• Hundreds of emergency services volunteers gathered in Perth for pre-season briefing
  • Most comprehensive and wide-ranging pre-season forum to date, with 2019 marking the first year Marine Rescue have attended

As West Australian communities battled emergency fire warnings and a Total Fire Ban today, emergency services volunteers met in Perth to prepare for the upcoming bushfire season.

The volunteers gathered at Optus Stadium to be briefed on a comprehensive overview of the seasonal outlook, the capability of WA’s aerial fleet, and plans to manage the deployment of personnel to major incidents including interstate.

Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan joined the more than 200 volunteer leaders who came from across the state’s fire services, the State Emergency Service and the Marine Rescue Service.

The 2019 Department of Fire and Emergency Services Metropolitan Volunteer Forum also provided an opportunity for volunteers to network, ask questions, share experiences, and prepare for the season ahead.

Planning and preparation will again play a critical role in WA’s emergency response for the summer, particularly in the wake of unusually hot and dry conditions leading into summer.

Those conditions, coupled with the likelihood of at least one severe cyclone in the North West, and thousands of families expected to flock to the State’s waters over summer, mean emergency services are likely to experience a busy season.

Comments attributed to Emergency Services Minister Francis Logan:

“We’re expecting an intense summer in WA and have already faced severe challenges today, so today’s forum was an important opportunity for volunteer leaders to come together to be prepared for what lays ahead.

“Bushfires and cyclones are hazards that our emergency services prepare for, but it is also vital that all West Australians prepare themselves and their properties for the inevitable fires.

“I was very pleased that Marine Rescue Service leaders could also join the forum. It was the first time they attended and with more boats on the water these days, they will be kept busy this summer.

“Volunteers make a vital contribution to our emergency services personnel and these annual events are a really important part of our State’s preparation to help keep the community safe.

“But I again would urge all West Australians to take personal responsibility for their own safety and the welfare of their families and properties.

“Visit the department’s website, have a five-minute fire chat and make a plan now with cool heads rather than trying to think of what to do during an emergency.”

https://www.mediastatements.wa.gov.au/Pages/McGowan/2019/11/Volunteer-Emergency-Services-leaders-meet-to-prepare-for-busy-summer.aspx