The past month, mid May to mid June has kept volunteers active through participation in call out activities, combined group exercises, ongoing training and maintenance of equipment.
Activities:
Our group participated, along with several other local brigades, in a two-day hazard reduction burn near Tiaro to begin preparing for the Tiaro bypass. A combination of difficult terrain, heavy grass and gusty wind gave some challenges however despite this the planned burn was mostly completed. Also in attendance were two members of BNTAC who assisted prior to the burn by conducting a walkthrough to identify culturally significant items.
Training:
In addition to our brigade training days, once a month we have joint training with other brigades in the area. Burrum Heads, Nickenbah and East Booral brigades. Training covered assessing fuel load as part of overall bushfire risk assessment. This includes assessing the type of fuel in an area (leaf litter, grass, scrub, trees -size, type of bark) and amount and condition (light and widespread or heavy and densely packed, moisture content). These and many other factors are weighed up using a standard process to estimate bushfire risk. Training exercises cover the use of various PPE and basic skills in a fire ground situation including the added challenge of night conditions. For more information on volunteering with Toogoom Rural Fire Service contact,
1st Officer Tim McMahon on 0407 644 735
