Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade

The ComCen will page our members who are on duty.

For general Brigade enquiries please ring 9299 7217. Station hours: Saturday 9am-10:30am.

Web: darlingtonfire.org.au • Facebook: Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade • Instagram: dvbfb_ Next meeting: Tuesday, August 8, 2023, at the Darlington Fire Station.

Every year over 1,000 fires start in homes like yours, and it is an unfortunate reality that people can die in house fires. Heaters, charging devices and batteries, candles, lighters and matches are all too often the cause of fires in homes, and these fires can cause significant, costly damage and contribute to severe injury or death. Almost all of these fires are accidental and preventable, and you can improve your family’s safety by taking a few simple steps.

• Batteries and devices should never be left charging overnight

• Candles should NEVER be left unattended, or burning overnight

• Candles and heaters should be kept clear of any combustible materials such as paper/cardboard, curtains and clothing

• Keep lighters and matches away from children, preferably up high and locked away fires over the past decades have reinforced that land owners and residents must take a degree of shared responsibility to prepare their properties, by reducing the potential risk of bushfire and planning for bushfire emergencies. Additionally, all landholders are required to prepare for, prevent and manage bushfires on their land. So, please make time to plan, and carry out what can be done around your home and property BEFORE the coming fire season, to minimise the bushfire risk for you, your neighbours and the Darlington community. This includes creating and maintaining a 20m Building Protection Zone. Contact the Fire Station, your local Bushfire Ready Group coordinator or the Shire of Mundaring’s Fire Hazard Inspection Officers for more information.

• Never leave children unattended with lighters or matches.

If you have any concerns about the fuel load on your property leading up to the next fire season, the Darlington Brigade may be able to help. Property owners that would like the Brigade to consider doing a Hazard Reduction Burn on their property can call us on 9299 7217, or visit the Station between 9am and 10am any Saturday morning. An authorised officer will arrange a visit to examine your property, discuss your issues and provide a quote, based on such things as size, fuel load, topography, access, time to burn etc. (note: conducting HRBs is subject to weather and environmental considerations). These burns also provide a valuable opportunity for training, development, requalification, and up-skilling of Brigade members.

Our data guru Eric B has crunched the numbers and analysed the turn-out records for the Darlington Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade for the last financial year, including the 2022/2023 fire season. Here are some key figures:

• Total Incidents = 47 (27 attended)

Accidental fires can occur in any home and be devastating for everyone involved, but the good news is; you can play a part in preventing it from happening you. For more information about home fire safety and preventing accidental home fires visit www.dfes.wa.gov.au/site/fire-in-the-home/overview.html

Despite another long and dry fire season, and unlike so many communities around the world, we had fewer large fires locally than in some previous years. This meant a relatively quieter season for our volunteer fire fighters, and generally less impact on the community. But while the weather may have moved deep into winter, we must not get complacent about playing a part in bushfire mitigation. Tragic bushfire events over recent decades must serve as a reminder that everyone needs to play a part in mitigating the risks of living in a bush fire prone, ruralurban environment. Inquiries and incident reviews of many major

• Total Member Turnouts = 259

• Total Volunteer Firefighter Hours = 1541 hrs

The largest fire we attended was at Chitna Road in Neergabby, resulting in two shifts, with 213 firefighter hours provided by 29 members. Among those figures are 11 firefighters, providing 592 hours on intrastate deployments at incidents around WA, including flood recovery at Carnarvon. And this doesn’t include the meetings, training, and maintenance requirements of the Brigade’s members. Remember, we are a volunteer brigade; so that is over 193 working days of community emergency service provided with no labour cost to State and Local government.

“When a man becomes a fireman his greatest act of bravery has been accomplished. What he does after that is all in the line of work.” ~ Edward

F. Croker

Ricky Harvey

Hasluck, which includes so much of the Hills and foothills of Perth, is a great place to live. It’s also a great place to retire in, and many people are choosing to live here in retirement, including my own parents.

Those with the fortune of living a long and fulfilling life know that aging comes with its own challenges.

No matter your circumstances, I truly believe everyone has the right to age with dignity and respect.

The importance of a fit-for-purpose and well-resourced aged care sector is something I am acutely aware of.

That’s why, before the election, we promised to continue the work of implementing the recommendations of the Royal Commission into the Aged Care Sector.

Since the election, the Albanese Labor Government, through the leadership of Aged Care Minister Anika Wells, has been delivering on these commitments.

Firstly, our Government recognised the complex and previously undervalued work of the aged care workforce,and has invested $11.3 billion to fund the Fair Work Commission’s interim decision for a 15% pay increase.

This is the largest ever pay increase for aged care workers and it signifies a genuine step towards valuing their dedication and skill. This policy will also help aged care providers attract and retain quality staff.

In addition, seniors increasingly want to live independently in their own homes for longer.

To facilitate this, our Government is providing 9,500 additional Home Care Packages, to be released in 2023-24.

It’s another way to create an aged care sector that meets community expectations.

We are putting nurses back into nursing homes. We know that with age comes increased risk of health complications and that is why we have passed legislation requiring aged care homes to have around-the-clock nursing care.

To further ensure aged care providers are accountable for the care and services they provide to our loved ones, we have introduced Star Ratings for residential aged care facilities. This system makes it easier for people to compare the quality and safety of aged care homes.

We all know how important good quality nutrition is, not just for our physical health, but our mental health too. The government has increased investment to improve food, nutrition and the dining experience in residential aged care by establishing a food unit in the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission.

Each of these measures, following the recommendations of the Royal Commission, constitute a substantial investment in aged care.

I know there is more work to do. I am committed to the ongoing improvement of the sector that our seniors rely on, that looks after our loved ones, and which we will all rely on in some way.