Community Engagement …The last frontier“To boldly go where no one has gone before.”

3rd August 2013

Deputy Chief Officer Steven Warrington

Why are we here?

Country Fire Authority Act 1958 - SECT 6

6. Appointment of Country Fire Authority

(1) For the more effective control of the prevention and suppression of firesin the country area of Victoria there shall be an Authority appointed by theGovernor in Council to be called the "Country Fire Authority".Country Fire Authority Act 1958 - SECT 20 General duty of Authority

20. General duty of Authority

The duty of taking superintending and enforcing all necessary steps for theprevention and suppression of fires and for the protection of life andproperty in case of fire and the general control of all stations and of allbrigades and of all groups of brigades shall, subject to the provisions ofthis Act, so far as relates to the country area of Victoria be vested in theAuthority.

2005 Hurricane Katrina: 1836 people were killed

2011 Japan Tsunami: Over 10,000 were killed

2004 Indonesian Tsunami:Over 230,000 people were killedHow did they survive?

“….. The fire agencies needed a change in mindset to recognise that the most effective way of protecting communities would not be through fire suppression (which would probably prove ineffective) but by giving much more prominence to timely and accurate warnings. The tragic outcome of the fires brought this need for change in priorities into sharp focus.” (p.82)

Normal Events

Facing the Future (UK)Findings from the review of efficiencies and operations in fire and rescue authorities in England

• Over all attendance at Incidents is down 40%• Attendance at fires is down 48%• Building fires down 39%• Minor outdoor fires down 44%• Road Traffic Collisions down 24%• Death from fire has reduced 40% in the last decade• Little or no reduction in firefighters• “Fire Rescue authorities have transformed themselves from

organisations that dealt with fire response to organisations also covering prevention…succeeded in reducing incidents”

• Sir Ken Knight CBE QFSM FIFireE (2013)

“the southeast of Australia, including many of our largest population centres, stands out as being at increased risk from many extreme weather events – heatwaves, bushfires, heavy rainfall and sea-level rise”

Climate Commission The Critical Decade; Extreme Weather (April 2013),p4.

• “Many types of climate-related extreme events are expected to increase in frequency and intensity in the future. The heatwaves, drought and bushfires of the past decade provide Victorians with a window into that future”

• Climate Commission The Critical decade: Victorian climate impacts and opportunities

(July 2012)

The Movement has begun…

we’re not there yet…

• Does every home have a working smoke alarm?

• Is everyone that is venerable to bushfire prepared to act safely under threat? Will they make an informed decision?

We need you!!

Can you be the “the first follower”?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fW8amMCVAJQ

We’re doing our bit…

• Fire and Emergency Management- – Lead by the Chief- Core Business

• The White Paper & FSC reform program• Service delivery model

– Core Business

• Brigade Classification paper– Core Business

• State and Regional conferences

Draft CFA service delivery model• “Core” Organisational Functions

– Leadership– Build Volunteer Capacity– Enabling Community Capability– Risk analysis, solution development and mitigation– Information and Warning– Incident Response and Recovery

• System of Service DeliveryBrigades– Understand and manage local risk– Execute services to protect life and property in your community

• Suppression• Community resilience

– Sustain and maintain Brigade capacity and capability

FIRE SERVICES REFORM PROGRAM

The Fire Services Reform program aims to achieve real sustainable change so the community is better served by Victorians fire services in the future.

Aim

The reform program will build on the 2009 Victorian Bushfire Royal commission findings and recommendations and deliver sustainable long-term community safety outcomes by:

Building capacity and capability within the fire services and the community; Achieving genuine interoperability between the fire services and Increasing organisational and community resilience.

The reform program increases the interoperability, resilience, capability and capacity of Victoria’s fire services and the services they deliver to the community.

Brigade Structure & Roles

Building brigade capacity

• Its not about asking you to do more things…• Flexible models• Out of the box thinking• Pick your team• Membership sustainability model

Support is available

Training Pathways Support toolkit

»

Role Descriptors

Facts About The Forum2011, Macedon: 142 members representing 70 brigades

2012, Creswick: 220 members representing 100 brigades

2013, Bendigo: 300+ members representing 164 brigades across all 20 CFA districts

•Next brigade magazine: Look out for the article!

General Sir John Monash• Born in 1865

• Immigrant from Germany, the country you were going to war against.

• He was Jewish at this time when most of the residents in Australia were Christian.

• He was a leader in the Army Reserve, or militia and consequently considered a second rate soldier.

• Even though he was faced with these adversities, he was credited as the leader within the allied forces that lead to the end of World War One in 1918.

We've done it before!!

Our journey continuesWe all have a role to play…

Are you with us?