

in WA, and four tropical cyclone and

flood lessons.

“The lessons are evidence based

and enable children to increase their

knowledge of natural hazards in a local

and regional context,” Liz said.

“The aim is to encourage them to take

action to prepare themselves, their

homes and their families for cyclone

and flood.

“A child’s perception of risk is

challenged through hands on activities

and these are an important part of the

program. Some elements have also

been designed for completion

at home.”

Liz said that year five students

from East Butler Primary School in

Perth’s northern suburbs took part in

the program.

“They created a class checklist for a

flood emergency as well as their own

individual emergency contact lists.

They also learnt how to recognise and

avoid flood risk," she said.

“The learning experience included a

scenario where students prepared an

emergency kit and evacuated to their

school for a sleepover.”

Pilbara teacher Penny Squibb provided

suggestions for classroom activities

and feedback throughout the program

development.

“Educating the students also has the

flow on effect of helping to increase the

knowledge of other family members,”

Penny said.

“The lessons incorporate activities

which involve students conducting an

audit of their homes and participating

in preparation activities at home with

their families.

“I have been a member of the Port Hedland and Karratha State Emergency Service units for most of the time I have been teaching in the Pilbara. As a result, cyclone awareness and education has always been a priority with students I have taught.

“Assisting in the development of the tropical cyclone and flood lesson plans was a great way to use my experience and passion to reach more students and families.”

The resources can be found at www.dfes.wa.gov.au by following the links to Education and Heritage/Teachers and Schools.

For more information about the program, contact Liz Addison, School Aged Education on 9395 9864.

Flood and cyclone education boosted


GENERAL NEWS

The street meet is just one initiative in

a series of community engagement

activities aimed directly at absentee

landowners, real estate agents and

property managers, undertaken over

the past year as a result of research

DFES has conducted.

Community Engagement Acting

Director Jennifer Pidgeon said

the research was carried out by

Community Engagement and focussed

on absentee landowners and their

understanding and awareness of the

bushfire threat.

“Over 850 absentee landowners

from 10 communities in the Midwest

Gascoyne, South West, Lower South

West and Great Southern regions

participated in the research, which

also looked at absentee landowner’s

barriers and drivers to property

preparation,” Jennifer said.

“As a result of what we discovered

through the research we have now

developed a working partnership with

the Real Estate Institute of Western

Australia (REIWA) and have worked

with them to conduct briefings and

participate in the South West Property

Manager’s conference, attended by

over 200 people.

“Community Engagement staff have

also begun a visitation program to

regional real estate agents promoting

bushfire preparedness messages to

tenants and owners.”

Direct action has been taken with

absentee landowners with two open

house activities conducted in the Perth

Metropolitan area and the successful

street meet in Meelup Hills.

The street meet was run in conjunction

with the City of Busselton and with

Driving action with absentee landownersA street meet held in Meelup Hills near Dunsborough recently attracted a large turnout with an attendance of around 150 enthusiastic community members and absentee landowners.

support from local volunteers. It was

evident from feedback collected on the

day and via an online survey that the

format, which included guided property

walk throughs, was very effective.

The information covered ranged

from preparing your property to how

to stay informed and more than 94

per cent of responses indicated that

participants would actively apply the

knowledge they gained to prepare for

the bushfire season.

Community Engagement Officer

Stephanie Green said the initiative was

a great start to the regional community

engagement strategy that works to

increase preparedness and engage the

high absentee landowner population in

the area.

As a result of this event secondary

property owners and local community

members have now signed up to the

email distribution list and have been

sent monthly updates and information

regarding bushfire preparedness

“It is important to keep people up to

date with helpful information on being

bushfire ready, as well as letting them

know about upcoming community

events,” Stephanie said.

“This will hopefully increase their

connection with the local community

and in turn their overall resilience.”

The absentee landowner research is available on the Community Engagement intranet page or by contacting staff at communityengagementresources @dfes.wa.gov.au or 9395 9816.


multi-agency response of 200 career

and volunteer Fire and Rescue Service,

Bush Fire Service and Department of

Parks and Wildlife firefighters, and more

than 60 appliances.

While firefighters battled against the

flames, support was provided by the

aerial fleet which utilised a total of

18 aircraft.

Initially reported shortly after midnight

on Monday 3 February, the fire

flared up late that morning and burnt

with relentless intensity throughout

the afternoon.

Despite the difficult conditions that

included wind and high fuel loads,

the combined determination of the

response team brought it under control

by 10am next day.

This concentrated effort saved many

homes from destruction. Unfortunately

six properties were impacted by the

fire, with four sustaining major damage

and two affected in a minor way.

Incident Controller Superintendent

Stuart Wade said that rural urban

interface firefighting strategies worked

well to protect heavily populated areas

within the fire perimeter.

The fast moving fire that was south

of the city affected the suburbs of

Forrestdale, Banjup, Aubin Grove and

Atwell, and burnt through 500 hectares

of bushland.

The biggest civil emergency to occur

in the City of Cockburn, it required a

Banjup bushland up in flamesWestern Australian firefighters again teamed up in a massive effort to protect the community, just three weeks after a major bushfire in the Perth Hills.


OPERATIONAL INCIDENTS

“A concerted response ensured that

the fire was contained by evening

on the first day and controlled next

morning,” he said.

“A cornerstone of the incident

management plan was to locate crews

at properties soon after the fire front

had passed through. This ensured that

firefighters were ready to extinguish

spot fires before they flared up and

possibly damaged properties.

“Many residents had established

building protection zones at their

homes and this, together with the

excellent contribution of firefighters and

aerial support, helped to restrict losses.

“The work that occurred earlier in the

summer with strike teams and extra

resources being kept at the ready, plus

centralised co-ordination, were also

crucial to the swift, effective response.”

Cockburn and Armadale Local

Governments, WA Police, Water

Corporation, Western Power, the

Department for Child Protection and

Family Support, Bureau of Meteorology,

Red Cross, St John Ambulance and

the Salvation Army, were among many

agencies that provided expertise and

assistance.

Throughout the incident rotary aircraft

dropped 1.7million litres of water,

eclipsing the figure of 1.6million litres

dropped during the Parkerville bushfire.

The DFES website also experienced

its most significant day of traffic ever

with almost 330,000 visitors generating

close to 12million hits to the site.


Commissioner Wayne Gregson

said he was impressed with the

entire response.

“There was tremendous co-operation

across the board as Western Australian

fire and emergency services personnel

and volunteers again rallied to protect

the community,” Commissioner

Gregson said.

“The team showed great diligence and

purpose, whether they were in the thick

of the action or working hard behind

the scenes.

Personnel in the Metropolitan and State

Operations Centres played a crucial role

in monitoring, planning and co-ordinating

the overall firefighting effort.

“The support of our emergency

management partners through the

provision of vital resources including

personnel and equipment, also had a

significant impact.

“The quick, well co-ordinated response and dedication of all fire crews, emergency volunteers and staff combined to prevent this fire from escalating into a potentially devastating incident.

In the aftermath of the main fire members of the Urban Search and Rescue Rapid Damage Assessment Team were brought in to apply their specialist skills and comprehensively inspect the area.

A temporary evacuation centre was set up at Armadale Arena and two community meetings were held to keep residents up to date on the incident status and recovery operations.

Senior operational staff addressed the group and responded to questions to ensure everyone was fully informed, while members of the Community Liaison Unit were also on hand to advise and offer assistance.

During these meetings residents thanked all the firefighters and officers who had worked tirelessly to protect their homes, expressing high regard and gratitude for their commitment.


Emergency re-supply as Pilbara flood waters riseWhen communities in the Pilbara were cut off from the rest of civilisation for eight days by flood waters earlier this year, DFES personnel and multiple volunteer units pulled together to provide much needed support and essential supplies.

Marble Bar Volunteer Emergency

Service and police met the aircraft at

the airport for supply transfers to the

town of Marble Bar.

The Jigalong community located east

of Newman was also isolated due to

high river levels and inaccessible roads,

and two resupplies were conducted to

the community using fixed wing aircraft.

The DFES Karratha regional office

co-ordinated the first resupply, which

originated from Meekathara due to

Great Northern Highway being closed

between Meekatharra and the Capricorn

Roadhouse south of Newman.

“The second Jigalong resupply was

co-ordinated in Newman by the local

SES Manager Connie Reed, who

organised the loading and dispatching

of the aircraft. She was ably supported

by Newman SES volunteers,” Paul said.

Once the Great Northern Highway reopened further supplies for Jigalong were able to get through to Newman by road. Eight fixed wing airlifts, co-ordinated by the Regional Operations Centre at Port Hedland, were then

needed over two days to fly essential supplies from Newman to Jigalong.

Newman SES provided invaluable logistical support by managing the transfer of food and essentials from a semi-trailer onto the waiting aircraft at Newman airport. Newman Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service also provided manpower until they were called out to an incident.

East Pilbara District Officer Peter Cameron said although the remote desert communities take measures to try and ensure their preparedness for the wet season, it is not always possible.

“They generally stock up their stores in October and this lasts them through to January, then giving them a window of opportunity to restock again before the season starts.

“In this instance there was cultural business which brought more people into the Jigalong community location than is usual and the supplies were not sufficient when they were surprised by bad weather.”

Pilbara Superintendent John Newman said the resupply of the affected communities and towns provided challenges to all involved, however the endeavour was successful.

“It would not have been possible without the co-operation and dedication of our volunteers who willingly provided assistance throughout this demanding time.

“It is a credit to everyone involved that the resupplies to these isolated communities were achieved in such a timely and efficient manner.”

Marble Bar and Newman received considerable rainfall into the catchment areas surrounding their towns in the early months of 2014, causing river levels to rise significantly.

The Shaw and Coongan Rivers experienced high levels, immersing the Marble Bar to Port Hedland road. This isolated the town of Marble Bar, while the Waralong community which sits north of the road and between the two rivers, was cut off from both Marble Bar and Port Hedland.

West Pilbara District Officer Paul Leiper said Port Hedland DFES personnel co-ordinated an airlifted resupply to the remote Waralong community from Port Hedland.

“The re-supply was undertaken using fixed wing planes and helicopters and was supported by the Port Hedland State Emergency Service (SES), who collected supplies from local providers in Port and South Hedland,” Paul said.

“DFES and SES crews also accompanied the aircraft to assist with loading and unloading of supplies, and conducting welfare checks.”



The man was flown to Hedland Health

Campus by the BHP Billiton rescue

helicopter and later transferred to Royal

Perth Hospital by the Royal Flying

Doctor Service.

Pilbara Superintendent John Newman

said the man was fortunate to be alive.

“Aside from the South Hedland VFRS

and BHP Billiton emergency services

and helicopter crew, there was also

involvement from St John Ambulance,

the Tom Price private VFRS, an Aspen

paramedic, WA Police, a doctor and

a nurse.

South Hedland Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service (VFRS) raced to extract a 36 year old man from his badly damaged Toyota Hilux following a traffic accident on Tuesday 22 April.

The man was driving on the Great

Northern Highway from Port Hedland

to Newman when his car collided

with a triple road train, leaving him

seriously injured and trapped inside

the wreckage.

South Hedland VFRS Captain Vaughan

Price said four brigade members were

mobilised as well as the nearby BHP

Billiton emergency response team

consisting of an ambulance and fire

truck.

“We arrived on the scene at around

11am and it took firefighters 40 minutes

to remove the wounded man.

“We did a roof fold and removed the

driver’s side door to extricate the

casualty,” Vaughan said.

“This was truly a great example of an effective multi-agency effort.

“Everyone involved is to be commended for their quick response and the part they played in saving the injured man.”

The man escaped with a broken right femur and broken ribs.

The crash occurred approximately 150 kilometres south of Port Hedland. It was 50 kilometres north of Auski Roadhouse and 50 kilometres south of the Hillside Woodstock Road, forcing the closure of the highway in both directions.

© W

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Road trauma response


“They are unpredictable and it is very

hard to tell what the currents and the

depths are like.

“Fortunately the SES were quick to

respond to the incident and were able

to rescue those in need of help.”

Russell Levine of Exmouth SES who was

involved in rescuing a driver, said with

the heavy rainfall people couldn’t get

from one side of the town to the other.

“The water accumulates in the ranges

on the west and travels down the

gullies into Exmouth town. The flood

water then rushes through town and

floods everything,” Russell said.

“We had to firstly get to the rescue site

some hundred metres downstream,

secure ourselves, gain access to the

vehicle, get the driver off the truck and

bring him back safely to the bank.

Aside from the drivers stranded in

their vehicles in the floodwaters,

emergency services received several

other calls including one from a

nursing home where help was required

with sandbagging.

While no one was hurt, the deluge

resulted in some damage to homes

and businesses, and caused part of

the main road to collapse.

Exmouth is also a very popular tourist

destination and tourists camping in

nearby Cape Range National Park were

evacuated and housed temporarily in

Exmouth, as the park was affected by

the flood and caravans were washed

away. The park had to be closed and

assessed for damage after the incident.

Minilya-Exmouth Road from the Burkett

Road turnoff remained closed until

Monday 28 April due to extremely high

levels of water and debris.

DFES staff and SES also worked

together with the Shire of Exmouth,

WA Police, Australian Federal Police,

Horizon Power, Department of Parks

and Wildlife, Main Roads and the

community themselves to quickly

recover from the flooding event.

This was especially important as

subsequent significant rainfall was

forecast for the area only five days after

the original event. Thankfully this did not

occur to the full extent of the forecast

and the town was able to resume some

normality in the following days.

Unexpected and sudden flood waters took the northwest town of Exmouth by surprise during the ANZAC Day long weekend, with two people needing rescue from their vehicles by local State Emergency Service (SES).

On Saturday 26 April the main route

into Exmouth, Minilya-Exmouth Road,

was transformed into a river, with over

200 millimetres of rain falling on the

town and nearby Cape Range National

Park. At several floodways the water

was reportedly up to two metres deep.

West Pilbara District Officer Paul Leiper

said after little rain in the last eight

months, a string of thunderstorms hit

the town and by 4pm the main road

into Exmouth was cut off, leaving some

residents and tourists stranded.

“Unfortunately many drivers take their

lives into their hands and try and cross

the flooded waters, which in most

cases is not safe,” Paul said.

Deluge cuts off Exmouth

© K

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And

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n



The RAC Rescue helicopter arrived

just before last light and were able to lift

him to safety and fly him to Jandakot.

A relieved and grateful Kim said he was

thankful to the crew for coming to get

him just in the nick of time.

“I was in my wetsuit and prepared

to get in the water and I was going

to leave it until the very last moment

before I stepped off the boat as it was

going down,” Kim said.

“My biggest concern was stepping

off the boat and then I was going to

be alone.”

Critical Care Paramedic Clint van der

Westhuyzen was on board the RAC

Rescue helicopter and undertook the

wet winch water recovery, lifting Kim to

safety. He said Kim was well prepared

and had good safety gear on board.

“People who are not prepared make it

more difficult for us and ultimately they

make it difficult for themselves because

the result is not always as good as

this,” Clint said.

The 46 year old man, Kim Jamieson,

was 50 nautical miles west of Cape

Bouvard in the late afternoon when

his 12 metre yacht Elkin started taking

on water.

Kim set off an Emergency Position

Indicating Radio Beacon (EPIRB) at

5.27pm to alert the Australian Maritime

Safety Authority (AMSA), who then

contacted the RAC Rescue helicopter

with his location.

As the helicopter was tracking to his

location, Kim was preparing to jump

into the water with a life ring as his

yacht continued to take on water.

It was then he was spotted by a Royal

New Zealand Air Force plane, returning

from a day of searching for the missing

MH370 aircraft, who had also picked

up the distress signal.

Upon seeing the plane circling, Kim

set off a flare to attract their attention

and they responded by dispatching

a smoke flare which the rescue crew

used to confirm Kim’s location.

RAC Rescue at last light

“Kim was also very lucky because the

weather was starting to get fierce and it

was getting dark very quickly.

“It was a great team effort between our

flight crew, with pilot Craig Bowman

flying and crewman George Cassey

getting me into the water so I could

retrieve the patient.”

Although Kim was sad to see the end

of his yacht, which he had lived on for

16 years, he was happy to be alive.

A wake was held for the Elkin at the

Fremantle Sailing Club on Saturday

10 May.

A Fremantle sailor was counting his blessings after being winched to safety by the RAC Rescue chopper as his yacht sank on 26 April.


North East Superintendent Craig

Waters said battling the fire was a

co-operative multi-agency effort.

“A WA Police contingent was on

hand to manage road blocks while

support was also provided by the State

Emergency Service (SES) who set up

lighting towers and the Salvation Army

who fed the famished firefighters.

“The main impact the fire had on the

community was due to the location,

which significantly affected people’s

access to their homes.

“The fire burnt through approximately

150 hectares and residents from two

homes had to be evacuated.”

Whilst the first fire was in the later

stages of being contained, another

fire was started in the area. It raged

across the northern part of Ellenbrook

burning approximately 300 hectares of

bushland near Pineroo Terrace, Feredy

Loop and Maralla Road, with several

roads having to be closed.

The fire was met with the same concerted response from fire crews across Perth, with 90 firefighters from DFES, the Department of Parks and Wildlife and Local Government involved at the height of the fire and reinforced by air support.

The incident involved large scale evacuations, including Disability Services residents, as the fire was travelling between people’s homes.

The blaze was brought under control in five hours and took a further three days to be completely extinguished.

Superintendent Waters said it was highly concerning that someone was deliberately lighting fires in the area.

“The Ellenbrook subdivision contains significant pockets of virgin bushland and paper bark trees and while it may look nice, it creates a highly flammable environment for a residential area and increases the potential for ember attack,” he said.

“Fortunately, we were able to bring both fires under control relatively quickly before any homes were lost.”

The first blaze started at Whiteman

Park at around 3pm on Thursday

19 January, crossing Lord Street and

cutting off the main access road into

Ellenbrook for several days.

Firefighters were able to bring the fire

under control in five hours due to the

level of response from fire crews across

Perth and surrounding areas.

Station Officer Wayne Brown said at

the height of the fire 90 firefighters

were involved.

“There were 15 career and 20 volunteer

appliances, as well as support

from an air attack supervisor, two

water bombers and one air crane,”

Wayne said.

“West Swan Volunteer Bush Fire

Brigade opened up their station to help

and we were able to establish a control

point on the ground.”

An Incident Management Team

consisting of ten District Officers and

Superintendents was set up to manage

the incident.

Ellenbrook on alertMultiple fast moving fires in Ellenbrook kept firefighters busy in the January heat, as they tirelessly battled to save many homes in the area.

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Members of the community used

social media to spread the word, and

hundreds of people also assisted with

the search for the child.

Mundaring SES volunteer Lin Booth

was appointed SES Commander at

8.45pm and SES units were deployed

from Northam, Mundaring and Swan,

along with York Volunteer Emergency

Service and the SES Canine Unit.

“After a briefing the searchers went

straight to work, including SES dog

Jemma and her volunteer handler

Leonie Briggs as well as Karma and

handler Stephanie Briggs,” Lin said.

Leonie, who is also an SES Canine

Section Manager, said that both dogs

and handlers began scouring different

parts of the home paddock, each

accompanied by a police officer.

“After initially tackling the paddock,

we then searched around the dams,”

Leonie said.

It was a happy reunion for a Clackline family when their missing four year old toddler was found safe and well by a State Emergency Service (SES) canine and volunteer dog handler.

The child’s parents had put the boy to

bed early in the evening on Sunday

16 February, only to discover an hour

later that he was gone.

As the family dog was also nowhere to

be found, it prompted the realisation

they may have wandered off together.

The property was a small hobby farm

with paddocks, horses and three large

dams, and fears for the boy’s safety

increased as darkness fell.

WA Police were called in to co-ordinate

a search and, as the hazard managers,

they requested the assistance of SES

volunteers and trained search canines.

“Once these areas had been cleared,

we approached a vacant house on

Great Eastern Highway about 800

metres from the boy’s home.

“Jemma and I scouted around the

exterior and when we checked the

verandah she began barking repeatedly.

“After looking through a window we

spotted the child who appeared to

be asleep.

“The police officers were able to enter

the property through an unlocked door

where the boy was sleeping soundly

with his dog close by.”

Leonie said it was a good outcome that

was achieved quite quickly.

“The important thing was that both the

child and dog were found unharmed

and no worse for the experience, which

was a great relief to his family.”

The SES Canine Unit is always looking for handlers and dogs. Anyone who wants to find out more can call Leonie Briggs on 08 9293 3458.

Four legged friend finds missing child


to co-ordinate a whole of community

response effort.

“An immediate response was provided

by Kununurra State Emergency Service

(SES) and they were well supported

by the local Volunteer Fire and Rescue

Service, as well as volunteers from as

far afield as Broome,” Graham said.

“Staff from the Department of Parks

and Wildlife and the Shire of Wyndham

East Kimberley also helped. This was

truly a co-operative interagency effort

to ensure the health and safety of

the community.

“DFES received 39 requests for assistance, with volunteers helping community members with relocations, sandbagging and covering damaged roofs with tarpaulins.”

Road closures were put in effect for Victoria Highway between the Northern Territory border and the Great Northern Highway, as well as the Great Northern between Warmun and Wyndham.

Two remote communities, including 20 people from Emu Creek and nine people from Bell Springs, had to be relocated by helicopter to Kununurra for three days during the incident, due to rising flood waters.

A welfare centre was set up at the Kununurra Leisure Centre by the Department for Child Protection and Family Support, for these communities and others badly affected or stranded by the torrential rain and flooding.

The floods caused widespread

damage to homes and shops in the

area, as well as water and sewerage

infrastructure, storm water drains,

roads and floodway culverts.

SES volunteers conducted rapid

damage assessments after the rain had

finally ceased, to help identify damaged

properties and speed the recovery effort.

The total damage across all agencies

was estimated at over $11million dollars.

A slow moving tropical low brought

heavy rainfall to the region from

Thursday 6 February to early Monday

10 February, causing rising rivers, flash

flooding and damage to many homes.

Over the course of the incident the

rainfall reached levels as high as

422.8 millimetres in Kununurra and

624.4 millimetres at the Microwave

Tower weather station, affecting not

only the town site but also surrounding

irrigation channels and arterial roads.

The deluge started around 5pm

Thursday night. By the next morning

streets in lower areas of Kununurra

were flooded, power had been cut,

highways were closed and planes were

being diverted as the low hovered

over the region. The flooding reached

the town centre by mid afternoon and

business owners were forced to start

sandbagging their shops as the rain

showed no signs of letting up.

Natural Hazards District Officer

Graham Sears said DFES acted quickly

Two months after the flash flooding in the Kimberley, communities were still working hard to recover from what is now being described as a one in a hundred year event.

Kimberley contends with flash flooding



sergeant, initially responded to the

incident, arriving at around 1am.

“Those first on the scene determined

more assistance was needed to bring

the blaze under control and called for

help,” he said.

“They kept the situation controlled and

monitored traffic until firefighters and

Main Roads traffic controllers arrived.

Two career firefighters and I were flown

into the area to assist.

“All in all, it took around 18 hours until

the fire was out completely but the road

was safely re-opened early Monday

afternoon to allow people through.”

While the truck was completely gutted

by the fire, the driver was uninjured.

Goldfields/Midlands Superintendent

Trevor Tasker said although it was

an unfortunate incident that caused

significant delays for those travelling

between the states, no one was

harmed.

“It was a great effort by all involved

to keep people in the area safe

and to bring the fire under control,”

Trevor said.

The exact cause of the fire has not

been determined, however Ian said

transporting gas cylinders can be

potentially hazardous and great care

should be taken.

“As gas pressure is high, a ruptured

cylinder or valve can cause serious

injury or damage. Some gases are very

flammable and a leakage can create

an explosive atmosphere in a vehicle,”

Ian said.

“People transporting potentially

hazardous substances also need to

make sure that information about what

they are carrying is readily available.

“What made it difficult for us in this

instance was that there was no

placarding on the vehicle and no

manifest, so there was very little

information available about what

chemicals were present.”

A truck fire on the Eyre Highway in early April forced the closure of the only road link between Western Australia and South Australia for 13 hours.

The incident started at 11.40pm on

a privately own freight truck, which

was carrying a load that included gas

cylinders and mixed chemicals.

Travelling on the Eyre Highway, it was

15 kilometres west of the Mundrabilla

Roadhouse and 77 kilometres

west of Eucla, close to the South

Australian border.

Kalgoorlie District Officer Ian

Thompson said two volunteers from

the Eucla Volunteer Emergency

Services, including a local police

Truck fire on Eyre Highway

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section of roof hanging over the side of

the three storey building,” Nick said.

“We then secured the roof structure

ready for handover to the builders who

had been arranged by the property

agent.

“Some of the torn metal from the roof also caused damage to the house next door but fortunately no one was home at the neighbouring property at the time. Volunteers worked quickly to prevent further damage to the property.

“All up it took us around five hours to make that particular scene safe.”

Aside from dealing with this incident, dozens of SES volunteers across Perth and the South West responded and made temporary repairs to homes, fixed minor roof damage and removed fallen trees from homes, cars and fences.

They were supported by career Fire and Rescue Service firefighters, while personnel from WA Police and Western Power also worked in partnership with DFES.

Bringing winds of more than 100

kilometres an hour and 50 millimetres

of rain, the cold front caused damage

and power outages in Perth and parts

of the South West.

DFES answered more than 90 calls

for help. The suburb of Cockburn was

worst hit with 16 calls for help, while

there were six requests for assistance

in the South West region.

Major damage was reported in

Hawkstone Street in Cottesloe after

a squally gust ripped the roof off of

a three storey building. Residents

from the top floor of the building were

evacuated but luckily no one was hurt

due to the prompt response from

emergency services.

Northshore State Emergency Service

(SES) Local Manager Nick Elliott said

SES volunteers were called in to clean

up and secure the site.

“A team of six SES volunteers attended

and our initial task was to remove the

immediate danger, which was the large

SES Change Manager District Officer

Allen Gale said the key to staying safe

and reducing property damage for the

storm season was preparation.

“Each year from May to October,

storms including tornados, thunder,

lightning, hail, flash flooding and gale

force winds impact our state causing

major destruction to the southern half

of WA,” Allen said.

“Dangerous storms are the most

common natural hazard in Australia

and they can cause millions of dollars

in property damage and pose a huge

threat to people.

“Across the lower part of WA, DFES

responded to a total of 87 storm related

incidents last year and dedicated

volunteers contributed over 4,800

hours responding to storms.”

DFES attended more than 880

requests for assistance in 2013 which

included roof damage, water inundation

and fallen trees.

Early storms a timely reminderIn the lead up to Storm Awareness Week which encourages people to prepare their homes for storm season, overnight thunderstorms on Wednesday 7 May were a timely reminder of the destruction severe weather can cause.

32 24seven Issue 2, 2014 24seven Issue 2, 2014 33 32 24seven Issue 2, 2014


hazards and fire cause determination amongst other things,” he said.

“As a part of the training a series of simulated situations are set up in a controlled environment to demonstrate an actual ‘live burn’.

“The simulations take place in common areas where house fires begin and involve incidents such as a heater setting bed linen alight and a battery charger overheating under a pile of clothing.

“In Tuesday’s simulation we undertook a larger controlled burn of the room and let it go until it reached flash over.

“These exercises are carefully managed and they enable FIAU students to observe fire behaviour and growth within a structure.”

Station Officer Ryan Murtagh said it gave him a better understanding of fire behaviour and how fire spreads.

“Training exercises like these teach you

how to read a fire scene and to become

more aware of what it is telling you.

“It also shows that the greater the care

taken with the fire scene and the better

preserved it is then the easier it is to

determine the cause.

“Overall it has been challenging and

intensive but it has taught me to take

a scientific approach, to remove any

bias and look at things in a logical and

progressive way,” Ryan said.

Other important elements of the

course include legal requirements and

powers, evidence and information

gathering, incendiary devices, fatal

fires, motives of a firelighter and

presenting evidence in court.

“The aim of the FIAU is to identify fire

trends, analyse them and put measures

in place to reduce their frequency. This

will ultimately save lives, reduce injuries

and enormous financial impact that fire

has on the community,” said Andrew.

State wide the FIAU investigated

123 fire incidents in the last year.

A group of firefighters and WA Police arson squad members stand on the front lawn observing as the fire reaches flash over and is quickly extinguished by the firefighters at the ready.

The fire was caused by a badly placed candle, however this was not your typical structure fire incident but a training exercise.

The two week structural fire investigation course commenced on Monday 5 May for metropolitan and country operational crews, as well as representatives from the WA Police Arson Squad.

The course is run every few years by the Fire Investigation Analysis Unit (FIAU) to train new Fire Investigation Officers (FIOs) and give existing FIOs some timely revision prior to the winter months when structure fires increase.

FIAU District Officer Andrew Duckworth said the course focuses on a range of essential topics.

“We cover a variety of subjects including fire language, indicators and patterns, scene investigation, and

Fighting fire with fireIt is around 2.30pm on a Tuesday afternoon and black smoke billows from a house in an otherwise quiet street in suburban Nollamara, as flames engulf the front living room.


RESOURCES AND TRAINING


away from an unconscious person and

not see them.

“The thermal imaging cameras are

extremely useful as they cut through

the smoke and provide an amazingly

accurate image of what is happening,

by utilising infrared to detect body heat.

“The cameras can also be used

to identify hidden hot spots during

a structure fire, which is already

becoming a common practice for

career fire crews.

“Each of the four volunteer brigades

is an asset to their community and

the donated cameras will be another

weapon in their arsenal when it comes

to fighting fires.”

Captain of Eaton Australind VFRS

and Worsley Emergency Response

Co-ordinator Matt Stoltenbarg said the

cameras were a life saving resource for

firefighters and the community.

“We have already had considerable use

out of them at numerous structural fires

and vehicle fires, as well as identifying

hot spots during mop up activities

during the last fire season.

“The thermal image cameras are not

only good for training purposes but

also mean we can improve evidence

available for fire investigation.”

With a total value of $33,374, the

cameras were generously donated

by BHP Billiton Worsley Alumina,

through the proceeds of its scrap metal

recycling program.

Bunbury District Officer Peter Stewart

said the thermal imaging cameras are

a valuable resource to the volunteer

brigades and will allow firefighters to

quickly determine the source of fire

by seeing through the smoke and

detecting hotspots.

“During a house fire one of the first

duties is to account for all occupants

and if necessary conduct an internal

search,” Peter said.

“Visibility is often difficult inside smoke

filled room. A firefighter could be metres

Representatives from Eaton/Australind, Brunswick, Collie and Donnybrook fire and rescue crews and Worsley with the new cameras.

Thermal imaging cameras hit the spot

Volunteer Fire and Rescue crews in Eaton/Australind, Brunswick, Collie and Donnybrook have welcomed the four new thermal imaging cameras which will improve fire services capabilities at incidents.

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Emergency Services Minister Joe Francis announced in early July that the RAC had been selected as the naming rights sponsor for the rescue helicopter, enabling the service to continue delivering help to West Australians involved in medical emergencies.

“This sponsorship is invaluable in supporting the delivery of this vital emergency service in Western Australia,” Mr Francis said.

“Over the past 11 years, the rescue chopper has completed close to 3,750 missions. During that time, its highly skilled flight crew and critical care paramedics have saved hundreds of lives.

“RAC Rescue plays a crucial role in community safety by providing a rapid response during emergencies when lives are in danger. In times of trouble, it’s reassuring for all of us to know that the rescue service is ready to help, every hour of the day, every day of the year.

Commissioner Wayne Gregson echoed these sentiments and said it was highly positive to see the RAC’s sponsorship of the vital rescue helicopter continuing.

“The RAC have been sponsoring the emergency rescue helicopter service since it was first established in 2003,” he said.

“It has been a very effective long term partnership and we are pleased to be renewing our agreement with them for another term.”

Former RAC Rescue patient Shannon Bray was present for the announcement and said she was extremely thankful for the help she received following a horse riding accident in March this year.

Whilst she was training at the Brigadoon Equestrian Centre, Shannon’s horse reared up and fell backwards landing on top of her. Shannon said as the horse attempted to scramble to its feet, it fell on her again.

“In the process of that he broke a few ribs, punctured one of my lungs and we thought at the time he had broken my back,” Shannon said.

Shannon Bray sits in the RAC Rescue helicopter that once transported her to hospital, accompanied by pilot Michael Peren and RAC President Esme Bowe.

Due to Shannon’s suspected spinal injuries, the RAC Rescue helicopter was sent for her as transport by road ambulance could have risked causing further spinal injuries, particularly due to the bumpy roads in the area.

“I remember two guys coming towards me and it looked like something from Top Gun,” Shannon said.

“They were straight onto things and getting me into the chopper.

“The ambo said to let it sit there a bit so my blood pressure could level out and then we slowly took off so as not to spook any of the other horses there.

“I’m very grateful to them, as are my mum and dad, my family and friends, for all the great work they did.

“Every day that I live is incredible and I owe a big thank you to them.”

The rescue service is managed by DFES and funded by the State Government, with the assistance of RAC sponsorship.

Life-saving RAC Rescue sponsorship enduresThe RAC will continue its important community safety partnership with DFES by sponsoring our Perth-based emergency rescue helicopter for another four years.


conditions with elaborate reef systems

and high tidal movements,” Assistant

Commissioner Swift said.

“Recreational and tourist boating

activity has been steadily increasing

as access to the area improves

in conjunction with industry and

community growth in the wider

Kimberley region.”

Captain of the vessel and Bardi Jawi

head ranger Phillip McCarthy said

his team had worked extremely hard

to secure the boat and complete the

marine training required to operate it.

“We have undertaken significant

marine training and are aiming for

all of our rangers to have coxswain

qualifications, so they can skipper the

vessel. We have also completed marine

rescue training so we will be able to

use the vessel to assist in emergency

situations,’’ he said.

The Bardi Jawi people of One Arm

Point and Lombadina/Djarindjin are

a traditional owner group of over

900 people who reside in the area.

The specialised ranger boat Almban,

meaning westerly wind in Bardi

language, was launched on Friday 2

May at One Arm Point. It will enable the

rangers to access, manage and protect

the remote islands and coastline of the

Dampier Peninsula.

The new eight metre vessel is a global

marine design air-rider tri-hull vessel,

which was purpose built for the Bardi

Jawi rangers and can carry a crew

of eight. Equipped with the latest

marine communications and search

technology, it will enable the rangers to

more effectively perform their marine

rescue activities.

Assistant Commissioner Graham

Swift said the Bardi Jawi rangers

provide a marine search and rescue

response for communities and visitors

of the One Arm Point region of the

Dampier Peninsula.

“The Bardi Jawi rangers provide a

much needed emergency response

capability in a remote part of WA that

can experience treacherous marine

In addition to the on call marine

rescue operations, they perform

a number of a natural and cultural

resource management activities as

well as community engagement and

research activities.

Facilitated by the Kimberley Land

Council, the Bardi Jawi rangers are

responsible for managing the 200

kilometres of coastline within the Bardi

Jawi native title area and implementing

targeted conservation management

strategies within the Bardi Jawi

Indigenous Protected Area.

Jointly funded through DFES,

Lotterywest and the Department

of Aboriginal Affairs the new vessel

provides a significant stepping stone

for rescue response, training and

skills development.

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Almban to the rescueMarine search and rescue resources in the Kimberley have increased with the delivery of a new purpose built vessel to the Bardi Jawi rangers.



New station protecting Perth’s north-east

“The construction of the station reflects

the critical importance of ensuring the

best possible facilities are provided

to those who serve on the frontline,”

he said.

“It is about enabling our firefighters

to be readily prepared for all

circumstances, ranging from

hazardous material incidents through to

road crashes and of course, bushfires.”

The fire station has been fully

operational since December 2013

and its facilities were put to the test

in January during the Parkerville and

Banjup bushfires.

North East Metropolitan A/District

Officer David Radford said the large

appliance bays allowed additional

preformed strike teams to respond

strategically from the station during

these major incidents.

“The additional capacity provided

flexibility so that resources could be

allocated where and when they were

needed the most,” David said.

The fire station houses all previous

personnel from the Bassendean

Fire Station.

A new state of the art fire station opened in the north eastern suburb of Kiara on Monday 10 March and will enhance emergency response capabilities locally in the Cities of Swan and Bayswater.

Emergency Services Minister

Joe Francis said the new station,

located on Morley Drive East, could

serve as a base for strike teams in the

event of fire emergencies, giving DFES

extra capability and capacity during

major incidents.

“With the construction and

commissioning of this $5.3 million

station, firefighters will have access

to a state of the art, purpose built

facility to meet both present and future

requirements,” Mr Francis said.

“The fire station has large

appliance bays and increased

accommodation capacity to allow

for subsequent expansions.

“It also includes a breathing apparatus

servicing area, training tower and

vehicle rescue training pad, as well as

offices, training and study rooms.”


Commissioner Gregson said the

opening of a new career fire station

is always a significant event for

the Department.


Volunteers from the Darlington volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (BFB) have put their new fleet addition, a dual cab Toyota HiLux, to good use at incidents in the Perth Hills over recent months.

The second hand vehicle, like its

predecessor, was generously donated

by Rio Tinto. Volunteer firefighters,

led by Nigel Morgan and Helmut Hilz,

worked wonders to transform and

badge it for the brigade.

Darlington Fire Control Officer Greg

Jack said the valuable resource was

more than proving its worth supporting

firefighting operations.

Darlington BFB welcomes new support vehicle

“The vehicle has a multi-purpose

capability,” Greg said.

“It can be used for deploying the

collar tank and fire support trailers

as well as transferring fire crews to

and from fire grounds, delivering

supplies and welfare to incidents, and

supporting Incident Management Team

operations.”

Metropolitan Assistant Commissioner

Brad Stringer said the donated

resource was brought on stream at an

opportune time.

“The vehicle was certainly put to good

use during the Parkerville-Stoneville

bushfire when it was utilised as

an incident management vehicle,”

Brad said.

“State Government funding provides a

certain amount of vehicles, appliances

and equipment. When brigades receive

additional support from other areas it

complements their fleet and assists

with mobilisation throughout the Hills

escarpment.

“The Darlington Brigade is both a great

supporter of the community and a

strong community based organisation,

and this donated vehicle is an asset to

their operations.”

The Darlington Brigade is both a great supporter of the community and a strong community based organisation …

Handing over of the keys – Metropolitan Assistant Commissioner Brad Stringer, Darlington Bush Fire Brigade Fire Control Officer Greg Jack, James Petty from Rio Tinto and Mundaring Shire President Helen Dullard.

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local governments to assess risks

in the area and protect community

infrastructure, such as schools,

hospitals, communication towers and

bridges against bushfire threat.

“A pilot program has also commenced

with the Shires of Augusta-Margaret

River, Boyup Brook, Collie and Nannup

to develop bushfire risk management

plans to protect the community.

“The comprehensive plans will identify

vulnerable communities, as well as

key assets and infrastructure to be

protected based on importance to

the community.

The stations have been boosted with

extra fire trucks, improved response

arrangements, specialised training and

extra crew protection systems.


Francis, who visited each of the

stations, said the upgrades were

part of a $7million State Government

investment to improve firefighting

capabilities in the region.

“As we know from the Margaret River

fires two years ago, the Capes region

is a high bushfire risk area so we have

responded with extra protection for the

community,” he said.

The five stations will operate as both

Bush Fire Brigades and as Volunteer

Fire and Rescue Services, meaning

the region will have volunteers with

the skills and equipment to fight all

types of fires.

Capes District Officer Danny Mosconi

said there are more than 1,400

dedicated volunteer firefighters in the

Capes region.

“This additional capability will ensure

they are well placed to deliver for the

future needs of our growing population

in the event of fire or emergency,”

Danny said.

“In addition, DFES and volunteers

have been working together with the

“It is projects like this that are vital

in achieving effective and efficient

management of bushfire related risks in

Western Australia.”

The program involves both state and

local government agencies, community

members and private landowners,

reinforcing the message that the

mitigation of bushfire risk needs to be a

shared commitment.

Minister Joe Francis MLA with Captain of Yallingup Coastal BFS Peter MacDonald and Captain of Yallingup Coast VFRS Paul Blight.

Extra boost for South West Capes

Five upgraded volunteer fire stations officially opened on Friday 7 March in Dunsborough, Cowaramup, Yallingup, Wallcliffe and Witchcliffe, making the volunteer firefighters in the Lower South West Capes region better equipped than ever to protect local communities.


DFES has now adopted a new public number for the emergency information phone line – 13 DFES or 13 3337.

The phone line enables people to listen to recorded information about current DFES incidents. In a major incident it also links to a call centre in the State Operations Centre.

Community feedback indicated that the former phone number (1300 657 209) was difficult to remember, and a shorter number was preferred.

The new number is now live, although the former one will remain active for the foreseeable future.

Sincere condolences go to the family, friends and colleagues of these personnel who have passed away.

Alby Crocker – Senior Firefighter (retired) at Albany Fire Station

Ray Beasley – Captain of Tammin Volunteer Fire Service

Allan Bourne – member of Glen Forrest Bush Fire Brigade

Allan Brinkworth – Station Officer (retired) at Belmont Fire Station

Ted Clothier – Station Officer (retired) at Welshpool Fire Station, member of DFES Vintage Restoration Team

Darol Hay – member of South West Regional Headquarters Incident Control Vehicle crew

Ian Hills – District Officer Shift (retired) at Fremantle Fire Station

Robert Lewis – member of Augusta/Margaret River State Emergency Service

Bruce Lillywhite – District Officer Goldfields (retired)

Bill “Tiger” Lyons – Senior Firefighter (retired) at Mandurah Fire Station

Tom Miller AFSM – member of Bunbury Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service

Colin ‘Robbie’ Robinson AFSM – Superintendent (retired)

Ron Sargent AFSM – Chief Officer (retired) at WA Fire Brigades Board

Nial Wilmot – SES Regional Director South West (retired)

DFES will again be hosting a special Thanksgiving Prayer Service.

It is being held in recognition and appreciation of the vital role that Western Australia’s fire and emergency services play in protecting local communities.

The church service, which is open for community members to attend, will also thank families and loved ones for their wonderful support.

The service will be multi denominational and a unique opportunity for everybody involved in the State’s emergency services to join together and give thanks.

Service of Thanksgiving Date: Sunday 26 October 2014

Time: 5pm – 6pm followed by a light supper

Location: St George’s Cathedral, 38 St Georges Terrace Perth

Dress: Dress uniform or smart casual required

RSVP: 17 October 2014 [email protected] Phone 9395 9520

13 DFES


AWARDS AND RECOGNITION

information on home fire safety, smoke alarms and evacuation plans.

As Bushfire Ready facilitators, Chris and Bob have both worked hard to build the capacity of the community to be able to prepare for and respond to bushfires.

This has involved conducting numerous community engagement activities including street meets, station open days, information displays and community meetings. They are currently responsible for overseeing 40 Bushfire Ready Street Co-ordinators, who they train and support to operate the program in their area.

Assistant Commissioner Gary Gifford

said Chris and Bob have been leaders

in the field for many years.

“They have both been members of

the Roleystone Volunteer Fire Brigade

for over 20 years and for the past 12

years they have both volunteered their

time to be JAFFA Support Officers and

Bushfire Ready Facilitators,” Gary said.

Volunteers Chris Cairns and Bob Littman from the Roleystone Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service were recently presented with an award from the Injury Control Council of WA (ICCWA) in recognition of their outstanding achievement in injury prevention and safety.

Volunteers awarded for injury prevention and safety

“Whilst they have always been

recognised at the local level, it is

fantastic that their achievements have

now been acknowledged by the State.

“Chris and Bob donate hundreds of

hours each year to these valuable

community safety programs. They have

had a positive influence on dozens of

children and have touched the lives of

many people in their community.

“The efforts of Bob, Chris and the

Roleystone Volunteer Fire Brigade

have provided community members

with the skills to prepare and respond

to bushfires. Residents have also

benefited from being part of a

supportive network, which enables

them to work together more effectively.”

For more information on the JAFFA or Bushfire Ready Programs, contact DFES Community Engagement on 08 9395 9816.

Bob and Chris were awarded for their commitment to community engagement programs promoting injury prevention and safety

The two volunteers have worked on the JAFFA

program for 12 years

The two volunteers were joint recipients of ICCWA’s 2014 ‘Individual Achievement Award’ for their commitment to DFES Community Engagement programs including the Juvenile and Family Fire Awareness (JAFFA) and Bushfire Ready programs.

Through their voluntary work as JAFFA Support Officers, Chris and Bob provide education and intervention to address fire lighting behaviour in children. Over the past 12 years they have visited the homes of many children, delivering fire safety education which addresses the risks associated with each child’s fire behaviour.

They also discuss burn injuries, legal consequences, the potential impact on the environment and emergency service workers, and provide


Mr Ambler was also presented with his

Second Clasp to the National Medal.


Francis made the presentations and

congratulated all of the recipients.

“It is an honour to recognise firefighters

and other operations personnel who

have spent many years protecting life

and property,” Mr Francis said.

“The awarding of these medals and

plaques is a chance to thank people

who do not seek recognition and who

consider the exceptional work they do

as just part of the job.”

Mr Francis said loyalty and dedication

were increasingly rare qualities in

today’s workforce, making the long

service and commitment all the

more remarkable.

Longest serving member Station Officer Terry Ambler (45 years) with Minister Joe Francis MLA.

“While some actively serve on the

operational frontline as firefighters,

others are involved behind the scenes

in management or administrative

support roles.

“Whatever your area of expertise, the

awarding of the medals and plaques

is our way of saying thank you, and an

expression of our appreciation for all

that you have achieved.”

Firefighters and emergency services personnel past and present were honoured at a prestigious ceremony at the Government House Ballroom in Perth on Tuesday 25 March.

Recognising more than 2600 years of service

A total of 121 career personnel were

recognised with National Medals and

Emergency Service Diligent Service

Medals (ESDSM).

The National Medals and Clasps

honour the long and diligent service

to the community by our operational

personnel. Many also qualified for their

ESDSM and Clasps in recognition

of their time with DFES. Between

operational and corporate staff, the

group’s collective service amounted to

an outstanding 2605 years.

A further 26 firefighters and six

operational staff, who retired after a

combined 930 years of service, were

also acknowledged for their dedicated,

longstanding service with DFES.

Station Officers Terry Ambler and

Ted Tait were honoured as the longest

serving members there on the day

for their 45 and 40 years of service

respectively.



40 years of Hills Fire Brigade

“The Darlington BFB was involved in

setting up aerial fire suppression in

the Perth metropolitan area, leading to

the formation of both the Air Wing and

Collar Tank operations. These are both

now a regular and important part of

DFES firefighting operations.

“The brigade was also a leader in

establishing mobile forward command

facilities with one of Perth’s first Incident

Control Vehicles (ICV),” he said.

Deputy Commissioner Lloyd Bailey

presented a plaque to commemorate

the anniversary, and reflected on some

of the brigade’s achievements.

“Four decades as a volunteer fire

service is a significant accomplishment,

especially when you consider the fast

pace and competing demands of our

busy world,” Lloyd said.

“The importance of community

has always been a constant at the

heart of the brigade’s activities, as

has the unwavering commitment of

its members to protecting people,

property and the environment.

Attended by over 100 people, the event

was a fitting commemoration of an

important milestone. Past and present

members were joined by their partners,

brigade life members, politicians,

senior representatives from DFES and

the Shire of Mundaring, and other

community members to reminisce on

the brigade’s history and celebrate its

strong future.

Darlington BFB President Neil

Inwood said the brigade currently

boasts a membership of around 60

hardworking volunteers.

“Whilst the Darlington district has had a

volunteer fire brigade on and off since

1948, the current Darlington Bush

Fire Brigade was formed in 1974 and

has been faithfully serving the Hills

community ever since,” Neil said.

“From modest beginnings in a tin shed,

we have steadily grown over the years,

resulting in two significant station

renovations to increase our capacity

and act as a base for volunteers, as

well as up to five vehicles and two

operational trailers.

Darlington BFB Chairman Neil Inwood and Deputy Commissioner Lloyd Bailey.

“Not only have volunteers turned out

to fight fires in their own patch, as they

did recently during the major Parkerville

bushfire, but also further afield. These

have stretched from the Kimberley in

the north to the Great Southern region,

and the Eastern States.

“The loyalty and dedication of brigade

members has remained strong

throughout the years, something that

is reflected in its consistently high

membership level.

“I would like to congratulate past

and present volunteers for the great

dedication and service that has led to

this milestone.”

The Darlington BFB has also held

strong links to the Mundaring

Firefighters School for nearly two

decades, Australia’s only fully volunteer

operated firefighter training facility.

The Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade (BFB) celebrated its 40th anniversary in March with a formal dinner at the beautiful Darlington Estate Winery.

© R

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Har

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© R

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Har

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42 24seven Issue 2, 2014 24seven Issue 2, 2014 43 24seven Issue 2, 2014 43

Noel Plowman AFSMNoel has been involved in the

Roleystone Fire Brigades for more

than 30 years and is regarded as a

pillar of his local community. He is

a highly motivated and committed

member who has held many different

brigade positions over three decades.

Noel was the driving force behind

the establishment of the Roleystone

Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service

and the refurbishment of the brigade’s

headquarters. In 2006 he established a

new cadet unit for local youths interested

in firefighter training. Thanks to his

dedication, several of these cadets are

now in the senior levels of the brigade.

Merrilyn Hide ESMMerrilyn has been honoured for her

unwavering dedication to the Volunteer

Marine Rescue Services (VMRS) and

in particular, the Leeman VMR. After

commencing with the group as a

radio operator, she took on the role

of Secretary in 2006 and became

Commander three years later. Using her

exceptional leadership skills and positive

attitude, she has worked tirelessly to

transform the group into an active and

vibrant one with a high public profile in

the community. Merrilyn has proven to

be an active and diligent member who

always goes above and beyond to serve

the community.

John Iffla ESMIn addition to his exemplary commitment

to the Bremer Bay Volunteer Emergency

Service (VES) unit and his local

community, John has been a leading

advocate for emergency services

volunteers throughout Western Australia.

He instigated the establishment of

the Coalition of Volunteer Emergency

Services Associations and has

dedicated an extraordinary amount of

time as President of the Emergency

Services Volunteers Association to

represent the interests of the VES units.

The AFSM and ESM recognise distinguished service by volunteer or career members of an Australian fire or emergency service and only a limited number of medals are awarded each year.

Congratulations to the following recipients:

Brian Landers AFSMBrian’s valued service to the Goldfields

community has been recognised with

this award. A former Station Officer

with the Fire and Rescue Service in

Kalgoorlie, he began his career in 1968

and retired in 2013. Brian served as

a Juvenile and Family Fire Awareness

(JAFFA) Support Officer and Peer

Support Officer. His experience and

knowledge in the JAFFA role led

him to be a mentor for new support

officers. Brian has also undertaken

valuable education work with

Indigenous communities.

Medal recipients (l-r) Brian Landers, Noel Plowman, Merrilyn Hide and John Iffla were presented with their medals by the Governor of Western Australia His Excellency Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC on Australia Day 2014.

Four feature in Australia Day Honours



Five Western Australian recipients of the Australian Fire

Service Medal (AFSM) and Emergency Services Medal (ESM)

were recognised in the 2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List,

announced by His Excellency General the Honourable Sir

Peter Cosgrove AK MC (Retd), Governor-General of Australia.

The prestigious AFSM and ESM recognise distinguished

service by a volunteer or career member of an Australian fire

or emergency service.

The AFSM will be presented to Secretary for the United

Firefighters Union (UFU) of Australia WA Branch Mr Kevin

Jolly, DFES Station Officer and UFU WA Branch President

Frank Martinelli, and Tambellup Volunteer Emergency Services

Unit member Laurie Hull.

The ESM will be presented to Vice Commander of the

Volunteer Marine Rescue Association Western Australia Roger

Martin and Karratha State Emergency Service Local Manager

Trevor Patton.

Moving on upCongratulations to eleven new District Officers and also Syd Bignell who has been promoted to Superintendent.

Seated: Assistant Commissioner Darren Klemm, Deputy Commissioner Lloyd Bailey AFSM, Commissioner Wayne Gregson APM, Deputy Commissioner Steve Fewster Standing: Superintendent Syd Bignell, DO Brynn Weir, DO Anthony Sadler, DO David Young, DO David Gill, DO Warren Male, DO David Wilson, DO Ross Bradshaw, DO John Manocchio, DO Andrew Duckworth, DO Wayne Green, DO Mark Feast

Bedfordale Bush Fire Brigade members (l-r) Stephen Smith, Lieutenant Nino Scidone, Mark Puttick, Lieutenant Michael Hall, Alex Leach and Michael McCavanagh were presented with their bravery decorations by the Governor of Western Australia His Excellency Malcolm McCusker AC CVO QC (centre).

Australian Bravery Decorations recipients

2014 Queen’s Birthday Honours List


people from cadets through to adult

volunteering.

“We are seeing a new era where an increasing number of young people are interested in taking on adult volunteer roles after graduating from cadets.”

Cadet, instructor and school awards were presented to the recipients by DFES operational and corporate staff within the respective regions at school assemblies and functions. The BGU-ESCC awards were presented at the annual Shire of Denmark Bush Fire Brigade’s Feast Not Fire Dinner.

Cadet Achievement AwardCampbell Simpson – Wongan Hills District High School

Instructor Achievement AwardRichard Hall – Lake Joondalup Baptist College

Johann Schoeman –

Kingsway Christian College

Unit Achievement AwardTom Price Emergency Services Cadet Corps

Host School – Unit Support AwardBridgetown High School

Brigade/Group/Unit – Emergency Service Cadet Corps Unit Support AwardShire of Denmark Bushfire Brigades

• Carmarthen Bush Fire Brigade (BFB)

• Ocean Beach Bush Fire Brigade

• Somerset Hill Bush Fire Brigade

Three bush fire brigades in Denmark were recognised together with the inaugural BGU-ESCC award due to the outstanding work they undertake in the region.

Ross McDoughall of Somerset Hill Bush Fire Brigade spoke very highly of the Denmark District High School Emergency Services Cadets.

“When I look at the calibre of the cadets coming through the program I no longer worry about the future of volunteering in our town,” Ross said.

The Emergency Service Cadet Corps

(ESCC) Awards are held each year to

recognise ESCC cadets, instructors,

units and host schools who have made

a significant contribution.

The 2013 awards were presented

earlier this year within their own local

communities and a brand new award

was introduced to acknowledge the

ongoing support provided by brigades,

groups and units (BGU).

Volunteer and Youth Services Project

Officer Jo Scardigno said it was

important to recognise the contribution

that BGUs make towards capacity

building for cadets.

“They support cadets and their

instructors not only by providing fire

and emergency services technical

training but also through sharing

resources and experience, and

importantly, through involving cadets

in volunteer based community

engagement activities,” Jo said.

“If a partnership is fostered between

the cadet unit and the brigade then this

encourages the progression of young

(l-r) Superintendent Daniel Austin, Cadet Sam Marsh, Community Emergency Services Manager Nathan Hall, Lez Baines of Carmarthen BFB , Ross McDoughall of Somerset Hill BFB, Cadet Ryan Christophers and Joe Baker of Ocean Beach BFB, at the Feast Not Fire dinner.

Building cadets of calibre


YOUTH

EM

ER

GENCY SERVICES

C

ADET CORPS

Change it upThree Western Australian volunteers attend the Young Emergency Management Volunteers ‘Change It Up’ event.

and to help shape and develop youth emergency management volunteering within our local communities.

This was an amazing experience and

I look forward to what the future has to

bring and the opportunities I can create.

Sarah ThomasKalamunda Bush Fire Brigade volunteer

I was lucky enough to be chosen

to represent the WA Volunteer BFS

and attend.

Young volunteers from across Australia

came together to voice their ideas and

opinions on recruiting and retaining

more youth in the volunteering world.

The facilitators used many different

techniques so they could get a better

understanding of our ideas, and gave

us a sense of reassurance that things

are going to change.

Each participant came up with a big

question that was formatted into our

big idea and presented in front of a

panel of four judges. The panel was

so impressed with our ideas that they

decided to fund the group’s visit to

Queensland for the 23rd International

Association for Volunteer Effort to

represent the volunteering youth

of Australia.

‘Change It Up’ was such an amazing

experience I would not change it for

anything. The thought that other young

people share my beliefs and passion

is very encouraging and has made me

even more determined to increase the

volunteering youth ratio.

I have learnt more than I ever thought

I would about other emergency

services and I am so excited to see

where we all end up.

Melusha RobsonCommunications Support Unit State

Emergency Service volunteer

I was lucky to be selected to represent

the WA State Emergency Service (SES)

at the ‘Change It Up’ event.

It offered passionate and dynamic

young emergency management

volunteers the opportunity to share

their experiences, identify ‘big issues’

along with potential solutions and pitch

those solutions to experts in the field.

It was an amazing opportunity to

meet other emergency management

volunteers from a range of agencies

across Australia. We shared our

experiences, explored various ideas to

increase youth engagement including

recruitment and retention and identified

potential hurdles and viable solutions.

The opportunity to meet such a

fantastic bunch of people has further

motivated me to try and develop more

opportunities for youth engagement

at a local and state level. Emergency

management volunteering is an

amazing adventure and more young

people should get involved!

Open to current emergency management volunteers aged between 18 and 25, the event was hosted by the Australian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC). Held at the Australian Emergency Management Institute (AEMI) and AFAC headquarters in Melbourne, it took place from 2 to 4 April 2014.

This is what the volunteers shared about their experiences.

Matthew MastersMandogalup Bush Fire

Brigade volunteer

I was fortunate to represent the WA Bush Fire Service (BFS) at the event, which hosted some of the brightest and most passionate individuals in youth emergency management volunteering from a variety of organisations and locations.

I was able to share my experiences as a BFS volunteer in WA. The opportunity to build relationships and share ideas about increasing youth recruitment and retention in emergency management volunteering was incredible. To learn that there are other young people who share the same passion and desire about emergency management volunteering as me was an eye opening experience.

Aside from meeting these great people, the facilitators from AFAC and Foundation for Young Australians taught us essential skills which will assist us to create long term change in our local communities. The event centred on the idea ‘our voice, our impact’.

By applying this concept we have built our skills and self confidence to share our thoughts with those around us

Young volunteers Sarah, Matthew and Melusha represented WA at the “Change it up” event


A group of 112 cadets, 15 teachers

and 9 Emergency Services Cadet

Units from across the State took part

in the Ultimate Emergency Services

Cadet experience late last year.

Located at Camp Withnell Outdoor

Adventure course in Bedfordale,

cadets had to determine if they had

what it takes to be an emergency

services volunteer.

Throughout the day, teams of cadets

were dropped at a secret location with

only a map and a compass to rely on

to find their way back to home base.

State of the art facilities and a

natural bush setting provided a

unique environment for building team

spirit, improving communication

skills, developing confidence, and

overcoming challenges as cadets

tested their own limits.

Activities included mountain bike

riding, balancing on 20 high rope

elements, abseiling from one of the

highest towers in WA, plunging on a

giant swing, canoeing and paddling

on the recreational lake at Wungong

dam and testing survival skills.

The day also gave cadets and their

instructors the opportunity meet one

another,share information and build

valuable networks.

HAVE YOU GOT

WHAT IT TAKES?

YOUTH


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