Many unhappy members, being the people on the ground, were unable to be heard from this association who discouraged the actual Fire Fighters a loud and clear voice to the RFS and the government. People at the front line do know what is required and the seat warmers in RFS need to listen.

We have moved on now representing the voice of the volunteers aligning policies to government and the RFS without restriction of power base control that now looks like turning around we hope.

Visit our online store to support the VFFA - CLICK HERE

Published 19th February 2011

Thank you for the time on the phone regarding the attached story, 'Defective Alarms Put Lives At Risk' in yesterdays South Burnett Times.

Ionisation smoke alarms have been proven by Standards Australia to fail to activate until more than twice the maximum safe limit set for photoelectric smoke alarms. Standards Australia has produced a draft standard acknowledging the existing standard is flawed: www.theWFSF.org/sa

Please advise:

1) The QFRS adopts AFAC official position of 01 June, 2006, "That all residential accommodation be fitted with photoelectric (NOT 'working') smoke alarms". Tragically, Fire Brigades around Australia keep the AFAC's official position on smoke alarms hidden from the public by mentioning 'working' smoke alarms NOT 'photoelectric' smoke alarms in the media. How many times (if ever) has the word 'photoelectric' been mentioned in the media (radio or in print media ) in the Kingaroy area since 01 June, 2006?

www.theWFSF.org/afac

2. Given the official AFAC position statement above goes on to explain that ,"Ionization smoke alarms may not operate in time to alert occupants early enough to escape form smouldering fires," what is the official answer to my question, "Is there anything wrong with ionization smoke alarms?"

Kevin, the Minister of Emergency Services, Police and Corrective services has played politics with people's lives by stopping the QFRS from telling the public the truth about the inherent defects in ionisation smoke alarms. This fence sitting is exactly why I am sleeping in a room at the Cecil Hotel with a smoke alarm that is guaranteed by the CSIRO's own testing [AS2362.17, clause 7, (e) and (f) ] to not be able to pass the test for smoke set for photoelectrics. Politicians play politics. You are a firefighter - As a former firefighter I implore you to research the facts (I am happy to meet with you and apprise you of the facts).

Thank you.

Sincerely,

The World Fire Safety Foundation

Adrian Butler co-founder, former firefighter

Suite 1, Level 4, NFPTV House

23 Ocean Grove, Currumbin

QLD 4223, Australia

Phone: +61 7 409 782 166

See Smoke Alarm Recall:

www.TheWorldFireSafetyFoundation.org

'What's Concerning Volunteers?'

The VFFA represents the volunteers only.
This is your Association Help drive it by becoming a member.

The VFFA does not have a conflict of interest. This is your voice.

A point of concern from the volunteers is the lack of consultation with volunteer fire fighters. We are not being listened to in many important areas. An example of this is the YELLOW SHIRTS issue. There was no discussion at all with the volunteers, and guess what none of the volunteers want to wear them.The Super Ministry decision made by the State Government was a complete waste of time and hugely expensive and for what result?

The Victorian Royal Commission report has completely missed the point of why these infernos happen. The problem was the State and Local Governments allowed a massive build up of fuel and residents were outlawed from clearing around their property. The political interferences were at work to prevent any sensible clearing from happening in order to protect the Green and Conservation votes. Evidence of this goes back as far as Premier Joan Kirner. They introduced two fire authorities in rural areas. This does not work. Instead a conflict of interest is created, and the result is that nothing gets done. Let's not forget there were 173 lives lost in the Victorian inferno in 2009.Who should be responsible for such a preventable tragedy.

The NSW Farmer's conferences in July passed as policy that there be only one fire authority in rural NSW, and that is the Rural Fire Service.

Hazard reduction burns, as I have stated in our recent press release, need to be increased without political interference. After all this is about protecting lives and property as well as the environment. I support RFS Commissioner, Shane Fitzsimmons, in his attempts to lift these hazard reduction percentages, however, we need to broaden the HR burn timing windows to allow the Brigade Captains on the ground, armed with local knowledge, to assess their own area. Group Captains and Captains have to speak up if red tape is the problem the VFFA would like to know about such issues. In my area, the RFS Mid Lachlan Valley Team Zone and the neighboring Canobolas Zone, we have two very good managers in Ken Neville and David Hoadley Their actions in communicating with land managers and volunteers through BFMC is driving and achieving the results that we need with hazard reduction programs.

Brigade elections are an issue of concern to the VFFA. In the Gosford area there are brigade constitutions in place and they need to be respected. When these constitutions are ignored, it is undermining YOU the volunteer.

The Shipley Brigade in the Blue Mountains was closed down when a tree fell on their station. The brigade members believe it was important enough to resurrect the brigade. The Local Member, Phil Koperberg, and RFS are in support of the brigade being reinstated but Blue Mountains City Council is not helping with the progression of this issue. The VFFA is losing patience on this issue.

RFS Brigade Trucks are being fitted incorrectly with hose couplings on the wrong side with a real danger to our volunteers with passing traffic. The RFS apparently held a survey on this with a 90% result in favor of this fit out but no one has seen or heard of this survey.

The Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) for injured self employed fire fighters is not clear on what it covers and who it covers in compensation for fire fighters. Does it mean volunteers will receive the national average wage whilst recovering? We need this clarified.

On the issue of SMOKE ALARMS, are you aware that there are two types of smoke alarms? There is only one FIRE ALARM that will protect your family and home and that is the PHOTOELECTRIC unit. There have been thousands of lives lost all over the world by people using the wrong smoke alarm. Please read further on our website about this issue, and please check to see what type YOU have.

The Volunteer Fire Fighters Association will soon release a range of VFFA merchandise for sale. Watch this website to see the links to view.

Peter Cannon (President)
Volunteer Fire Fighters Association.

Alan Jones radio 2GB on August 11th 2010 comments on the massive fuel loads in the NSW Blue Mountains right now with council fining people for cutting down dead trees as hazard reduction - Click the arrow to listen.

Andrew Claridge of the Department of Environment, Climate Change and Water has been carrying out a long-term study about out how threatened native animals are affected by fire. Maya Beretta tells us about some recent findings.

When wildfires sweep across large tracts of bushland, the community becomes concerned about the effect on native animals, and many people wonder how wildlife can survive the impact at all.

An example seen last summer was the enormous interest generated by video footage, played repeatedly on TV and the internet, of koalas in badly burnt areas seeking water from humans.

Survival of animals during wildfires

During wildfires animals use a number of ways to allow the survival of individuals who are able to rebuild numbers. To survive the immediate impact of the fire, animals are known to use burrows and sheltered 'refuge' areas which may escape being burnt. Depending on the flame height and intensity, mammals which live in the tree canopy and hollows may also survive. Radio-tracking of animal movements also suggests that animals ordinarily behave calmly during a fire and move early to seek escape routes and refuges.

After the fire it is the extent of loss of habitat and food sources which influence how quickly populations re-establish.

Research into prescribed burns

Prescribed burns are used to manage the impacts of wildfires, so we also need to understand how these burns affect native vegetation and animals.

The winter of 2008 saw the commencement of a major study investigating the response to fire of threatened ground-dwelling mammals in Ben Boyd National Park on the NSW Far South Coast. The research program started with the National Parks and Wildlife Service undertaking a prescribed burn across 1900 hectares of the park. The burn was designed around the ecological needs of the area, and required several months of planning and mapping.

Prior to this, repeat surveys of vegetation in parts of the park, between 1999 and 2007,had noted a decline in habitat complexity with a loss of groundcover and understorey plants like banksias, hakeas and acacias. In the long-term absence of fire, these plants were dying, and the dense shelter habitat required by local populations of bandicoots and potoroos was no longer available.

In Ben Boyd National Park, bandicoot and potoroo populations had not increased as expected after significant reductions in fox numbers, and it was thought that a low intensity fire may result in the regeneration of the habitat and provide a more favourable environment over time.

The prescribed burn was designed to achieve a mosaic of areas burnt at low intensity, and large areas left unburnt to maintain refuges for wildlife to escape the fire.

Thirty infra-red digital cameras were set up in both burnt and unburnt areas to monitor the movements of animals-specifically, southern brown bandicoots, long-nosed bandicoots and long-nosed potoroos. A small PVC container was placed in front of the camera, and scented with black truffle oil to attract the target fauna.

So far, cameras have been deployed for three week periods, once before the fi re, and twice since. The cameras have shown bandicoots and potoroos actively foraging in the recently burnt areas. All target species have persisted at similar levels of activity after the fire, probably assisted by the mosaic pattern of the burn.

Research from the University of Tasmania indicates that bettongs and bandicoots can survive low-intensity fires. They survive by staying in their nest sites until the last minute when they move ahead of the fire until they reach unburnt habitat. If no unburnt habitat is located, they double back through the flames to the safety of burnt ground.

The activity levels of bandicoots and potoroos after the Ben Boyd National Park fire will continue to be monitored using data collected by the cameras.

Current results seem to indicate that a well-managed fire regime can be used to successfully regenerate habitats and potentially revive declining populations.

     
Southern brown bandicoot Photos:DECCW Long-nosed potoroo