A Nation Charred: Report on the inquiry into bushfires

EXH.160.0198
MANAGEMENT AND COORDINATION OF FIRE SUPPRESSION 165
work with its brigades to complete the integration of AIIMS-Incident
Control System with the group structure. It also recommends that
the DSE reviews procedures to ensure that all Incident
Controllers and Incident Management Teams have full access
to those Departmental, Parks Victoria or appropriately
experienced and qualified community members who can
provide local knowledge and expertise in the development of
fire suppression strategies and that advice from the fire
ground is incorporated into decision making.
5.65 The Committee heard evidence relating to the incident control
systems in New South Wales where, for example, a comprehensive
submission from the Wilberforce Rural Fire Brigade called for a
‘revision of the Incident Control System (ICS) to review operations,
thus allowing for more flexibility and simplification of procedures in
strategy planning, etc’. 61 The submission from the Brigade suggested
that Incident Management Teams operating from local fire control
centres during major bushfires need to listen to the advice of local
bush fire officers prior to implementing strategic and tactical
decisions on the fire ground. It was stated that this had not occurred
effectively during the recent bushfires in New South Wales or the
Australian Capital Territory. The submission went onto suggest that:
a supplementary approach could be employed that
authorised a suitably qualified and experienced RFS officer
(such as a Group Captain or section leader) working on the
fire ground, being able to make immediate critical tactical
decisions whilst the situations present themselves, rather than
via long turn-around times through Fire Control, resulting in
loosing any window of opportunity. 62
5.66 Comments were received from other New South Wales fire fighters.
One experienced volunteer submitted that:
Most if not all fire ground Division and Sector leaders across
the State will confirm that this present management control
system has major flaws. This is best highlighted in a large fire,
rapidly moving and fluid situation on the fire ground, a
situation where we least need things to go wrong. The
problems range from poor choice of control lines, delays, lack
of appreciation of the situation by the IMT, communication
bottlenecks, lost requests, misunderstandings of priorities,
61 Wilberforce Rural Fire Brigade, Submission no. 204, p. 1.
62 Wilberforce Rural Fire Brigade, Submission no. 204, p. 1.