Bushfire Preparedness in focus at the 2023 Bushfire Community Day

On Sunday 15 October, the DFES Bushfire Centre of Excellence (BCoE) held its third annual Bushfire Community Day that saw an impressive turnout of over 800 community members. This marked a noticeable increase in attendance of 60 per cent compared to previous years.

The day’s focus was on bushfire preparedness and raising awareness in the community of getting themselves and their properties ready before the start of the Western Australian southern bushfire season.

Watch the Bushfire Community Day 2023 video.

There were a variety of activities and presentations from the Baldivis Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services (VFES), Youth in Emergency Services Cadets, St John Youth, DFES Community Preparedness and Wellness teams and The Forever Project.

The Baldivis VFES demonstrated what firefighters are trained to do during a burnover and showcased the in-built features on a fire truck which is designed to protect them.

The Youth in Emergency Services Cadets had a strong involvement in the day, demonstrating fire and rescue skills and special effects make up which replicates injuries during an incident.  They also provided information on joining the cadet program and assisted with the set up and pack down of the event.

The Community Day was held in conjunction with the Shire of Murray showcasing their new Food Innovation Precinct Western Australia (FIPWA), with aspects of the Hub on display. Attendees were treated to a beer garden and brewery tours from Spinifex Brewing Co.

DFES Acting Executive Director Rural Fire Division Naomi Mynott said it was a great initiative to hold the event in collaboration with FIPWA.

“There was a lot of interest across both events with fantastic stalls and information. It was pleasing to see the community very engaged.”

“The purpose of this event was to showcase the many different partner agencies involved in emergency services and preparing the community for the southern bushfire season” Acting Executive Director Mynott shared.

The Bushfire Preparedness trail was extremely popular and created a one-stop shop providing the community with useful information on how to prepare for a bushfire and create a My Bushfire Plan.

Key information booths included Animals in Emergencies, Australian Red Cross, Triple 000, as well as DFES Health and Safety and Wellbeing, and Strategy teams who attended the day to showcase some of their work.

Chris Ferreira from The Forever Project attended for a third year and ran engaging sessions on how to create a firewise garden.

The BCoE Cultural Fire Program team spoke about the importance of Caring for Country and cultural burning.

Children attending the Community Day were entertained with plenty of activities including a bushfire virtual reality experience, RAC Rescue Helicopter simulator and a firefighter obstacle course to name a few. Children had the opportunity to complete a kids’ passport, encouraging them and their families to explore various stations at the event, gather information and earn stamps to receive a prize.

DFES Chief Superintendent BCoE John Tillman AFSM thanked staff, volunteers, cadets, external agencies and suppliers for their contributions.

“This day is for community to attend the Bushfire Centre of Excellence to learn how bushfire is managed in WA and most importantly, how they can prepare themselves and their properties for bushfire,” Chief Superintendent Tillman said.

The Bushfire Community Day was a great success with positive community feedback received. Thank you to everyone who contributed to and attended the event, we look forward to seeing you next year!

For more information about bushfire preparedness, email bushfirecoe@dfes.wa.gov.au or visit dfes.wa.gov.au/bushfirecoe