Bushfire Management in the ACT

The overall responsibility for the suppression of bush fires in the ACT lies with the ACT Emergency Services Agency (ESA) primarily, with the ACT Rural Fire Service (ACT RFS). As a land manager in both the ACT and NSW (Googong Foreshores) the ACT Parks and Conservation Service (PCS) has a legal responsibility which includes managing bushfire fuels on it’s land and limiting the spread of fire on and from its lands.

Accordingly, PCS has a dedicated fire management section and a large fire suppression capability in the form of the PCS workforce. Many PCS staff are required to undertake firefighting roles as part of their employment and are trained to national standards. All PCS firefighters must maintain their skills and competencies through ongoing training, hazard reduction activities, and annual assessments and  workshops. PCS staff crew 6 heavy tankers, 1 medium tanker and 7 light units in the ACT and 1 heavy tanker and 1 light unit at Googong Foreshores. PCS fire vehicles are easily identified by the prefix “Parks” clearly displayed on each vehicle. PCS also provides the ACT ESA with specialist firefighting staff including senior incident management personnel, incident controllers, remote area fire teams, aerial observers, GIS specialists, bushfire behaviour analysts and burnt area recovery specialists.

Crews are on standby and available for response throughout the bushfire season with the bushfire danger rating determining the number of staff and resources available for immediate response on any given day.

For information on the status of bush fires in the ACT refer to the ACT Emergency Services Agency.

Total Fire Ban

The ESA declares a Total Fire Ban when necessary to prevent the outbreak or spread of fire.  Further information is posted on the ESA website. For information on closures and access restrictions on PCS land visit the Total Fire Ban web page.

Fuel Management

ACT Parks and Conservation Service (PCS) implements an extensive ongoing bushfire fuel management program. Fuel management can reduce fire behaviour and severity, improve fire fighter safety, increase the probability of suppression and reduce the impacts of bushfires on natural and built assets. The three means for managing bushfire fuels are reduction, removal and conversion to a less flammable type, and are achieved by undertaking the activities listed under fuel management.

Bushfire Operations Plan(BOP)

PCS implements an extensive ongoing bushfire fuel management program throughout the year in accordance with the annual BOP. The BOP sets out the work and activities that Territory and Municipal Services Directorate (TAMS) aims to achieve each financial year to help manage bushfire risk. The BOP is a requirement of the Strategic Bushfire Management Plan.

Strategic Bushfire Management Plan

The Strategic Bushfire Management Plan (SBMP) establishes the basis and framework for the efficient, effective and comprehensive management of fire and fire-related activities for protecting human life, property, assets and the environment.

Regional Fire Management Plans

Regional Fire Management Plans have been developed and details the actions required to be implemented over ten years between 2009 and 2019, to meet the requirements of the SBMP. They can be viewed on the ESA website as part of the SBMP.

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