Thread: All 2019/20 bushfire comments here.

Good start I think. Volunteer fire fighters in another thread but dopey me couldn't see it sorry.

The $300 per day limited to $6000 has a load of limits I think should be reviewed carefully. In the past volunteers were called on for a few days or for a big one a week or so. Now with months of time already with several months to go Volunteers fire fighters AKA hero's, should be compensated for the long campaigns.

Every state should be implementing this or better and not as a temporary measure.


Scott Morrison announces compensation payments for New South Wales volunteer firefighters - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Great idea and long overdue

The brigade I used to be in most of us were self employed at the time, a mix of farmers, tradies and miners but we were only on a fire line for a day or two at a time.
I dont know what my current employers thoughts would be having one of their senior techs dissapearing for weeks at our busiest time of the year.
I don't think they'd be impressed, and I don't know many employees or self employed that could take the financial hit of no income for several weeks while working themselves to exhaustion.

The current situation is almost untenable.

prepare for the worst, hope for the best.

On behalf of Region 1:


Good evening all,


Tomorrow will be a very difficult day across Region 1.


High temps, low RH, and strong winds - combined with dry lightning and the existing fires will make it one of the more difficult days in a very long time. Conditions will deteriorate from early tomorrow morning with things set to be every bit as challenging as they were on the 20th December.


If you respond tomorrow please remember that your safety is paramount. Stay well hydrated, keep alert for wind changes and sudden increases in fire behaviour, and watch for heat stressed/fire effected falling trees.


Also understand the importance of a quick but effective arrival message followed by a comprehensive SITREP in order to enable timely and accurate warnings to be issued to the community.


If you or family and friends live in proximity to the existing fires, especially in areas downwind of the fire ground under tomorrow's forecast conditions, please ensure that you are prepared and enact your bushfire survival plan - especially if you are going to be on a fire truck and not home!


Thank you to everyone for your hard work so far - it is simply amazing and you can all be proud of everything that you've achieved so far. Remember, that we have all done everything possible to prepare for tomorrow, but if the fires do break out, it will be the result of the conditions - not any actions that anyone could influence - so if things do go wrong tomorrow be kind to each other!


I will post the State Controller Fire/HazMat Intent separately shortly. Otherwise - stay safe, look after each other, and good luck.


Cmdr. Brett Loughlin
R1 Night Shift RDC

Good luck.Stay safe .

Well so far so good. No wind, well apart from the Sauerkraut induced bit, Ambient 25c Very cloudy.

I agree long overdue and I think that govt's of all ilks and levels have taken advantage of volunteers for far too long, it could even be argued profiteered from volunteers in the case of town councils with beaches patrolled by volunteer lifesavers.

Not as bad as the USA though where people volunteered for the National Guard to defend the homeland i.e. American soil and ended up fighting in Iraq & Afganistan!

"In 1986, Congress passed the Montgomery Amendment, which prohibited state governors from withholding their consent to overseas deployments. The Supreme Court upheld this law in 1990, ruling against Minnesota's governor in Perpich v. Department of Defense.^[4]In 2006, Congress passed the 2007 National Defense Authorization Act, which gave the president the authority to mobilize National Guard units within the U.S. without the consent of state governors.^[5][6]"

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_National_Guard

Another volunteers life tragically cut short, 2 more in the truck injured and fighting for life. Makes 3 firefighters killed in the line of duty this bushfire season.
R.I.P we will take the battle from here. Thank you for your service.

Originally Posted by Eevo

Another volunteers life tragically cut short, 2 more in the truck injured and fighting for life. Makes 3 firefighters killed in the line of duty this bushfire season.
R.I.P we will take the battle from here. Thank you for your service.

Stay safe out there. To you personally Eevo and to all your comrades out fighting the fires.