Captain’s message
A reminder to all residents, when burning off it is the responsibility of the homeowner to ensure the fire is properly supervised and does not escape – as was highlighted by the Old Boxsells Road fire at Beaumont (refer to Callout Incident below).
Another reminder to our community: the resources available on the RFS website to plan and prepare your homes for fire seasons https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au. There is also the handy Fires Near Me app to keep yourself abreast of active fires in your area.
Plus, I would like to extend a public thank you to the Friendly Inn Hotel and their team for providing a night out for the KV volunteer members and partners to enjoy a wonderful Xmas feast and drinks with entertainment by a surprisingly good magician.
If you have ever considered joining the RFS, now is the time to register your interest and complete the application online at https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/volunteer/join-the-nsw-rfs. I am always happy to have a chat to new interested members, so call by the station on a Wednesday evening around 6pm or call me on 0412 865 638.
Dusty Smart
Community engagement
The Brigade was involved in an event with the KV Youth Group at the Pioneer Museum that included discussions on safe fire practices and contacting emergency services.
Now that COVID-19 restrictions have eased, this year we were able to provide a Christmas Eve BBQ at the Friendly Inn, with your sausage purchases donating funds to the Brigade. Thank you for your support. There was also a surprise visit from Santa, much to the delight of the kids who were there on the night.
Incident callouts
- 28 Dec – Bushfire Old Boxsells Road, Beaumont. This was a result of an escaped pile burn. Arduous crews were required as the location was difficult to access. Two helicopters provided water bombing while a Remote Area Team, along with two Valley RAFT members, accessed the fire and used blowers and hand tools to contain the edge to prevent further spread. Arduous crews from the Shoalhaven and Illawarra returned the next day to complete the mop up and ensured the fire was controlled.
- 21 Dec – Vehicle Fire on Cambewarra Mountain. KV crews arrived to find the 4WD fully involved in fire and completed a quick attack to successfully prevent the fire spreading to the caravan being towed. Crew members then used breathing apparatus to access the car to completely extinguish the fire. They were aided by the arrival of local water carrier Mark Bourke, who made his full truckload of water available to ensure a large volume of water could be used for the quick attack.
- 1 Dec – Bendeela Road, Kangaroo Valley. Smoke Sighting – No action required.
- 21 Nov – Tree Down – Barrengarry Mountain.
- 21 Nov – Tree Down on Power Lines – Priddles Lane, Wattamolla.
Training
Our Volunteer Members have recently completed; and/or assessed and delivered the following:
- a) Advanced Firefighter
- b) Compressed Air Breathing Apparatus
- c) Helicopter Insert Refresher
- d) Fire Investigation and Preservation of Scene.
Brigade activities
Members have been busy with the Installation of storage cupboards at the Station.
We provided members to assist in the Inspection of the Yarramunmun Fire Trail to ensure access was clear.
There was a successful joint training exercise at Fitzroy Falls with the Wingecarribee Brigades in Draughting, Property Protection, Emergency Drill and Pumps and Pumping.
The Brigade Christmas Party, that included a scrumptious feed ,was enjoyed by members, with awards presented to members and a visit from Santa.
Fire Permits are required and the Bush Fire Danger Period
The Bush Fire Danger Period starts in the Shoalhaven on 1 September each year and continues through until the 31 March the following year.
Applying for a Fire Permit in Rural Fire District
- Contact your local Rural Fire Service Permit Officer. Please leave a message if no answer for a return call:
- Neil Breeze 0439 065 128
- Jamie Salkeld 0412 424 069
- Dave Alexander 0400 022 405
- Dusty Smart 0412 865 638
- Gary Matthews 0418 425 338.
Group Email address: kangaroovalleyrfb@gmail.com.
- Arrange a time for the Permit Issuing Officer to attend your property to issue a Permit.
- Once the Permit has been issued, you must notify the NSW RFS and adjoining neighbours at least 24 hours prior to the fire being lit.
The key things to remember
There is no cost in obtaining a Fire Permit, but you need to plan ahead as it may not be possible for a Permit Issuing Officer to inspect and/or issue your Fire Permit immediately.
There are heavy penalties if you don’t follow restrictions or rules.
At least one RESPONSIBLE person must be on site at the property location to monitor the fire until extinguished.
Contributions from Dave Alexander and Neil Breeze
Compiled and edited by Tracey Basman