State a leader in fire fight
LIFE- SAVING emergency communications systems in Victoria are continually being developed in partnership with authorities in California, which is currently being ravaged by devastating bushfires.
Victoria’s Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley told Geelong emergency and health authorities yesterday that the state continued to be at the forefront of global emergency communications.
Mr Lapsley told the Geelong Advertiser huge developments in mobile and digital communications were the main reason no lives were lost in the 2015 Wye River bushfires.
“We did not lose a human life. Although we impacted on flora and fauna we didn’t see physical injury ... because we had a good warning system across multiple channels” Mr Lapsley said.
Mr Lapsley said 2017 emergency communication was “chalk and cheese” compared with methods employed dur- ing the 2009 Black Saturday bushfire that ultimately claimed 173 lives.
“In 2009 we didn’t have a standard system. We relied heavily on just radio, we didn’t have a website that was able to withstand the dynamics of how fast things we moving,” Mr Lapsley said.
Timely, tailored and relevant emergency information for communities, individuals and families is integral in enabling them to make effective decisions before, during and after emergencies, Mr Lapsley said. He said Black Saturday and Victoria’s 2010 and 2011 floods highlighted the key role effectively communicating advice can have in emergency management.
“It’s not just about floods and fires, it’s about health emergencies. It’s about the ability to get information to the community about their decision-making,” Mr Lapsley said.
The state’s emergency communication system, built jointly with Californian authorities, will mean any control centre, shire council, not-for-profit relief organisation or essential service provider will be able to understand and add to current situational awareness.
“What we have now is an emergency communications system that combines warnings for sharks, for ambulance, for fire, for floods, for thunderstorms and asthma,” Mr Lapsley.
“It is a warning system that can deal with any emergency in a consistent way.”