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Hi my name is Helen and I'm going to talk to you about how a fire refuge operates. A
community fire refuge is a actually built or modified building that is designed to withstand
bushfire. It is a last resort option for people living close by in the event that bushfire
is threatening their community.
This summer in Victoria there will be three community fire refuges. One at East Warburton,
Ferny Creek and Blackwood.
Having a fire refuge in your area is not a replacement for having your own bushfire survival
plan thought. The safest option is to be well out of the area on all extreme, severe
or code red days. Leaving late on a day of high fire danger is the worst survival option
you can take.
We hope you never have to use a fire refuge but if you do this short video will explain
what a refuge is, how to operates and what you need to do.
First you need to know about parking you cannot park close to a refuge to ensure there is
nothing that can catch fire close by. A fire refuge won't always be open, it is not a drop-in
centre to come to on all hot days. It will only be on standby for severe, extreme and
code red days. It will be the incident controller of a bushfire that will decide if it opens
or not. You'd only come to a fire refuge as a last
resort if all your other plans have failed. Travelling during fire to get to a fire refuge
is going to be very dangerous. Oh and by the way animals are not allowed.
The entry system is fully automated but it will be the incident controller that will
decide when it opens. There's no guarantee that any emergency services
will be here, police, CFA, SES, each fire refuge is designed to be operated entirely
by the community on their own. If you are the first person to arrive you
simply need to press the entry button and hold it for one second. If there has been
an emergency warning issued for the area or if the incident controller sees the need,
the fire refuge will open. Or you may be transferred to a Control Centre and need to ask for entry.
If there is no fire threatening the area the fire refuge won't be opened.
If it is a school day the building can still be used as a fire refuge but the staff and
children will have priority. Once inside go to the cupboard with the red
flashing light and open it. Inside the cupboard are priority tasks that
you can do. These are turning on the generator, turning on the air chiller, turning on the
lights, the ABC radio and making sure the windows and doors are closed. There are keys
here that you can use to go and get the safety equipment but only if it is safe to do so
you can go and bring that inside. In those bins is some protective clothing and a first
aid kit. There is also a map showing you where everything is located in the refuge. And a
telephone for emergency use. One thing to be aware of is that there will be no food
all services such as medical staff at the fire refuge.
There are some secondary tasks that you can do but you don't have to do any of these.
There is a registration book to put out so people can sign in and out.
And if you are confident and feel comfortable you can go outside to use the firehose reels
to went down the building or put out spot fires. But if you're doing this you must be
wearing protective clothing. If the fire threat has passed and there are still no emergency
services people here there is a list of tasks you can do to close up the refuge.
So how does a fire refuge fit into your plans? Well it doesn't! You should never have going
to a fire refuge as your first option, it's only your last option if everything else has
failed. Remember getting to a fire refuge is going to be very dangerous it will be smoky
and hard to see, the roads maybe blocked, there may be spot fires.
Coming to a fire refuge will not guarantee your survival but it is here as a last resort
option if other things fail. The best plan is to leave early on days of bushfire risk.
Leave early and stay safe this summer. Thanks very much for watching.