Fire Ready Victoria: Bushfire Safety Street Corner and Public Meetings

New To the area?
Want to know more about Bushfire risk?
Want to brush up on your knowledge of Bushfire?
Then a Fire Ready Victoria meeting is for you!

Running for approximately an hour and a half, a Fire Ready Victoria street corner meeting focusses on local hazards and suits residents who have not previously attended a CFA program, or those who wish to increase their understanding of bushfire behaviour and risk.

Please see below for meeting dates and times.

Type of Meeting	Locations	Melways Ref	Date	Time
Street Corner	cnr. DingleyDell/Blooms Rd.	23G8	Sunday, 27 January, 2008	11:30am
Street Corner	cnr. Hamilton Rd/Koornong	23J8	Sunday, 27 January, 2008	2:00pm
Street Corner	cnr. Doleen/StonyCreek Rd.	23D8	Thursday, 31 January 2008	7.30pm
Street Corner	100 steps, nr corner Lewis/Kangaroo Ground Rd	23 G10	Sunday, 10 February 2008	2.00pm

Community fireguard is a community education program designed to reduce the loss of lives and property in the event of a bushfire in the area. The basis of the program is that many people many have to face a bushfire without the immediate support of the Brigade, which can't provide every person and their homes with individual protection during a major bushfire. It recognises that chances of bushfire survival are increased the more people are adequately prepared prior to the event.

Community Fireguard is made up of small groups (usually streets or pat thereof). These groups with support from members of the North Warrandyte Fire Brigade are encouraged to develop strategies which are simple, inexpensive and effective. These strategies combined with a basic the knowledge of Fire behaviour and what to expect should there be a fire assist to protect life and property.

In North Warrandyte there are currently 26 fireguard groups in existence, covering a large portion of the area. These groups vary in size and activity levels depending on the members requirements. The North Warrandyte Fire Brigade has being busy assisting these groups. We have two trained facilitators in the brigade as well as receiving support from other members and the CFA.

These groups do a range of activities with some combining land care or local interest groups. The fireguard groups them selves conduct a wide range of activities ranging from Meetings to street walks. The sort of information discussed at fireguard meetings include:

• Dispelling the myths
• Bushfire behaviour
• Personal survival
• Fire protection equipment
• Development of personal safety plans

In addition to the above these groups have proven to be a valuable to the brigade as they assist the local community in fire prevention and awareness. The effect of this can be seen in the large reduction of calls the brigade receives to smoke sightings and burn-off during the fire danger period.

These groups also provide much needed resources for Brigade fundraising activities like the Warrandyte festival. The recently held “Garage Sale” was an excellent example of the brigade and the community working together.

Community fireguard groups also serve to increase awareness on the brigade itself, the people involved and the work that is undertaken by them. In this way it has proved to be a breeding ground for new members that realise that there is so much more to do than ride on fire trucks. In addition to this the system brings together not only neighbours but streets and in turn the whole community by helping to form strong community bonds.

If you wish to become involved in community fireguard please contact Sasha Reid at the North Warrandyte Fire Station on 9844 0847.