\n\n\n\nPosted by CFA Media\nFriday, 11 May 2012\n\n\n\n\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n
CFA brigade sirens and fixed public sirens could be made\n available to alert communities about all emergency incidents including \nbushfires, storms and floods under a policy launched by the Victorian \nGovernment.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency \nServices, Peter Ryan announced the policy along-side Fire Services \nCommissioner Craig Lapsley, CFA CEO Mick Bourke, Deputy Chief Officer \nSteve Warrington and Captain David Mustey at Maiden Gully Fire Station.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The policy,Use of Sirens for Brigade and Community Alerting<\/em>, has been developed by Victoria’s Fire Services Commissioner with CFA and the Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Ryan said it significantly built on recommendation 4.7 of the Bushfires Royal Commission Interim Report which stated: ??The\n Office of the Emergency Services Commissioner and the CFA develop \nguidelines for the use of sirens in communities that decide to use a \nsiren as part of their response to bushfires.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Victorian Coalition Government has gone a step \nfurther than the Bushfires Royal Commission recommendation by adopting \nan all-hazards and all-emergencies approacharound the use of sirens, Mr \nRyan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This policy, which will be in place prior to the next \nbushfire season, will add value to Victorias existing network of 600 \ncommunity and CFA sirens which are currently under-utilised. It provides\n an additional tool for emergency services to practically and \neffectively warn people about impending danger.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Under the Policy, if a siren is activated, the sound will indicate one of two scenarios:<\/p>\n\n\n\n The policy gives clear guidelines for the use of CFA \nsirens for the purpose of alerting the community. Previously, sirens \nwere intended only to call volunteer firefighters to attend an emergency\n call out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In areas where CFA sirens exist but are no longer used \nor have been decommissioned, and there was demonstrated support for a \nsiren in a community, residents could work with their local CFA brigade \nto use them as a warning tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Brigades in nominated locations will be consulted about \ntheir implementation and brigade sirens will continue to be managed and \noperated by CFA.<\/p>\n\n\n\n CFA CEO Mick Bourke said the policy would give CFA brigades and members certainty around their use as a community warning tool.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Bushfires Royal Commission made it clear alerting \nand informing the community during an emergency was just as important as\n responding to it. The gives CFA brigades, with the support of their \ncommunity, another tool to help protect their community, Mr Bourke said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mr Ryan said sirens would not be suitable for all \ncommunities and that they were not a standalone warning system but part \nof a suite of tools the emergency services could use to communicate with\n the public.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A siren is a signal for individuals to seek more \ninformation about an emergency incident but it will not tell you what \ntype of emergency has occurred or transmit specific details about an \nincident, Mr Ryan said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Emergency services use a range of channels to provide \nwarnings and alerts to communities, including Victorias emergency \nbroadcasters, the CFA and SES websites, as well the Victorian Bushfire \nInformation Line on 1800 240 667<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information please visitw<\/a>ww.firecommissioner.vic.gov.au<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Sirens policy launched Posted by CFA Media Friday, 11 May 2012 CFA brigade sirens and fixed public sirens could be made available to alert communities about all emergency incidents including bushfires, storms and floods under a policy launched by the Victorian Government. Deputy Premier and Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Peter Ryan announced the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template_fullwidth.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-156","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"yoast_head":"\n