DOC prepares for upcoming fire season
Date: 05 November 2008
On a recent cold and wet Friday, the Department of Conservation's Palmerston North Area team took time out from their busy schedules to take part in fire-fighting training in preparation for the coming fire season.
According to Lindsay Golding, Wanganui Conservancy's Technical Support Officer Fire, it was "a great opportunity to introduce the staff to Coordinated Incident Management in a realistic situation". The training involved several crews controlling simulated hotspots on the hills alongside the Pohangina River. Staff had the opportunity to practice working with a variety of fire fighting methods and equipment, such as wajax and aqualite pumps, monsoon buckets and assorted hand-tools. As in a real fire, an Incident Control Unit was set up at Pohangina DOC Base to manage the logistics.
Helicopter health and safety training
Stephen Robson, Pohangina Field Centre Supervisor was acting Incident Controller for the day. He said the training aimed to give a realistic experience of what happens at typical fires in the area. "The scenario used methods that were used at the Pipiriki, Aotuhia and Waitotara fires in February this year" he explained. "We also used the training to give a helicopter safety brief and allowed staff who hadn't worked with helicopters the opportunity to embark and disembark on the hover, which is common practice at fires on rough terrain".
Mr Robson believes the training was a success. "I feel it all went well and was very worthwhile, giving fire training a much more real feel than the usual training done without a helicopter".
Last fire season was a particularly busy one in the Wanganui Conservancy with DOC staff fighting several major fires in the region. "Fires consume huge amounts of money and resources," said Mr Golding. "While DOC staff are fighting wildfires, all other work is put on hold. Wildfires also cause massive damage to property and natural areas. They threaten lives and are a serious risk to public conservation land and the native species that live on it."
The Department is the largest rural fire fighting authority in the country, with over 1000 trained staff, and works in closely with other rural authorities and volunteers. Given that DOC is responsible to manage all fires in or near public conservation land, and that this equates to over 1/3 of New Zealand's land area, it is not surprising that all operational DOC staff are required to undertake fire duties as part of the job. These duties range from frontline fire fighting to incident control and communications. "One of the most important tasks can be organising the logistics of feeding and accommodating large numbers of fire fighters," Mr Golding explains. "On-going training is important to ensure that whatever the task assigned to people they are competent and safe in how they carry it out."
Although DOC staff are trained to fight fires, the best protection is prevention. It is up to everyone to be careful with fires, cigarettes, and matches. Fire restrictions and other fire regulations are there to protect us all. All fires within 1km of most public conservation land requires a fire permit, which is obtainable from the nearest DOC office.