engaging communities - 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

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2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission—Interim Report 2 ENGAGING COMMUNITIES Communication and warnings Figure 2.1: Communication and warnings Number of Communities 0 2 4 6 8 10 12 14 Issues with Triple Zero ABC CFA scanners/ website Press + Radio + TV as well as ABC Mobile problems/ satellite phones Sirens Timelag Warnings linked to Fire Danger Index Ways in which people obtained information/issues with warnings Source: Community consultations, March–April 2009 2.36 All but one community (Horsham) reported severe communication difficulties and frustration about the failure of essential systems. People spoke of clogged mobile systems and of uneven coverage, the long delays or lack of success in getting through to Triple Zero, and of internet and landline phone outages. In some communities, such as Flowerdale, participants said that unreliable and inadequate power supply and phone coverage (mobile and landline) had been a longstanding grievance. Lay witnesses Mrs Carol Matthews of St Andrews and Ms Karen Ward of Mudgegonga described similar experiences: It was just ringing, ringing, ringing. Just couldn’t get through. 3 The phone lines in Mudgegonga are old copper … when we had dial up it could take a week to download anything, so we went to satellite which was practically no better, and on a hot day like that, and with so many people accessing it, we would never have been able to get onto the computer and have a look at the CFA websites. 4 2.37 There were varied views on the effectiveness of 774 ABC Radio. Some community members spoke of the ABC’s exceptional service while others, particularly in Strathewen, St Andrews, Dixons Creek and Chum Creek, were aggrieved that information about their area was not aired until well after the firefront had passed. At several consultations, the naming of the fires by 774 ABC Radio was reported as exacerbating misinformation and confusion. Examples included the St Andrews fires being referred to as Kilmore East; Steels Creek referred to as Murrindindi; and Boolarra referred to as Delburn (Murrindindi and Delburn being districts, not specific locations). However, it is important to note that fires are not named by the ABC and they only report the information as provided by the fire authorities. 90
Engaging Communities 2.38 Common to most assessments were expressions of frustration that the ABC did not provide ‘real-time’ information about the location or direction of the fires, with the time lag for some communities being up to three hours. Nonetheless, these criticisms were often accompanied by statements about the ABC information being only as reliable and current as that which was provided to it. Mr Denis Spooner of Strathewen, Mr David O’Halloran of Flowerdale and Mr Peter Brown of St Andrews spoke of the time lag problems as follows: No mention was made of Strathewen, St Andrews, until an hour after the places had been burnt out. 5 Flowerdale apparently got one warning, which I didn’t hear, but they got one warning and one warning only, and by the time there was a second warning, I’m told, which was around 9 o’clock, it was all over. 6 On reflection, I regret relying on the ABC to the extent that I did. It gave me the impression that we had more time before the fire front arrived than we had in reality. 7 2.39 Most people with access to Country Fire Authority (CFA) scanners found them to be an invaluable mechanism for staying informed. Conversely, the CFA website was criticised. Those who retained internet access reported significant inaccuracies and time lags in the website information. Mr David Brown of Strathewen confirmed this: People who had access to the CFA scanner knew pretty much by sort of 3:30[pm] that Strathewen and St Andrews were in the firing line, as opposed to sort of a lot of us who were relying on [ABC Radio] 774. 8 2.40 Most communities reported that the only warnings of any force were those delivered by the government and the media in the week prior to 7 February, though many conceded that these warnings did not awaken them to the extent of the risk. Many communities suggested that the Fire Danger Index used by the CFA, and other authorities, ought to be adopted and communicated to the public as a standard measure for all communities. Mr Illiya Ananiev of St Andrews supported this: All we are looking for is a category 1, 2, 3 or 5, and maybe a colour, red, yellow, green, to mix in with it. 9 2.41 A final issue pertains to warning sirens. A recurring suggestion was that the sirens used by the CFA in some communities to gather its members ought to be upgraded with stronger and varying warning tones for the benefit of the whole community. Some people suggested that such a system could be similar to the hurricane/cyclone warning systems used in Australia’s north. The evidence of Dr Lachlan Fraser of Marysville illustrates similar concerns raised about warning tones: It [the siren] certainly wasn’t the wail that we are accustomed to when there’s a fire at other times of the year, so to me that didn’t indicate that there was a fire in our local area that the siren was sounding about. 10 91
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engaging communities - 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission

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