Fire info dissemination to public

[littlejohn]

Do you think a better job could be done of getting relevant, accurate & timely info to the public regarding fires?

I don't know how this goes in other regions, but in the SE I feel it's a bit sparse.
At last month's Burrungle fire I was getting calls from friends who lived near by wanting to know what was happening, where the front was etc.

Often I'll hear an announcement on the ABC and it'll occur to me that it's quite generic, not nearly what I've been hearing on the grn. Obviously info can't be fully detailed and up to date, but is there room to improve the present system? If so, how?

I don't want this to be a CFS/HQ ear bashing exercise.

However having reviewed our business fire plan and establishing some triggers for when certain actions should be taken, and reconciling this with info broadcast on the ABC, I feel it is going to be up to me to provide (to our business) accurate & timely info. Baring in mind that, once started, it takes a couple of hours to complete and several days to reverse the process.

I haven't called the hotline, so don't know how much use that is, but having paid a bit of attention to info flow through comms I'd be surprised if it was much more helpful. Am I wrong??!

Thoughts . . . ?

[bajdas]

Having worked on the CFS Hotline and seen the information from the CRIIMSON system, the people manning the CFS Hotline do have reasonably accurate and specific information.

The maps supplied from GPS plots were available quickly and we received regular printouts from the briefings held within CFS SOCC.

A few times I had to refer questions from callers to more senior CFS staff, and the reply was quickly given.

I agree the initial ABC reports are generic, but given the amount of information an AIIMS team needs to process to quickly give a warning out, I am not surprised.

I thought the ABC & press releases information were refined when more knowledge was input to CRIIMSON system.

It is hard for Incident Commanders to give timely SITREPS to the CFS SOCC while dealing with the incident. But if the SITREP is not timely, then it can NOT be timely processed via the AIIMS Media Liason team and CFS SCC team (which CFS Hotline are part of).

I understand that all CFS Regions and others have access to CRIIMSON. But I am unsure how that information would get to you to give to the general public when you are asked.

[5271rescue]

What we need to be aware of is that the information that is given to the public is only as good as the flow from the fire ground to the region to SHQ.....Those who are in command cars ned to follow the correct flow up and across so that all aresa are covered,yes we could do it better,yes we are trying and yes we still have room to make it work better.....

[SA Firey]

Always room for improvement in any service and the lessons learned

[Robert-Robert34]

Do you think a better job could be done of getting relevant, accurate & timely info to the public regarding fires?

I don't know how this goes in other regions, but in the SE I feel it's a bit sparse.
At last month's Burrungle fire I was getting calls from friends who lived near by wanting to know what was happening, where the front was etc.

Often I'll hear an announcement on the ABC and it'll occur to me that it's quite generic, not nearly what I've been hearing on the grn. Obviously info can't be fully detailed and up to date, but is there room to improve the present system? If so, how?

I don't want this to be a CFS/HQ ear bashing exercise.

However having reviewed our business fire plan and establishing some triggers for when certain actions should be taken, and reconciling this with info broadcast on the ABC, I feel it is going to be up to me to provide (to our business) accurate & timely info. Baring in mind that, once started, it takes a couple of hours to complete and several days to reverse the process.

I haven't called the hotline, so don't know how much use that is, but having paid a bit of attention to info flow through comms I'd be surprised if it was much more helpful. Am I wrong??!

Thoughts . . . ?

Theres one way your friends can find out about fires without having to call you for information and thats to buy a scanner of their own  that way they can be prepared and listen to updates as well 

If they need someone to program their scanners just PM me n i'll pass my info on so they can contact me     

[medevac]

i dont think thats such a great idea rob.

its very easy for people to get the wrong idea from hearing  half the information on a radio...

you always get the crank yanker officers, who have no idea about corect terminology and procedure who give completely innacurate sitreps and cause more issues than good...

i recently heard a sitrep describing a fire as moving north on the grn radio.... the fire was actually on its way south........

blah blah blah etc etc

[SA Firey]

The only info that the public should be hearing is when it has an impact on their own property,or has the potential to, or is a potentially dangerous situation when they need to evacuate.

[bajdas]

SA Firey, Sorry disagree....

During the fires near Williamstown I answered a few telephone calls from people outside of the impact area. This was while I was on the 'CFS Hotline'.

The people were asking what routes friends could travel that would be well away from the fire area. They were leaving from Mannum & Murray Bridge. Travelling to Barrossa Valley region.

They were directed to travel through the city rather than their normal route.

[bajdas]

Also SA Firey, while on the 'CFS Hotline' telephones, we have been told to give information only.

The decision to evacuate the area rests with each individual. We will never have enough information of their own situation & location of where they are, to give good advice.

I understand that if a person is asking for evacuation advice during a fire situation, then they are too late. If they wanted to go, then they should have already left.

[SA Firey]

We are talking about radio information not CFS Hotline...obviously the hotline would have more info about fire,travel direction,etc which isnt always broadcast on radio.

The speed of the Mt Bold fire the other day didnt give anyone much time let alone US

[bajdas]

OK, sorry............

[littlejohn]

SA_Firey said: "The only info that the public should be hearing is when it has an impact on their own property, or has the potential to, or is a potentially dangerous situation when they need to evacuate."

True Firey, and it's a valid point that the decision to stay or go should be made as soon as you know there's a fire in your area.

To nit-pick a bit though, is the broadcast information suitable to let someone know if the fire is likely to impact their own property? Particularly if, as a result of believing the fire is going to impact them, they set in motion actions which cost not inconsiderable time & money?

The point was made that it comes back to the info moving up the chain. You only have to listen to a radio/scanner to know that the info probably isn't getting off the fire ground.

I wonder how far away something akin to the BOM radar loop is for fire monitoring??
ie: a satellite/aerial image taken every ten (?+) minutes showing the fire so people can log on, view its actual location & movement.

[Camo]

Little John,

Remember in the burrungle fire when they were warning residents in Mt Gambier (20kms away) to bunker down but not burrungle residents who were less then a kilometre from the fire.

If thats not a stuff up im not sure what is.