Fuel management initiative is kicking goals in the south west

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“The establishment of the Vegetation Management Advisory Group (VMAG) five years ago has proven to be critical to the success of District 5’s fuel management program, and strengthened our planned burning processes,” VMAG Chair Steve Lewis said.

 

In fact, it has proven so successful that the VMAG concept has now been taken up in District 6, with the two VMAGs meeting to share their ideas around fuel management. Other districts are now keen to learn from the VMAG idea as well.

VMAG provides a forum for group officers and DGOs, along with highly experienced vegetation management and operational staff, to collaborate, share views and ideas and seek improvements around planned burning and other risk mitigations.

“Challenging issues are discussed and worked through at VMAG, with a robust problem-solving discussion group looking for practical solutions to support Planned Burn Operarions Officers [PBOOs] in the field," Steve said.

“But the beauty of VMAG is that we all want to achieve the same thing: effective, safe and efficient roadside burning to reduce bushfire risk in our communities and maintain and increase the skill sets that allow us to do it.”

VMAG's work has already seen:

  • an Ignition Authorisation Aide Memoir across the state, to support connection between rostered duty officers and PBOOs in the field.
  • production of a Planned Burn Operations Officers Handbook in 2020. (An updated 2nd edition was completed in 2023 and is proving very popular).
  • support for the pilot program in District 5 of PBOO skills maintenance, roadside burns assessments for PBOO experience and Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) endorsements.
  • established Terms of Reference.
  • launched pre-season PBOO briefings (which have been a huge success following a request from PBOOs for greater communication about operational lessons learned from districts contained in after-action reviews Burn Plan Updates).
  • the use of private vehicles at planned burns.
  • endorsed burn controllers (day one/two training refined in line with CR1 burns).
  • endorsed burn controllers (reintroduction of the CR1 simple burn RPL after training).
  • increased number of vegetation management officers and commanders across District 5 to support the large burn numbers at district and regional level.
  • burns outside the Fire Danger Period (winter burning discussion paper).

The District 5 VMAG was established under the District Planning Committee to provide advice and expertise to the district Assistant Chief Fire Officer, manager community safety, and CFA (via DCO Fire Risk, Research and Community Preparedness) about vegetation management issues including:

  • the performance standards for all personnel participating in and leading burning within the district. Promoting, communicating, supporting, monitoring, and improving these standards for all CFA members.
  • providing advice about strategic breaks, burns of strategic significance, Joint Fuel Management Program (JFMP), operational burn requirements, resourcing, training and safety.
  • advocating across all levels for appropriate recognition of the professional standing that is led by District 5 in the vegetation management field.
  • addressing and communicating concerns raised by groups and brigade BMTs and PBOOs, that directly affect their ability to deliver planned burn activities.
  • providing support for leadership in the vegetation management field within the district to ensure volunteers' needs, views and issues are appropriately considered.
  • monitoring safety, hazard, and burn plan issues and ensure effective communication of lessons to PBOOs.
  • advocating on behalf of volunteers to influence CFA policy and procedures with the intent to improve all aspects of vegetation management.
  • ensuring VMAG members always maintain a professional and respectful standard, in accordance with CFA Behavioural Standards, Volunteer Charter and CFA policy/procedure.
  • inputting to Municipal Fire Management Planning, through delegate nomination and reporting.

Membership

VMAG membership includes District 5 Group Officers and DGOs, the District 5 ACFO, South West Region Manager Community Safety, with vegetation management officers and Commanders invited to attend. A recent addition to the list of invitees are the municipal Fire Prevention Officers from Southern Grampians and Moyne shires.

Each VMAG member maintains their endorsed PBOO or burn planner status and act in accordance with CFA behavioural Standards, Volunteer Charter and CFA policies.

“The success of the burning program this year in District 5 and across South West Region is, in part, a reflection on the success of VMAG, and it is an absolute credit to those experienced VMAG members who have stuck with us over the five-year journey to help bring this about," Steve said.

"Our earlier hard work is now producing great dividends as each year sees increased roadside burning, and brigades re-engaging in the burning field.

“At the end of the day our communities are safer as a result.”

 

Submitted by Andy Govanstone