BUSHFIRES

Question 1

You are responded to a bushfire with four Fire Rescue NSW pumpers two RFS tankers and one inspector, according to SOGs what class is the fire?

Answer 1

• Class 1: a fire under the control of the responsible fire authority, whether or not incidental/low level assistance is provided by other agencies.

Question 2

According to SOGs - Safety is paramount at all bushfires. A safety briefing must be completed and communicated to firefighters. Firefighters should constantly review LACES. Describe each letter of the acronym LACES.

Answer 2

• LOOKOUTS: current fire behaviour, location and size of the fire.
• AWARENESS: Firefighters must be aware of what is happening around them, including:
  o Changes in FB by variations to fuel, weather and topography.
  o Smoke colour, direction and column
  o Fireground and urban hazards including falling rocks and trees
  o Hydration of themselves and others
• COMMUNICATION: maintain communication in accordance with the communications plan and ensure safety issues are discussed and addressed immediately.
• ESCAPE ROUTES: At least two escape routes should be agreed and made known to all relevant personnel. The suitability of escape routes should be reviewed continually to ensure they remain effective.
• SAFETY ZONE: Safety zones (refuge areas) should be identified and made known to all relevant FFs. FFs need to consider escape time and safety zone size requirements, which may change as fire behaviour changes.

Question 3

According to SOGs-Fire danger ratings (FDR) give an indication of the consequences of a bushfire. The higher the fire danger, the more dangerous the conditions. List the ratings.

Answer 3

• CATASTROPHIC FBI 100+ (RED): Uncontrollable extremely fast and intense, spot fires 20km. No structure is guaranteed safe, lives may be lost
• EXTREME FBI 50-99 (ORANGE): Uncontrollable, very fast and intense, spot fires 6km. Only prepared houses offer safety, house and life loss possible.
• HIGH FBI 25-49 (YELLOW): Difficult to control, spot fires 2km. Housing may come under increased threat.
• MODERATE 12-24 (GREEN): Controllable, spot fires very close and less likely. Prepared houses offer good safety.
• NO RATING FBI 0-11 (WHITE): Fires easily controllable, spot fires very unlikely

Question 4

According to SOGs - There are three strategies used during bushfires operations. Name and describe them.

Answer 4

• OFFENSIVE:
  o Direct Attack: at the fire edge to extinguish or control the flames directly
  o Parallel Attack: used to control the intensity of the fire. A fire line is constructed parallel to, and just far enough from the fire edge, to allow FFs to work effectively away from heat and smoke.
  o Indirect Attack: involves falling back some distance from the fire perimeter – this could be up to a few kilometres at times – and burning back from a strong control line such as natural barriers, roads, tracks, firebreaks, or from trails or fire lines constructed.
• DEFENSIVE:
  o Line Defence: conditions that would normally allow offensive attack, but there are not enough resources. Involves preventing approaching line of fire from closely approaching the property
  o Ember Defence: used when approaching line of fire is too intense to be suppressed by offensive means and is providing significant ember attack. Involves extinguishing small fires that occur in an around buildings
  o Backstop Defence: no safe defensible space around buildings; approaching fire is so intense that buildings cannot be safely protected. Withdraw temporarily a short distance away to suitable safe refuges, with the intention of coming back after the fire passes.
• SAFEGUARDING:
  o When offensive or defensive strategies are no longer viable with intense fires under the worst conditions, the actions during safeguarding strategy, while not fire suppression, warns, escorts (moves) and protects community members to ensure their safety.

Question 5

According to SOGs - To minimise the risk of heat related illness, what is the minimum level of PPE that should be worn at a bushfire.

Answer 5

• Level 2 PPE (at a minimum) unless a higher risk is present
  o Multi-purpose coat, Duty wear trousers and belt, multi-purpose helmet, firefighting boots and socks, firefighting gloves, goggles, protective hood (carried), respiratory protection (P2 particle mask minimum)

Question 6

Heat stress is the most common condition which affects firefighters. It all too frequently affects their welfare, but more importantly, it affects their judgement and competence in the field. All firefighters must be able to recognise the symptoms, name three symptoms as stated in SOGs.

Answer 6

• Dizziness, Weakness, Nausea

Question 7

According to SOGs - The status of a bushfire is the degree to which it is under control. What terminology is to be used in radio messages and sitreps to FireCOM?

Answer 7

• GOING: A bush or grass fire spreading on one or more flanks; effective control strategies not in place for the entire perimeter
• BEING CONTROLLED: Effective strategies are in operation or planned for the entire perimeter
• CONTAINED: The entire perimeter of a bushfire is behind identifiable control lines. Mop up and patrol have started.
• PATROL: Firefighting resources are only required for patrol purposes and major reignition is unlikely.
• OUT: The fire is totally blacked out and can be removed from the list of current fires

Question 8

According to SOGs - During bushfire operations safeguarding strategy is not fire suppression but can be used when defensive operations are not safe. Describe the actions taken in this strategy.

Answer 8

• The actions are to:
  o WARN: tailored to the current situation and locality
  o MOVE: support, assist and move, particularly vulnerable people to a safer location
  o PROTECT: when moving to a safe location is impossible provide protection in whatever form necessary

Question 9

According to SOGs- Bushfire classes are determined by the level of resources committed to the fire, and its potential impact on the community, economy, essential infrastructure, and not its size. Describe a Class 3 bushfire?

Answer 9

• A major bushfire or fires where an appointment is made or is imminent under the provisions of Section 44 of the Rural Fires Act, 1997.

Question 10

According to STP - What is the minimum PPE that can be worn at a bush fire?

Answer 10

• Level 2 PPE minimum:
  o Multi-purpose helmet
  o Goggles
  o Multi-purpose jacket
  o GP gloves
  o FF gloves (direct attack)
  o Duty wear trousers
  o FF boots
  o P2
• NB Enhanced if required: Structural ensemble, protective hood, SCBA, P3 mask

Question 11

According to STP - Property protection is the act of protecting property from the impact of a wildfire. At a major wildfire, FRNSW crews generally engage in property protection roles. We generally have 3 strategies for carrying out property protection. Name and describe them.

Answer 11

1. LINE DEFENCE (Protect the perimeter of a property until resources are sufficient for an offensive attack. Stay mobile – be able to relocate quickly)
2. EMBER DEFENCE (FF focus is on extinguishing embers and spot fires around structures. Remain mobile ‘Hit and move”)
3. BACKSTOP DEFENCE (FFs retreat while the fire front passes and move back in to save saveable structures afterwards. Retreat to a safe refuge)

Question 12

According to the Toolkit on the intranet during a bushfire with CFUs. List the roles and responsibilities of CFU members.

Answer 12

• OPERATIONAL MEMBERS: trained in the safe use of supplied equipment to:
  o Prepare and protect their home and other properties in their area of activity from spot fires and ember attack in accordance with the nationa ‘Prepare. Act. Survive’ strategies and
  o Assist with mop up in their area of activity after the fire front passes, releasing fire services to respond to the fire front
• ASSOCIATE MEMBERS: not trained in equipment use. They provide support by:
  o Monitoring public warnings on bushfire activity, and relaying information to the team,
  o Patrolling the area of activity to alert operational members to outbreaks of spot fires and embers,
  o Passing information between operational members and undertaking other communication tasks
  o Assisting with catering for and hydration of all CFU members, and
  o Providing appropriate first aid where trained
• CADET MEMBERS: 16 or 17 years old and may only join a CFU where their parent or guardian is also a member and gives them permission to join. May undertake operational activities only with the consent of their parent or guardian and only so long as they have successfully completed Induction Training and demonstrated they can use CFU equipment safely. Otherwise, cadet members undertake the same activities as associate members.

Question 13

According to the NSW RFS and FRNSW Memorandum of Understanding, when responding to AFAs within the jurisdictional, responsibility of the RFS, the first arriving brigade can de activate the local alarm, who can carry out resetting of the alarm?

Answer 13

• If within a fire district, resetting of the alarm will only be carried out by FRNSW.
• Where NSW RFS find there is no fire, a call off should be passed to ComCen and the FRNSW unit will continue to premises under normal traffic conditions to reset the alarm and collect administrative information.

Question 14

According to the Fire ePermit policy, a fire permit issued within the ‘Bush Fire Danger’ period will be valid for a period of how many days from the date of issue?

Answer 14

• Will be valid for a period of 7 days from the date of issue.

Question 15

According to the Fire ePermit policy, what aspect of the planned fire does the permit take into account.

Answer 15

• A fire permit takes into account only the safety aspect of the planned fire.

Question 16

According to the Bushfire Hazard reduction procedure - There are two types of broad area prescribed burns. What are they?

Answer 16

• SIMPLE PRESCRIBED BURN: characterised by low risk, low intensity, small area, low potential impact on assets, completion in one shift and minimal variation of fuel and terrain
• COMPLEX PRESCRIBED BURN: characterised by moderate to high risk, a range of fire intensity, medium to large areas, significant potential impact on assets and involve a variety of fuels and terrain

Question 17

According to the Bushfire Hazard reduction procedure - Pile burns may be carried out by FRNSW to dispose of vegetation resulting from what activities?

Answer 17

• Removal of bushfire fuels
• Bush regeneration/weed removal from authorised activities eg Landcare on behalf of local council
• Agricultural activities

Question 18

According to the Bushfire hazard reduction policy - List occasions when prescribed burning conducted by FRNSW is not permitted in a fire district.

Answer 18

• Burning is not permitted in a fire district on days when:
  o There is a total fire ban (toban)
  o The EPA has issued a no-burn notice (unless prior exemption has been granted)
• The fire behaviour index (FBI) is greater than 23** (the RFS allow burning on these days with FBI greater than 23. If FRNSW is assisting RFS with a prescribed burn, they may be required to continue assisting on these days).