News 
Issue 13: July 2015
A quick snapshot of the priority issues and actions worked through at the most recent Joint Committee meeting between CFA and VFBV. (Meeting held 27/06/15)
CFA-SES COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND HAZARD AWARENESS FORUM
The joint CFA-SES community engagement forum being held at Novotel Forest Resort at Creswick on 1st and 2nd of August, 2015, has received very positive responses, with 380 members from 200 brigades attending. Some of these attendees come from brigades who are yet to elect a Community Safety Co-ordinator, so this shows a great deal of enthusiasm for the role and the forum.
Participants will hear from experts from across the sector on many aspects of engaging with and education of communities. They will also have the opportunity to showcase their own ideas and initiatives and network with other brigades. The Committee commends this annual forum to you, and highly recommends any brigades who have not attended one in the past, to consider attending in future years. The event is supported by a dedicated volunteer reference group, along with very supportive CFA staff who make this special event a success each year.
PLANNED BURNS - TRAINING
The Committee discussed and reviewed the proposed new training in planned burns and in particular Burn Controller training. The course being piloted has been reduced from 5 days to 2 days and is much more “hands on”, running through exercises, participating in teams as both controllers and crew. Throughout the exercises, members will be coached and observed in the team environment and as individuals. At the completion of the exercise, they will complete a short written test. Early feedback has been very positive, and the committee will continue to monitor how well the course is accepted in the field, and monitor its availability to ensure it is held at times and places convenient to volunteers.
EVENTS & ACTIVITIES REPORTING TOOL APP
Following up from the last 2 minute briefing, the committee received an update on the app for smartphones and tablets, which accesses the Brigades Online portal “Brigades Events & Activity Reporting Tool”.
The tool enables members to report community safety activities undertaken by their brigade. Based on recent feedback, the app has been simplified from 15 steps to just six questions that are now a simple “tick the box” process. The steps include; the event title, time and date of the event, the key focus of the event i.e. sausage sizzle, how the brigade promoted the event and the last step is uploading a photo. This information is then uploaded to Brigades Online. All of this information is available to all brigades and is an opportunity to see what other brigades and other districts across the state are doing in relation to community safety.
BEEKEEPERS GUIDE
After consultation with the committee, CFA has produced an updated version of a guide for beekeepers with information and advice on what they can and can’t do during Fire Danger periods and days of Total Fire Ban.
The guide has been developed based on the high number of enquiries brigades often receive during the Fire Danger period from bee keepers, and assists brigades and the community in understanding and interpreting the regulations for this unique sector. The guide lists Section 34A of the CFA act and explains the legislation and permit requirements in simple, easy to understand language. The guide also offers helpful advice on managing flammable material around their bee colonies, vegetation control, bee smokers and other safety issues. Brigades with active bee hives in their areas are encouraged to have a copy in their trucks for easy reference should you be called to investigate activities during the FDP.
IFMP
The Committee continues to advocate on the need for CFA to review its Integrated Fire Management Planning processes and policies in order to ensure volunteers and brigades are engaged in the process. CFA has committed to progressing.
