Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines - Guide to Rural ...

Section 2 Background2. Fire management planningprocessFire management planningEffective fi re management is a continual process thatinvolves:• planning for fi re safety;• implementing these plans;• checking that what was planned has been done and iseffective; and• reviewing and changing these plans when necessary.This type of continual process (see Figure 8 and Propertyfi re management plans, page31) occurs both at a propertyscale and at a larger public scale.Both scales are important tosecure fi re safety across the rurallandscape.PlanDoGovernment authoritiesundertake fi re managementplanning as part of theirresponsibility for public safetyReviewCheckFigure 8: The continuousimprovement cycleand to support communities and industries. This includesdeveloping and implementing plans and documents such asmunicipal and regional fi re prevention plans and the Code ofPractice for Fire Management on Public Land (DSE 2006).At a property level, fi re management may range fromdeveloping and undertaking simple unwritten plans tomore complex documented plans, depending on the riskspresent.Rural landowners and managers are encouraged to have awritten plan so that it is easier for them to consider fi re riskissues on their property and to communicate these issues toothers.Risk managementThe concept of risk management underpins all decisionsin fi re management. It involves identifying fi re risks andbalancing the likelihood of a fi re against the consequencesshould one occur. For example, while an event like a fi remay be unlikely to happen, its consequences can be majoror even catastrophic. Consequently, plans are needed tominimise risk.When planning fi re management, it is important to thinkabout economic, environmental and social risks (risks topeople). The impact of both fi re prevention activities and fi reitself can affect safety, the environment and the long-termsustainability of a property.10 On the Land: Agricultural Fire Management Guidelines