New TEWT maps ready to roll out
New TEWT maps will help brigades and groups run their own training scenarios and simulate fire events in their local areas – just in time for the upcoming fire season.
Set in the fictional town of Emberville, the 3.5 by 3.5 metre maps are designed to support a wide range of operational training scenarios. They incorporate many of the key fire hazards commonly found across Victoria, including features like an airfield, pine plantation, transmission lines, dams and waterpoints, and towns surrounded by bushland and forest.
This TEWT map was developed for CFA as part of the new Sector Commander course, which is in the final stages of development. Recognising the broader training and skills maintenance benefits, the project was expanded to include the distribution of new TEWT kits to all district offices and CFA training grounds.
While the maps are accompanied by a range of course-specific scenarios, brigades and groups are encouraged to use them to support their own training and professional development, tailoring activities to reflect local risks.
Each TEWT kit includes everything members need to run a dynamic training scenario: flame, wind and compass markers; CFA trucks and vehicles; agency appliances from FFMVic and Victoria Police; private firefighting appliances; graders and bulldozers; as well as tabards and an Emberville mapbook to guide the initial incident response.
The TEWT maps and supporting kits will be available to book through your district training team (CLDs) and are expected to be delivered at the end of this month. Kits will also be supplied to each of CFA’s training grounds to support course delivery and training exercises.
DCO Operational Doctrine and Training Rohan Luke spoke to Chief Officer Jason Heffernan about the new TEWT maps at the July Volunteer Forum.
Watch the video below to learn more about the TEWT maps and see them in action.
What’s a TEWT?
For those new to CFA, a TEWT is a Tactical Exercise Without Troops. TEWT maps are essential for training, planning and improving decision-making. They are a powerful preparedness tool, helping members visualise what a fire would do and how they would respond to it without the risk or cost of simulating fire scenarios and the need to deploy resources.