November 2009 Vol. 1, Issue 10 (PDF - 16.2Mb) - Department of ...

A
s the weather heats up so do
preparations for the upcoming fire
season. On 15 October, Victorian
Premier John Brumby announced
that schools and children’s services at high risk
will close on Code Red fire danger days. He
said ahead of high-risk days, the Department
would issue warnings to staff, parents and
children through its website and through
individual schools and children’s services.
“The task for us is to work together to make
our state as fire-safe and
as fire-ready as possible so that lives can be
protected,” Mr Brumby said. “Our government
has adopted the new nationally agreed Fire
Danger Rating scale to help individuals and
communities to understand the fire risk in
their area on any given day. Clear warnings and
clear directions are the best possible protection
for Victorian’s from a fire threat.”
The announcement was made during Fire
Action Week, held statewide from 11 to 18
October, when all Victorians were encouraged
to identify their fire risk, prepare their fire
plans, clear vegetation from their properties
and local communities, and get involved in fire
safety and community fireguard meetings in
their local area.
Minister for Education Bronwyn Pike said
there are more than one million children,
teachers and staff in schools and children’s
services throughout Victoria and the
Department is taking strong action to do
everything it can to protect their safety in the
event of a fire.
“Schools and early childhood services
have undertaken a DEECD Bushfire and
Emergency Management Self-Assessment to
help them to understand their bushfire risk,
review and reflect on their current emergency
Bushfire safety
Shine 45
Preparations hot up for fire season
management procedures and document the
current level of preparedness for emergencies,”
Ms Pike said. “The Country Fire Authority
has also been conducting training sessions
for school principals and childhood services
directors in areas of identified bushfire risk
to assist them in revising their emergency
management plans.”
Information from the self-assessment and
following selected site
visits was used to develop a list of schools –
including non-government – and children’s
services facilities that are potentially at risk
from bushfires. These facilities will be
pre-emptively closed on high-risk days.
“It is really important that families are
fire-ready this season,” Ms Pike said. “This
includes ensuring you have alternative care
arrangements for your child in case of a
facility closure. I urge all schools and children’s
services to discuss fire safety with staff,
students and families.
“Whilst we will continue to work with schools
and children’s services to get the fire safety
message out to everyone, we are also mindful
that the recovery process from the events
of Black Saturday is far from over and this
remains a top priority.”
Office for Children and Portfolio
Coordination Deputy Secretary Tony Cook
said schools and early childhood services
would be given as much notice as possible on
high-risk days, but he urged all Victorian’s
to prepare and keep themselves informed.
“Where possible, we will provide up to three
For more information on what the Department is doing,
visit www.education.vic.gov.au/bushfires For information
on how families can prepare, visit www.cfa.vic.gov.au
days’ notice of a planned closure, including
warnings about cancelling, changing,
rescheduling or recalling off-site activities,
such as camps and excursions, as well as
information about cancellation or changes to
bus transport routes,” Mr Cook said.
“There is nothing more important than the
safety of our staff and students this fire season.
We are doing everything we can to ensure
schools are prepared. It is of the upmost
importance that families review their fire plans
and prepare for the coming season.”
Victorian Premier John Brumby, Minister
for Education Bronwyn Pike and special
guest Captain Koala join Bunyip Primary
School students in fire preparation
activities, including a school fire drill,
as part of the first-ever dedicated
Fire Action Week.
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