Group exercise on the rural/urban fringe

Strike Teams form up

 

On Sunday 27 November Whittlesea Diamond Valley Group (WDVG) held an exercise in the rural/urban interface of Doreen.

 

The crews assembled at  Yarrambat Park where they formed three strike teams. 

The strike team leaders then attended a SMEACS briefing that outlined the activities planned for the morning.

These activities included convoy driving, rural/urban interface grass fire attack, hazardous trees recognition, burn over drill and the Stutchbury Shield.

The Stutchbury Shield is a hotly contested timed demonstration of skills used on the fireground. This year's winner will be announced at the next group meeting in December.

The WDVG also used this exercise as a final check on prospective strike team leaders (STL) before being endorsed by the group officer.

Each strike team leader candidate was mentored through the exercises by an experienced STL. The candidates' decisions and interactions were monitored, and a final recommendation was given eagarding their suitability for this demanding role.

The staging team used the opportunity to check their equipment and practise the requirements of this important role on the fireground.

Sector commanders and DGOs were also able to brush up on their skills.

Community education crews were out and about reassuring and interacting with the public, and Peer Support members were available - an often forgotten but extremely important function before, during and after any event.

The strike teams were made up as follows

ST 1403 

Mernda FCV, Sth Morang Tanker, Diamond Creek Tanker, Doreen Tanker, Arthurs Creek Tanker.

ST 1413

Doreen FCV, Mernda Tanker, Yarrambat Tanker, Whittlesea Tanker, Plenty Tanker.

ST 1430

Plenty FCV, Diamond Creek Slip On, Doreen Ultraligh Tanker, Sth Morang Ultralight Tanker.

The exercise was a valuable learning experience. Thank you to all those members who attended.

 

Submitted by	ROBERT BURY