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This week is fire action week and it is of course a vitally important week for all Victorians.
It is the time now to prepare for the upcoming fire season. The key message out of this preparation
should be if you are in two minds then leave early don't wait it could be too late. It
is important therefore that you make your fire preparations have a plan have it practised
with the family everybody has to know what part they have to play in relation to the
implementation of that plan but in the ultimate if you are in two minds then leave early if
you wait it is too late.
Most people don't understand what leave early means, people think that when a fire starts
it's time then to leave we say strongly that leave before leave before the fire starts.
On the days when it is severe, extreme or code red, the place not to be is the place
where you are most at risk of fire so make a plan, leave, go somewhere where it's away
from the high risk areas, go to somewhere that suits you and your family. It's important
for you to plan that through, think through the places that you could go, you should go,
but more importantly take it seriously to leave early.
The months of December, January and February will be critical, the Bureau of Meteorology
has clearly indicated we'll have above average temperatures which will mean we'll have hot
weather across Victoria. We couple that with wind and we'll have fire days of significance,
so if you live in bushfire risk areas you need to be prepared, you need to have a plan.
One of the other things that is important this year is the amount of growth we've had
in grasslands, so grassland fires will be important and they can be very fast moving
The Fire Danger Rating System is important to understand, the Fire Danger Rating System
is the system that tells you the severe, extreme and code red days. It's up to you to understand
what that means, it's important to go to the CFA website and understand what it means for
severe, and what you should do, what it means for extreme and what you should do and what
it means on a code red day and what you should do. Very good information available, very
simple to understand but very important for your safety and not only your safety but you
and your family. Critical information is part of the Fire Danger Rating System.
The most important thing of all is that you are critical to the decision making. I can
only emphasise that so strongly to say it's your responsibility but we're here to help
you. We'll do all we can to make sure you've got the information but it is about you and
your family taking the decision about what fire safety is about in this state. I can
only emphasise that and continue to emphasise that as one of the most important things you
can do about your safety and your family's safety. Good decisions, good information,
makes all the difference about how you can be safe in Victoria.