November 2010
2 posts
Two years on, CFA volunteer sleeping in shed
Two years on, CFA volunteer sleeping in shed: “They could also apply to the Volunteer Fire Brigades Association for a cash grant of up to $5000. But despite losing his home and all of his family’s possessions, Mr Adamson’s application was met with a long delay and a cut-price payout of $2500.”
Not good enough VFBV!
Firefighters starved of help?
Firefighters starved of help
Perhaps a bit sensationalist, but I think it points to some underlying issues in the management of the VFBV.
October 2010
1 post
New Fire Danger Ratings Signs
Finally! Common sense has prevailed, and the signs have been changed back to the old ‘clock face’ design.
The old design was unreadable and a complete knee jerk reaction from HQ (based on bad user testing).
August 2010
2 posts
Sparks to fly as Baillieu launches fire front
Sparks to fly as Baillieu launches fire front
…that between 2002 and Black Saturday on February 7 last year, the government had ignored 25 recommendations from various reports on measures to better prepare the state for emergencies such as bushfires.
A year after the commission’s interim report, Mr Brumby had still not implemented all its recommendations on warning systems,...
Pumper v Car
Pumper v Car
A Traralgon CFA fire truck, responding to an emergency call-out, was travelling east on the Princes Highway when it collided with a sedan travelling south on Park Lane.
It’s not nice when this happens.
July 2010
1 post
Judgement Day: Black Saturday report release looms
Judgement Day: Black Saturday report release looms
It was the American wildfire veteran Jerry Williams who told the inquiry, “we can’t be fooling around on the edge of this problem and hope to solve it…it needs political leadership.”
June 2010
2 posts
It's not about the leadership
This is the best analysis I’ve read so far on the Royal Commission:
Policies are one thing and personnel another, true. But surely policies are nothing without good people to put them into practice?
May 2010
17 posts
Prisoner 'bashed bushfire accused'
The defence has claimed the accused has been bashed and also that his files have been obtained by the person who did the bashing,
Corrections Victoria last night denied defence barrister David Sexton’s claim that a prisoner who attacked his client had managed to gain access to the accused man’s personal prison file. “There is no evidence to support this claim and we...
Churchill arson accused 'attacked in custody'
This is not helpful:
A man accused of lighting a deadly bushfire on Black Saturday in Churchill has twice been attacked in custody, his lawyer claims.
Nor is this:
The lawyers have described some of the reporting on the case as hysterical.
The fire within Jack Rush, QC
A nice background into Jack Rush, QC:
“… he was interested in the truth.”
No evidence linking accused to Delburn fires
No evidence linking accused to Delburn fires.
1 tag
Damning
Her phone was, but no one called, nor did she call. Even when previously told a disaster was imminent. Damning!
We know that Ms Nixon’s phone did not ring between 1800 and 2100, the worst period of the fires a consequence of further investigation by counsel assisting, it appears on the balance of probabilities Ms Nixon’s phone was on. The fact that there were no phone calls received...
1 tag
Someone else was assumed to be in charge
So for a period of time, which I will come to,Ms Nixon was not present, Mr Fontana was not present and Mr Walshe was not present. So the substantive hierarchy in relation to this state’s emergency response plan were not present at the IECC, the SERCC or the POC to coordinate the state’s emergency response plan.
…
She indicated that at the time she left that briefing with...
1 tag
"How many fire 11 chiefs does it take to move an...
Too many.
“We just note it because it is striking that in the clamour by a number of witnesses to take personal credit for this single decision, no-one checked that in fact it was another aerial resource that dealt with the fire and the one they had so ordered to attend, apparently each of them separately, in fact went to Narre Warren.”
Curious that they each take try to take...
1 tag
Busy: doing what?
It’s been missed by the media, but this summation by Rachel Doyle (Counsel Assisting) is an apt description how the IECC did not work:
“‘Busy: doing what?’ because as we identify in this section there were two chief fire officers, a state coordinator from the CFA, the DSE chief officer contact, a CFA state duty officer, a DSE state duty officer and a CFA member known as...
Leadership 'absent' on Black Saturday
I could not agree more:
“Command, we say, demands a presence both to inform and if necessary reassure and inspire.” “Leadership and command is not exercised by being available if necessary at the end of a telephone. Leadership and command in an emergency crisis demands presence.”
Mr Rush said “no excuse or spin” could justify what he described as “the...
Brumby encircled by fire
Brumby encircled by fire
But now, courtesy of the barrage of leaks, we know that Jack Rush, QC, and his team of lawyers assisting the commissioners have concluded the government has not done enough since Black Saturday to minimise the prospect of more deaths in fires.
…
Brumby wants people to gloss over the policy errors and funding deficiencies over many years that led to the state being...
Misleading?
It comes as no surprise that submissions to the Royal Commission might be critical of people. That’s what might be needed to ensure people learn from the mistakes and hopefully not repeat them.
It’s also no surprise that people will defend their turf as well.
Mind you, the reporting is based on ‘leaked’ submissions that are drafts of the real ones. We all need to wait...
Brumby Government Abandons CFA Volunteers?
According to the Captain of the Whiteheads Creek Tarcombe Brigade, they have:
“A little over a year after the black Saturday fires the Brumby government has forgotten the efforts of CFA volunteers and has shown a disregard for their welfare.”
I don’t necessarily agree with the language used, but I agree with the overall sentiment (in respect to supporting volunteers a bit...
Stay or go policy unlikely to be overturned
Stay or go policy unlikely to be overturned
“If this is the state of affairs now, barely a year after 173 people died, you shudder to think how faded the memories will be - and how entrenched the complacency - in 10, 20 or 30 years. When the next big one hits.”
This time, message to Brumby is very clear
This time, message to Brumby is very clear
After the commission released its interim report last year, the Premier’s response was designed with one purpose in mind - to gloss over the inadequacy of his emergency management regime on Black Saturday.
Hopefully Brumby won’t use the excuse of “don’t criticise our response as you’ll be criticising the...
Bushfire commission lashes government 'failures'
Bushfire commission lashes government ‘failures’
“It is extraordinary that as late as April 2010, the state is still in the position of running workshops directed at preparing a discussion paper about refuges … the progress to date has been glacial and it is submitted that the delay is inexcusable,” counsel assisting will say.
It’s not really that extraordinary....
Letters From an Arsonist
Letters From an Arsonist
Thomas Sweatt torched Washington for decades. He killed more people than we thought.
A fascinating article about a deeply disturbing and horrible type of person — the arsonist.
'Troubling complacency' over CFA pagers
‘Troubling complacency’ over CFA pagers )
“He said the technology would cost about $24-million, little more than twice the cost of the recent 60-day trial of the DC-10 water bomber.”
It would be nice to see some funding for an improved pager system, along with GPS tracking is trucks.
This could be all tied into the Radio Replacement Program, so we have digital links...
A royal waste of time and money?
Greg Barns thinks the Bushfire Royal Commission is, “A royal waste of time and money”.
“Would it not have been better for the government to appoint independent panels of experts in these areas to come up with solutions? Take building design for example. Surely architects, builders and materials specialists are best placed to tell the government what is suitable in terms of...
April 2010
14 posts
Esplin defends stay or go policy
Esplin defends stay or go policy
Mr Rush suggested Mr Esplin was not helping the situation by pointing to confusion in the community, without acknowledging it was the policy itself that caused the confusion.
Mr Esplin agreed the language used in the policy needed to change radically.
As was also pointed out, the wording of the policy is far too strong.
Professor Cova said the idea that...
1 tag
I thought Nixon was on duty?
I thought Nixon was on: deputy
“I had understood she was on duty from shortly before 1pm,” he said in a witness statement. “It is my belief that we did discuss what we would do on the weekend, because I did tell [an assistant commissioner] that I would be on standby at home on the Saturday.” This appears to contradict Ms Nixon, who initially said in a statement to the...
Commission told 'stay or go policy' was a failure
Commission told ‘stay or go policy’ was a failure
“He agreed the policy relied on ordinary citizens being mentally and physically equipped to handle situations that you would not send experienced firefighters into.”
You just cannot expect people to be mentally and physically prepared for this.
Chief Officer Russell Rees Resigns
Russell Rees Resigns
“I am making the decision to go now so that the future of the CFA is assured.”
CFA chief Russell Rees quits
“This decision is mine. I came to the conclusion at the end of the season, consulted with my family, consulted with the CEO and now is the right time.”
Firefighting helicopters
The ABC notes that, “Firefighting choppers cost millions on standby”
The commission heard it costs $20,000 a day to keep the Elvis air crane on standby and an additional $11,000 a day to operate.
So-called Firebird helicopters are much cheaper, costing $1,500 a day to have on standby and $1,000 more to operate.
Sky-Crane’s can carry up to 9000 litres of water....
Sinner or Scapegoat?
The Age asked residents of Marysville what they thought of Christine Nixon’s actions and testimony.
Some are angry.
“I’m bloody angry”
Some are more philosophical.
Mark…said there was nothing Ms Nixon nor anyone from the State Emergency Response Co-ordination Centre could have done to prevent the fire sweeping into Marysville. “But that’s not...
Defense and attack
The attack and defense arguments for Christine Nixon have been re-hashed for a few days now. This quote from Leon T (April 16, 2010, 11:52AM) sums it up best for me:
The ‘defense’ of Nixon is as tedious as the ‘attack’. What is now firmly established is that she was at least slipshod in her original submission to the inquiry - a fairly clear indicator of attitude - what...
Differences in public defence
I’m curious to understand the differences between public perception between Christine Nixon and Russell Rees? Both received a grilling at the Royal Commission. The public have been strident in their defence of Christine Nixon, but not as much for Russell Rees.
Should Nixon stay or go?
Nixon’s future hangs in the balance is a good article and it’s comments are a very good balance of views.
Irrelevant?
John Silvester’s opinion piece in The Age nails it:
For a leader who maintains her mobile phone remained on 24 hours a day it is simply remarkable that it was silent for three crucial hours on Black Saturday.
From 6pm until 9pm - while she was at dinner and later at home in North Melbourne - no-one from the crisis centre bothered to contact her.
They did not seek instructions, counsel...
Flippant?
Christine Nixon objected to questions from counsel assisting at the Royal Commission, in one response, calling them “flippant” (page 17709):
“Counsel, that’s just flippant. Clearly that’s not the case. I believe that me having a meal was in fact not relevant.”
Listening to Christine Nixon’s 2nd sitting at the Commission does fill me with any confidence.
1 tag
Nixon feeding frenzy leaves bitter aftertaste →
Great analysis from Jane Cowan on Christine Nixon’s evidence to the commission.
This comment from a commenter called Justin (12 Apr 2010 8:02:29pm) is worth noting:
Gary & Gadget, so its appalling is it? Let me just ask one question - were you in any of the fire affected towns on Feb 7, suddenly facing an inferno, trying to implement a defend plan for which no warnings had...
Vale Ranald Webster
Farewell Ranald Webster. Survivor of Ash Wednesday (after receiving horrific burns), mentor to burns victims and 2003 Victoria Senior Citizen of the Year.
March 2010
2 posts
Mentoring Programs (or lack thereof)
Even after 11 years, the CFA has still not created a mentoring scheme for fire fighters and senior management.
“Ms Doyle said the CFA had failed to implement a coroner’s recommendation, made after the Linton disaster in which five volunteer firefighters died in 1998, to set up a mentoring program for new firefighters.”
This is just not good enough!
(Source: The Age: CFA...
We need Safety Officers, not just Safety Advisors
It’s not just the job of the crew to monitor safety. Someone needs to oversee it. This cannot always be the incident controller. It should be an appointed Safety Officer.
We need to ensure that someone is responsible for the overall picture on safety when the main concern for a fire fighter is their own and crew safety?
February 2010
13 posts
Another Neighbourhood Safer Place
It’s good to see that another neighbourhood safer place has been confirmed.
New blog focus and direction
Initially, I thought that I would use this blog to comment on things that I have done and seen in the CFA. Sometimes, this is not always the most appropriate course of action; especially when you try to remain a bit anonymous.
Instead, I’ve decided to change the focus to answering questions that I or other people might pose. Why? I’ve realised that many people don’t really...
1 tag
The New Fire Danger Signs
Anybody else notice that the new Fire Danger signs are almost impossible to read when you’re driving past them?
The text is so small that you can’t read it, and the sign no longer tells you what the Fire Danger is for the area you are in.
I also don’t like that you need to call a number or visit a web site to find this information out. (You should just be able to look at a...
Watching the Bushfire Special on ABC1.
Black Saturday Anniversary
One year ago today, Victoria suffered a series of catastrophic fires that devastated entire communities.
I was unfortunate enough to experience the devastation that hit Callignee. I was also unfortunate enough to see some things that people should never have to see.
Fortunately, I also witnessed amazing acts of bravery from my fellow CFA volunteers and members of the public. I also saw amazing...
Finding survivors was a rewarding relief. Finding victims was very sad. We came upon our first survivors about now one year ago.
19:30 (or a bit after) roughly marks the time we first ventured into the devastation that was the remains of Callignee on Black Saturday.
18:01 marks the time the violent wind change arrived at our location on Black Saturday. Almost damn near killed us.
Getting ready to observe 1 minutes silence at 12 noon for Black Saturday anniversary.