General News
9 February, 2023
Bushfire scenario training to prepare residents
Increasing awareness and preparedness this fire season, CFA has plotted out a role-playing event for community members to test their fire response. Organised by CFA West Region, the free Hypothetical Bushfire Scenario is set to take place in...
Increasing awareness and preparedness this fire season, CFA has plotted out a role-playing event for community members to test their fire response.
Organised by CFA West Region, the free Hypothetical Bushfire Scenario is set to take place in Amphitheatre, next week on February 17 from 7 to 9 pm at the town’s fire station located on 73 Bailey Street.
Held for the past five years, the facilitated roleplay gives people the opportunity to put themselves in a made-up situation which they overcome by working together and mapping out a plan.
“We tend to break people into three groups and each one has a different role to play. We set the scene for these people, telling them who they are and what they’re doing when a fire breaks out — after that we ask them questions about what their next steps in that situation are,” CFA West Region community safety engagement officer Melissa Burke said.
“In the scenario we ask them to think about what they would do at certain stages and what their plans are — this gets people thinking.”
Ms Burke said that attending the event is not only useful to gauge how prepared people are but also to learn new information about fire safety.
“We have found that there’s so many benefits to this because through these discussions people realise that they haven’t been planning for a fire or their plans are not up to scratch and some may even realise there are gaps in their knowledge,” she said.
“We can then refer them to other programs, including our flagship Community Fireguard program, so that they can become self-empowered and make informed decisions.
“The more knowledge we have, the more informed decisions we can make, regardless of the situation. So that when an emergency or something happens, we know how to act, rather than react.”
Not an opportunity to be missed, Ms Burke is encouraging all residents to make time for the event as they could gain and share vital information in a safe environment.
“Victoria is one of the highest fire risk areas in the world and for anyone that lives and works in a fire risk area, knowing how to be safe in a fire is part of our lifestyle,” she said.
“I just really hope that people take the advantage now, and understand that it’s not just for the fire season, this is going to help and apply for as long as they live in a high risk area.
“We just encourage all community members to come and share all their experiences in a very relaxed, friendly situation.”