Fire season awareness raised

FORESTRY Tasmania has joined with the Tasmania Fire Service and the Parks and Wildlife Service to help raise community awareness of the coming fire season.

The three agencies featured prominently on ABC Radio’s Fire Awareness Day on Wednesday.

The day began with a display on the lawn of the ABC Centre in Hobart when FT staff were interviewed by Andy Muirhead for his breakfast program.

 Photo below: ABC journalist Roisin McCann talks to Peter Williams and Kerry Wakefield, watched by producer Michael Merrington

At the Scottsdale EcoCentre ABC Radio conducted an outside broadcast from Forestry Tasmania’s fire incident management room where several people from different FT operational areas were interviewed during the course of the two-hour presentation.

Louise Saunders concluded the day with a broadcast of her Drive program from the Forest and Heritage Centre at Geeveston.

Forestry Tasmania Fire Management manager Tony Blanks said FT had a close working relationship with both the Tasmania Fire Service and the Parks and Wildlife Service.

“That relationship is supported by an inter-agency protocol and inter-agency briefings, ensuring we all take a consistent and systematic approach to suppressing wild fires,” he said.

“We work cooperatively on hazard reduction, training and communication”.

Mr Blanks said FT was responsible for fire management across 1.5 million hectares of state forest and currently had 300 firefighters who underwent regular training and fitness assessments.

“Early detection is a major factor in bringing wild fires under control,” he said.

“FT fire crews are generally on alert from late spring through to early autumn. In high fire danger periods they regularly conduct aerial and ground patrols and are assisted by staff in strategically located fire towers.”

In February this year, Forestry Tasmania also provided 37 staff and 12 vehicles as part of a multi-agency Tasmanian contingent which helped to fight the Victorian bushfires.

Mr Blanks thanked the ABC for its extensive and thorough coverage which he said would significantly increase community awareness in the lead up to the fire season.