Joint Committees

COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE

The Joint Communications Advisory Committee met twice for the year in the months of November 2005 and April 2006.

November 2005 Meeting

The following is a summary of the business of the meeting:

a) Rowan Corker addressed number of issues raised by this Association including:

- Insufficient pagers.
- Lack of use of EAS Working Party.
- Progress with transition of brigades to CAT 1
- Inconsistencies of alerting by Country CAD.

Insufficient Pagers

CFA indicated that they were aware that the number of pagers was an issue for some brigades.  A range of options is being reviewed to ensure that enough pagers will be available to alert an appropriate number of members for response.  CFA is also seeking additional funding through Government to acquire the additional pagers.

Lack of use of the EAS working Party

The project team has agreed with the request and has had a subsequent meeting at which it was agreed to email the members with the issues as they arise to alert them to the changes.  It was also agreed only to have meetings when they are required.

Progress with transition to Cat 1

This topic is in relation to the provision of dispatch channels across the State.  The meeting was informed that the use of the upgraded SMR failed due to the inability of the existing (older) radios to operate in the group call mode offered.  The meeting was also informed that the project team is reviewing a range of different options with a view to providing the dispatch channel.  A bid was put to Government to provide the additional funding but is success will depend on the multitude of other Government projects seeking funding.

Inconsistencies of Brigade alerting

This topic relates to the way some brigades operate with the CAD in relation to the call back procedure.  This is currently being reviewed by Operations as part of the general review of CAD operations.
 

b) An update was provided on the EAS and  Country Call Taking (CCT) Project

Pagers

It was indicated there will be no changes at present to the metro area until the country area has been finalised.  A total of 25000 pagers are available for distribution with an additional 5000 being sought through submissions to government.

EAS

The EAS is rolling out across the State and negotiations are currently in place regarding the business rules for coverage.

Over 8000 volunteers have been trained and pagers supplied.

Dispatch Radio

Testing has taken place on an upgraded State Mobile Radio but this was unsuccessful.

Alternative methods of using State Mobile Radio are being developed.

Metropolitan Mobile Radio

CFA will become a customer of the State Government system and will purchase 219 portable MMR radios.

These radios will be used by brigades on the MFESB borders and for special operations.

April 2006 Meeting

Of interest at the April meeting was the explanation of a proposal to use Hose Drying Towers at Fire Stations for mounting aerials to provide internet access to medium sized communities.  Brigades whose towers are used would be provided with free internet access and would have to approve the use of their facility along with the area management.

CFA would oversee the whole project to ensure standards are met and OH & S requirements are complied with.

JOINT EQUIPMENT REVIEW COMMITTEE

This Committee has been the most active of all joint Committees this year with three meetings held and significant agendas at each.

In July 2005 the Committee met at Nhill and was joined by representatives of  South Australian Country Fire Service and a representative of Forestry South Australia.

The Committee considered a document summarising the technical specifications of the Hybrid heavy tanker and received a report on the production schedules for this vehicle at both Varley (NSW) and SEM (Victoria).

Significant discussion also took place on the Crew Protection System and the risk assessments that had been undertaken.

Other matters discussed included:

• The move to three bucket seats in rear of twin cabs
• The provision of rear door access to the tanker cab
• Pumping capacity
• The tender process being used to acquire vehicles
• 2005/2006 firefighter appliances program
• The prototype tanker project

During the Committee meeting Arthur Tindall of CFS provided an overview of the firefighting vehicles CFS had brought to Nhill.

These were:

• Light Rural (Quick Attack) Land Cruiser
• 1.4 Crew cab 1000 ltr tanker
• 3.4 Basic rural 3000 ltr tanker
• 3.4p Pumper tanker

The Committee then inspected the vehicles along with the FSA "Stormking" and the CFA prototype tankers.

Reports were given on the Heavy pumper development program and the modification on the Ferntree Gully Medium.  Other projects reported on included:

• External lug couplings
• A Class foam
• CSESP

In the case of CSESP the meeting discussed the revised funding formula which is $2(CSESP):$1 Brigade for the first $50,000 then $1(CSESP):$1(Brigade) for the balance up to a maximum of $70,000 (CSESP).  The revised formula is estimated to reduce the brigade contribution by approximately $8,300.
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The Committee met next at Fiskville in October and again had a large agenda commencing with the 2005/2006 Appliances Program.

Medium Tanker

It was noted the Crew Cab/Spray requirements had given rise to issues with the current cab chassis.  It was further advised that these were likely to raise their GVM from 10 to 10.7t.

Concept drawings have been prepared based on 4x4 crew cab configuration and the estimated weight was 10.1t.

Light Tanker

No further work had been done given the focus was on the medium tanker.  Isuzu has been approached to upgrade their GVM to 6.5t to alleviate the current weight problem.

The Chief Officer had confirmed his position of a three person crew therefore there was no requirement for crew cab chassis, sprays and reserve water systems.

Heavy Pumpers

The evaluation and selection of a replacement for the Heavy pumper was discussed at length and it was noted, that due to the delays a decision had been made to build 15 medium pumpers instead.

Tanker Prototype Project

The Committee considered a report on the outcomes of the trialling around the State of the Mack and Man prototypes and it was agreed a further meeting was required to review the report findings.

Inspection of Appliances

Vehicles inspected by the Committee at this meeting were the SEM and Varley Hybrid tankers, the South Australia CFS Pumper tanker, the Varley Prototype and the new Rescue appliance based at Dandenong.

Pumper Battery Issues

It was reported the DMOs were carrying out 2 modifications namely an isolation switch and a kit to increase engine idle speed to 1200 rpm.

Jacking Systems for Tankers

This matter was raised by our Association and it was agreed to test the capacity of tanker jacks and the size of the base plate.
 

Fail Safe Power Supply for Radios and Pumps

VRFBA also raised this matter and were advised no guarantee could be given with the current set up however the matter would be investigated by Robert Rankin (Manager, CFA Engineering Services).
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The third meeting for the year was held in April and much of the matters discussed were a continuation of the previous meeting including:

• Hybrid Tanker Review (3.4C)
• Appliance manuals
• Tanker jacks
• Fail safe power supply

Particular interest was taken in the 2004/2009 Fleet Replacement Strategy Program:

• The original strategy provided for $88m over a 5 year period delivering 330 vehicles over that period
• The program had subsequently been reviewed and funding had been adjusted to allow for CPI and additional funding of $1.689m provided by government for depreciation
• The revised program now totalled $99.7m but only delivered 328 vehicles due to increased per unit costs and the inclusion of a project management fee of 4% and a program contingency provision of 2.5%
• The current 3.4C is now costing in the order of $280-290k
• The production program also now included the production of a prototype or initial production unit which would be fully evaluated before full production was commenced
• The program also included $2.9m for Specialist appliances
• The production schedule provides for a mix of appliances including on average 12 Pumpers per annum with a total of 62 over 5 years, including 10 Heavy Pumpers
• Specifications were currently being developed for light and medium tankers, medium pumper/tanker and a light pumper
• The vehicle production schedule discussed including the timeframe for the light Tanker;

- 12 plus 5 planned
- Stowage working party April – August 2206
- Body proto-type September – December 2006 (3 month review)
- First tanker produced May 2007

• The current CSESP 1500/1200ltr tanker is not suitable for the primary fleet as a crew cab is the preferred configuration.  The absence of a suitable cab chassis has delayed planned production and the option to redirect money into medium tanker production is being considered.  The Work Party has not met for this reason.
 

Appliance Type Original Funding $88.2m Revised Funding $99.7m
Tankers 255 233
Pumper/Tankers 15 30
Pumpers 60 62
Specialist Appliances Tbd 3
Total 330 328

- COMMUNITY SAFETY ADVISORY COMMITTEE

- Community Safety Advisory Committee had only one meeting in the year under review and discussed the following:

- Impacts of native Vegetation Framework
- Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines
- Post Summer survey
- Fire Ready Victoria
- Roadside Management Act

- _______________________________

- JOINT RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE

- This Committee met twice in the second half of 2005 in August and October.

- Matters considered in August included:

- National User Survey on Research Topics
- Radiant Heat Curtain Evaluations
- Information Communication and Technology Strategy for CFA
- Interschutz 2005 - Germany
- Review of CFAs Automatic Weather Stations
- Reclaimed Water Project

- The Committee workshopped the identification of research topics being undertaken by the bushfire CRC that are of particular interest to CFA:

- HIGH PRIORITY

- Bushfire Observer Handbook
- Fuel Classification and Availability
- Improved Methods for the Assessment and Prediction of Grassland Curing
- Evaluation of Suppression Technique and Guideline
- Behaviour of Smoke Plumes and Haze from Rural or Urban Fires
- Smoke Composition from Prescribed and Wild fire
- Impacts of Fire on Ecological Processes and Biodiversity
- High Country Fuels and Ecosystem Functions
- Living with Fire in Australia's High Country
- Managing Bushfire Risk in High Country Landscapes
- Bushfire economic Costs
- Evaluation of Stay or Go Policy
- Evaluating Bushfire Community Education Programs
- Building and Occupant Protection
- Firefighter Health and Safety
- Air Toxics Exposure and Management Project
- Safe Behaviour and Decision Making
- Safe Cost Effective Equipment
- Enhancing Volunteerism
- Respiratory Health of Firefighters
- Education, Training and Communication
- The Knowledge Network

- MEDIUM PROPERTY

- Fire Behaviour Monitoring
- Effective Risk Communication

- LOW PRIORITY

- Fire Weather - Fire Danger
- Bushfire Risk Management Model
- Computer Simulation Modelling
- Managing Fires in Forested Landscapes in South Western Australia
- Fire Regimes and Sustainable Landscape Risk Management
- Prescribed Fire and Biodiversity in Tropical Savanna
- Synthesis and Integration
- Multi-Scale Patterns in Ecological Processes and Fire Regime Impacts
- Burning for Biodiversity in Northern Wetlands
- Understanding Communities
- Bushfire Arson
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

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