Strike Team/Task Force Deployments

[JamesGar]

Hi All,

Just wondering what your thoughts about current Strike Team deployment systems of staging within a group area and then travelling as a convoy?

Personally I've always found this process to waste significant time for a number of brigade waiting for other's to meet (no problem with the slower brigade, as I fully understand distance, work and other requirements).

My thougths would be easier to respond Strike Team brigades directly to an incident and stage them closer to the incident. Producing team from bridages as they arrive. I have no problem working with other groups and this may be beneficial for other to see different crew and different command/leadership system!

I also like the concept of mulitgroup 'pre-emptive strike' teams (hope you like the pun!). Say a group has a third alarm fire within it boundries and can handle it with local resources. My thoughts would be to once a fire go's third alarm that one or two brigades are responded from each surrounding group to assist with fire. This could be an SOP for the SOC. Flooding a fire with resources would decrease the demand on the immediate crews, and also maintain adequate coverage in surrounding areas!

Like to hear your thoughts!

[Good times]

How true James, nothing worse than driving past your station to another station then coming back past your station to the job!! Its been decided in my group that whichever main road is the best option heading for the fire we will meet there, but we still must assemble, which is fair enough but can take a loooooong time!!

[CFS_Firey]

I also have no problem with working with other groups/brigades... I remember being told in one of the training courses (Level 1?) that it was good to have someone with local knowledge on the truck...

[Mike]

We to assemble on a road which will be travelled to the fire, and yes it has been known to take a long time.

Region 1 are now ment to respond Strike Teams from neighbouring groups as individual units to meet on site. This is to improve the the ETA of assistance.

[rescue5271]

We take far to long to get on the road as many of our rural brigades in the group can take up to 20 mins to get a crew,the other problem is that we in Naracoorte group along with ours in the state a low on numbers and that is also a big problem. I will be bring up at our next group meeting that we need to have a roster system that states what units are going to be on the strike team for a week and the rotate it to each brigade. I feel this system will help reduce the time it takes to get on the road.

The last strike team I went on took 50mins to get the crews rolling and evean then we where a unit down as they where still getting a crew buit they met up with us at keith..

I am not sure what the answer is as people have to make arrangments with work/family etc before going,my aim of the roster is to make brigades aware that its there turn this week should we be called but will also give brigade members time to conatct people at work or home that there on call for a strike team...

This system worked well in my CFA brigade/group some years ago...

[Mike]

A roster system has great potential. It gives brigades time to find out if they have crew for the day, and if not... to arrange crew from a neighbouring brigade.

You should find it works well, if crew make the propper prior arrangements!