MT LOFTY FIRE TOWER

[rescue5271]

Can someone tell me what is the budget of the fire tower??? I hear on the grape vine they only get $195.00 per year does that sound right???

[SA Firey]

Yes it is

[rescue5271]

Gee that is a little rough you would not be able to buy much for that....

[Darren]

Thats just the can of rust preventer.....probably says a lot for the need to have them there.

[Alex]

The firetower is passed its used by date anyway... The vollies that run it have done a great job, and that needs to be recognised. But in these days of mobile phones, sat navs, and the GRN, its no longer that useful.

In 6 years i have never had a fire reported by the tower prior to half a dozen triple zeros.

[Robert-Robert34]

The firetower is passed its used by date anyway... The vollies that run it have done a great job, and that needs to be recognised. But in these days of mobile phones, sat navs, and the GRN, its no longer that useful.

In 6 years i have never had a fire reported by the tower prior to half a dozen triple zeros.

I agree with you on the statement that mobile phones, sat navs and GRN are more commonly used Alex but bear in mind without the fire towers like Mount Lofty,Mount Crawford, Mount Edward and so on we would have a whole lot more destructive scrub and forest fires if there wasnt anyone to watch over pine plantations and national parks during fire season/summer and report in the first sight of smoke

[rescue5271]

ALEX, Fire towers are never past their use by date,sure there are mobile phones and so on but one day these will fail and what will be the eyes in the sky then? Its true that 000 calls report lots of fires but why down size a tower or its budget because of this if that was the case then lets close all towers in the SE and other parts of the state...I know the towers down here in summer report lots of smoke or fires or lightning strikes that the public would not see.Sure our towers here are manned by contractors but I can tell you I would rather spend a day in MOUNT LOFTY tower than the ones down here.

[Darren]

I think the issue with MT lofty is that its in such a built up urban area that its very rare to spot a fire before a 000 caller. Like Alex in 10 years I have never taken a call from Mt Lofty tower that hadn't been called in several mins before by a 000 caller.

As for the South East, then you have a point, rural area, isolated from excessive amounts of traffic, less callers nearby, so more fires spotted. I have taken numerous calls from the towers down there and had no 000 calls.

Even Mt Crawford tower doesn't get in first much these days.

[Alex]

Its true that 000 calls report lots of fires but why down size a tower or its budget because of this if that was the case then lets close all towers in the SE and other parts of the state...

Bill, the towers in the south east are a completely differant story to Mt Lofty. In the SE you are talking about pine plantations/open grazing/country, where population is sparse to non-existent. Mt Lofty's area is much more built up and population is much much higher.

The SE towers still regularly provide plenty of early warning. The Mt Lofty tower serves very little purpose these days.

Both yourself and Rob have no real experience from what i can gather when it comes to the Mt Lofty Tower [which is the topic of this thread]. Ask any ex-OCO for an opinion.

[jaff]

Hey Rob, you could really get your kite caught on that tower

[bajdas]

Does the Mt Lofty Fire Tower provide any useful location, intensity, direction, etc information after the first 000 call ?

[misterteddy]

nope

[Alex]

Does the Mt Lofty Fire Tower provide any useful location, intensity, direction, etc information after the first 000 call ?

Not really.

They are not generally used to confirm any information from triple zeros, and not usually used to query locations.

Fire Tower only provides distance, bearing and smoke colour/status.

[bajdas]

Oh well....I was considering to volunteer with them after speaking to a member who lives at Hallett Cove....now will think some more about it.

[Alex]

Andrew, it just really is not the first point of notification of a fire that it used to be 15-20 years ago. Im also guessing if there annual budget is $195 your not even going to get a uniform, let alone be able to run the AC while your up there.

[rescue5271]

Its strange that a tower that has so much income on it that those that provide a service free of charge only get a budget of $195.00. We can all agree to disagree but the tower does have a place and I am sure those members of the tower brigade will keep the work up and those that sit in a office in the city will still answer 000 calls.....

[CFS_Firey]

Andrew, it just really is not the first point of notification of a fire that it used to be 15-20 years ago. Im also guessing if there annual budget is $195 your not even going to get a uniform, let alone be able to run the AC while your up there.

I didn't think PPE and utilities were taken out of brigade budgets. Are they?

[mengcfs]

Andrew, it just really is not the first point of notification of a fire that it used to be 15-20 years ago. Im also guessing if there annual budget is $195 your not even going to get a uniform, let alone be able to run the AC while your up there.

I didn't think PPE and utilities were taken out of brigade budgets. Are they?

Yes.

[rescue5271]

1908991 15:19:24 04-12-10 MFS: *CFSRES INC076 04/12/10 15:18,RESPOND GRASS FIRE,GURR RD,SCOTT CREEK MAP 168 M 11 TG136,SMOKE SIGHTING FROM LOFTY TOWER, SMOKE B,UILDING,BRAD42 SAIR55 BRAD00 IRBK00 MYLR00
CFS Lofty Group Officers Response


Nice to see the tower is working......

[SA Firey]

1908991 15:19:24 04-12-10 MFS: *CFSRES INC076 04/12/10 15:18,RESPOND GRASS FIRE,GURR RD,SCOTT CREEK MAP 168 M 11 TG136,SMOKE SIGHTING FROM LOFTY TOWER, SMOKE B,UILDING,BRAD42 SAIR55 BRAD00 IRBK00 MYLR00
CFS Lofty Group Officers Response


Nice to see the tower is working......

There were 3 rostered today and this was the first sighting with a confirmed fire, which was in Mt Bold, lucky it didn't take off  

[Fire000]

Good work by the tower crew. Proves those who say "fires in the MLR will always be called in by someone on the ground" wrong. Yes the MLR may be densely populated compared to days gone by, and most calls will originate from someone on the ground, but towers including Lofty and Mt. Crawford still have their place.


Any ideas so to how staffing of the tower is rostered. Is it based on predicted FDI?

[SA Firey]

The tower is manned when the FDI is rated as High or above.

The tower WILL be manned on catastrophic days.

Current membership has 48 active members so plenty of eyes to share the load.

[Darcyq]

[quote MFS: *CFSRES INC076 04/12/10 15:18,RESPOND GRASS FIRE,GURR RD,SCOTT CREEK MAP 168 M 11 TG136,SMOKE SIGHTING FROM LOFTY TOWER, SMOKE B,UILDING,BRAD42 SAIR55 BRAD00 IRBK00 MYLR00
CFS Lofty Group Officers Response[/quote]

Good spotting guy's, proves there is still use for the tower

[6739264]

MFS: *CFSRES INC076 04/12/10 15:18,RESPOND GRASS FIRE,GURR RD,SCOTT CREEK MAP 168 M 11 TG136,SMOKE SIGHTING FROM LOFTY TOWER, SMOKE B,UILDING,BRAD42 SAIR55 BRAD00 IRBK00 MYLR00
CFS Lofty Group Officers Response

Good spotting guy's, proves there is still use for the tower

First spot in how long? (and are we sure that it was actually a job?)

Yeah, really proves that there is still a use for it...

[pumprescue]

There is a use for it, an ice cold can of coke !