Photo by Michael Marston - Department of Emergency Services ...

Firefighters from Petrie, Deception Bay,
Arana Hills, Hendra, Caboolture, Bribie
Island and Roma Street responded to this
bush fire at Bald Hills in Brisbane’s north
recently. They were aided by Helitak
support and Brisbane City Council fire
suppression units. No lives or property
were lost. Photo courtesy of Mark Cross.
Effective community liaison is the key
Playing an active part in the
community is a vital part of
the provision of a successful
firefighting service.
Our role as educators is every bit as
important as our operational role.
Community liaison involves maintaining
the trust of the community so our safety
messages are heard and taken on board.
But an important part of making a
community safer is people taking
responsibility for their own environment,
whether it is rural, urban or iZone.
This is always challenging and our
assistance is important in reaching
successful outcomes.
Recently, a community experienced a
large number of deliberately lit grass
and bush fires, almost certainly caused
by local school students, given the
time and proximity of the fires to
local schools.
A combined operation with Queensland
Fire and Rescue Service, Queensland
Police Service and the local council
is targeting this potentially deadly
situation with a view to convicting,
or at least deterring, the offenders.
Apart from targeted surveillance of
the at-risk areas, there has been
considerable community consultation
with the local schools and involved
community groups.
Combined with the policing and
consultative work has been a locally
targeted media campaign to alert
the community to the threat and ask
for their vigilance and highlight the
importance of community involvement
in dealing with local issues.
Almost immediately, some likely
offenders were identified.
This well-executed initiative has
demonstrated the importance of
maintaining our liaison with our local
community in order to prevent fires,
reduce the danger to our people and
the community and potentially divert
small-time offenders from becoming
a bigger problem if left unchecked.
QFRS is an important part of the
Queensland and local community.
Queenslanders rely on us for local
assistance and advice.
The Safehome program is an example
of a valuable service both to the
householder as well as to us. One
better-prepared household is
potentially one less danger to us.
The Bushfire Prepared Communities
program is another initiative intended
to help communities take control of
their local situation to contribute to
their own safety.
Our role in community liaison will never
eliminate our operational workload but
it will reduce it and that means less lives
lost, less property damage and most
importantly, less danger to firefighters.
Lee A Johnson AFSM MIFireE
QFRS Commissioner
6 EMERGENCY October 2006 www.emergency.qld.gov.au