TUROSS HEAD RURAL FIRE BRIGADE NEWS - October 2016
It’s gently raining as this correspondent pecks away here and we’re on the verge of lighting the fire for one last time before cleaning the glass and tucking it up for the summer. It was a very different scene this time three weeks ago when the Tuross Brigade, along with crews from Bingie and Moruya, were flat out fighting our first fire for the year, immediately to the north of Tuross in the national park. It was a timely reminder that the fire season is once more upon us. Frustrating, too, knowing that apparently it was deliberately lit.
So, are you ready for the fire season? Because like it or not, it’s heading our way!
The weekend of 10th and 11th September was Get Ready Weekend for many communities across the State but here in Tuross, we’re holding our day at the Tuross Spring Fair on Monday 3rd October. The fire trucks will be there with activities and materials on hand for children, but the real purpose of the day is to engage members of our community in conversations about getting ready for the fire season.
These are conversations every household in Tuross should be having about preparations for summer in particular, but also doing some forward thinking in case of a single house fire. And before you say it will never happen to you or your house (and I hope you’re right!), remember that in the past five years there have been more than six serious structure fires in the area served by the Tuross Brigade. Some simple steps we can all take TODAY:
· Have working smoke alarms in all areas of your home
· Make sure you have an evacuation plan with which everyone in the house is familiar, so that everyone knows how to get out of the house in an emergency, and where to assemble.
· Have a fire blanket and fire extinguisher on hand in the kitchen which is where most house fires start.
· Make sure everyone in the household is aware of basic safety around electrical appliances (toasters, heaters, dryers….)
As for the bushfire season, it’s time to review the fire plan I’m sure you made last year. That means sitting with all members of the family and looking through the written plan to update details and remind everyone what is in there, getting the spiders out of the emergency pack, making sure your emergency radio has fresh batteries and then going outside to do the usual checks:
· Clean your gutters of leaves and twigs
· Repair damaged or missing tiles on the roof
· Enclose the areas under the house
· Keep lawns short and gardens well maintained
· Cut back trees and shrubs overhanging buildings
· Clean up fallen leaves, twigs and debris around the property
· Have hoses long enough to reach around your house
· Check and maintain adequate levels of home and contents insurance. Ensure it is up to date.
And if you want a hyper-link to follow to see all this and more, try:
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