Be prepared! Fire Trailer field day
Be prepared! Fire Trailer field day
Gwymac teamed up with the RFS to provide insight on farm fire trailer setup and maintenance to assist landholders in the event of a bushfire
Community Participation -
PLP-New_England-09
The issue
With the devastating bushfires that the Australian landscape so frequently goes through, what can we do as Landcarers to help the community reduce the risk to their properties and the wider landscape? One solution is to encourage landholders to build a farm fire-fighting unit and to educate on how to maintain them. Many landholders have material on their properties that would be suitable to convert into personal fire-fighting units at low cost making efficient use of resources and reducing the impacts of potential disasters to their properties, others, and the wider landscape.
The solution
Local landholders came together with RFS volunteers to showcase fire trailers they had built themselves from materials they already had. This showed participants how a solution to a problem can be solved with things they may already have. It was important to also discuss the maintenance requirements to ensure their fire trailer is ready at short notice. Participants were guided through a maintenance schedule, in particular, a focus was put on the early spring period.
Participants were also talked through bush fire plans and fire behavior as well as tips on preparing homes and sheds to minimise the effects of fire.
The impact
Attendees learned that materials they may have lying around on their properties can be turned into an efficient firefighting machine. Participants had disused shuttles, trailer bodies, hoses and reels, and access to pumps that they could easily turn into a fire trailer which would help minimise the effects of a bushfire if they experienced one on their place or their neighbors. This would also help landholders when conducting controlled burns as an added benefit, again minimising the effect of fire on the landscape.
Participants learned about the importance of keeping their homes and surrounding infrastructure free of debris and conducting regular maintenance keeping gutters clean and excess vegetation to a minimum.
Key facts
- Make use of existing materials for an added benefit
- Minimise a problem before it gets out of control
- Understand the risks
- Preparedness is key
- Prepare you home, sheds and surrounds
- Access to water
- Stay informed
- Have an evacuation plan