Swanpool CFA from June 2023

08/01/2025

We’re hosting a free First 72 Hours workshop between 6.30 to 8.30pm on Friday 17 January at the Swanpool Hall.

Emergencies can be hard to predict, and emergency services may be unable to reach you in a disaster.

What will you do for the first 72 hours if you have no access to services such as power, water, gas, reception, road access, and food?

This free First 72 Hours workshop will help you better prepare for emergencies and support you to create an Emergency Plan for your household or business.

Register at http://swanpool.eventbrite.com.au or call Jessica on 0439 634 601.

What would you do if you were in an emergency situation and couldn't receive professional help for 72 hours?

03/01/2025

🌡️ Heatwave Expected This Weekend in Swanpool and Surrounds 🌡️

If you’re in the North East, including Wodonga, Wangaratta, and Shepparton, prepare for hot weather this Saturday and Sunday.

The Bureau of Meteorology forecasts severe heatwave conditions, so take precautions to stay safe:

🔥 Heat is Australia’s deadliest natural hazard. Those most at risk include:
• Elderly people
• Young children
• People with medical conditions

🐾 Take care of your pets and never leave kids, elderly people, or animals in parked cars.

✅ For simple steps to stay safe, visit the Better Health website: betterhealth.vic.gov.au/extreme-heat.

Stay cool, stay hydrated, and look out for each other this weekend!

Know the effects of extreme heat, who is at risk and how you can prepare yourself and others.

14/11/2024

Would you like to be better prepared for possible emergencies and disasters?
The Swanpool and District Community Development Association invites you to review a draft emergency map that has been prepared for Swanpool, Morngag, Samaria, Lima East and Lima South. For details, see attached flyer...

11/04/2024

On Monday, 15 April, the Fire Danger Period for Districts 23 and 24 will end. From Monday don't forget to register your burn-off by calling 1800 668 511.

10/03/2024

Flying the flag at the Swanpool Motor show

30/01/2024

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=784074397096180&id=100064808793100&mibextid=CDWPTG

CFA can sadly confirm the death of volunteer firefighter, Garry Mallen while attending a shed fire incident in Portland this morning.

Garry collapsed at the scene, with his brigade colleagues, along with Fire Rescue Victoria and Ambulance Victoria administering CPR. Despite their efforts, he could not be revived.

Our deepest sympathies go out to the member’s family, friends and colleagues at the Portland Brigade. Our wellbeing team is providing support to all involved at this sad time.

https://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/news/death-of-a-member-garry-mallen-portland-brigade

04/01/2024

Late night work clearing trees from the Midland Highway. Thanks, Cathryn Renkin, for coordinating the Swanpool CFA response at 1am this morning. Well done to those who attended and worked with the SES to clear the trees along nearly 15km of road, so the road between Swanpool and Benalla could be reopened.

07/12/2023

Polishing our burn-over skills at Baddaginnie on Wednesday evening. Cathryn Renkin, Doug Lithgow, Michael Vanderzee and Jessica Davison attended a well planned series of training exercises with other brigades from the District. Hope to see more of these combined events where we can become familiar with other vehicles (surprising how different each truck can be) and most importantly, learn from those with more experience.

04/12/2023

📸 Watch this video on Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/share/v/F1h5s6m78sPpZXxH/?mibextid=xfxF2i

27/09/2023

Pets and horses
- When preparing for fire, also remember your pets.
- Have bedding, food and water ready to go and make sure you have safe transport when leaving early.
- Always put your own safety before the safety of your pets.
- Make sure your destination can accommodate your pets - and leave early
- Make sure your pets can be identified easily. Microchip them and include your details such as your phone number on their collars
- Have a plan for horses and livestock.
- Late evacuation with horses will put them and you at risk.
- A large, well-grazed area where they can move freely, with a supply of water is safest.
- Remove all gear from horses.
- Always keep horses and stock them contained on your property.
- Do not allow horses and stock off your property; they are at serious risk on roads where visibility will be poor.
- Open internal gates to allow horses and stock room to move.

"Effective preparedness measures taken today can make all the difference if an emergency happens tomorrow. That’s why it’s important to be prepared."

For more info:

When preparing your bushfire survival plan, you also need to plan and prepare for the safety of your pets.

25/09/2023

Planning and preparation
• Have a plan, make sure your family knows it, and stick to it. Don’t hesitate when it’s time to leave. You could get trapped by fire if you leave too late
• When planning with kids, make sure you know your local school policy for fire risk days. Some schools will close. It’s important to know so you can plan for all situations.
• Do you have family, friends or neighbours who may need help preparing for fires? Talk to them about when they will leave, where they will go and how you can help

"Preparedness is about communication and building relationships with people around you before disaster strikes."

For more info:

Everyone in Victoria who lives near dense forest, bush, grassland or the coast needs to prepare their property for bushfire.

23/09/2023

Top Tips from CFA:
• On hot, dry, windy days, fires can start and spread quickly. If the Fire Danger Rating is Extreme or Catastrophic, leaving early before a fire has started is the safest option.
• If you wait and decide to leave after a fire has started, you risk driving your family through thick smoke, fallen trees and power lines, and face the danger of collisions, being trapped by fire, serious injury or death.
• Understand your risk and plan ahead. Know what to do on hot, dry, windy days and plan for all situations. Talk to your family and friends about how you’ll know when to leave, where you’ll go and how you will get there.
• Fire Danger Ratings tell you how dangerous a fire would be if one started. As the ratings increase, so does the risk of an uncontrollable and fast-moving fire. An Extreme fire danger rating or higher should be your trigger to leave. To find out more about fire danger ratings visit cfa.vic.gov.au/firebans
• Never wait for an official warning before you leave, as you may not get one. Fires can start quickly and threaten homes and lives within minutes. Make sure you have a plan.
• If you can see smoke or fire, driving is extremely dangerous. Thick smoke makes it hard to see, making traffic jams and collisions more likely. Lack of visibility will make it hard to know where the fire is. Travel will be dangerous.
• People have died trying to save their animals. To keep them safe, decide now what you will do with your pets and horses on hot, dry, windy days.
• If you're travelling through bush or grasslands this summer, check the conditions for your destination and any areas you will travel through before you go, listen to local radio for warnings and advice while you’re on the road, and check conditions regularly throughout your stay. Download the VicEmergency app, visit emergency.vic.gov.au, and save the VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226) into your mobile phone. Never travel into bush or grassland areas where a Catastrophic Fire Danger Rating has been forecast.
• Preparing your property means you can reduce the chance of property loss during a fire; even if you plan to leave early. Find more information about property preparation at cfa.vic.gov.au/prepare
• People have lost their homes due to simple things like embers landing on their doormat. Before you leave, move anything that can burn away from your house.

No one can prevent natural disasters. But you can prepare for them. Being ready for a disaster before it happens may help you protect yourself, your family and your home.

Total Fire Bans and Fire Danger Ratings page. Feeds are automated.

21/09/2023

Crop and Farm Machinery Fires
Did you know the CFA attends an average of 200 harvest-related fires each year?
Q. What is the most common cause of harvester fires? A. Material collecting on hot engine components such as the manifold, exhaust and turbocharger.
How you can avoid harvester fires?
• Practice diligence in clean-down and inspections
• Postpone paddock work during the highest fire-risk periods
• On hot, dry days, exercise extreme caution before harvesting, grinding, welding, slashing or mowing
• Check the Fire Danger Rating against the Voluntary Grain Harvesting Guide before harvesting
• Check for total fire ban or severe weather warnings and current fire incidents and follow recommendations
• Avoid driving vehicles and motorbikes through dry grass or crop - the risk from the hot exhaust system is high. Driving vehicles with catalytic converters and diesel particulate filters through dry grass and crops is particularly hazardous
• Take regular breaks
• Make it part of your routine to check for straw or grass build-up, and hot bearings
• Check machinery to ensure that spark arrestors are maintained
• Prepare a communication plan which includes Family, Contractors and Neighbours
• Prepare strategic breaks to stop fires entering or leaving your property or spreading to other paddocks
• Run regular maintenance checks on farm machinery
• Monitor machinery regularly during operations
• Monitor weather conditions throughout the day and stop operations if it changes
• Have the appropriate firefighting equipment in place. When working in crops or paddocks you’re required by law, to have a 9lt water pressured extinguisher on hand.
For more information refer to:

Fire management planning on farms involves protecting your assets and your people.

19/09/2023

VicEmergencyCFA (Country Fire Authority)Before an emergency - know how to stay informed and know which information channels work for you.

Always use more than one source of information for warnings:
- Tune in to ABC local radio, commercial and designated community radio stations or Sky News TV
- Phone the VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226)
- Visit emergency.vic.gov.au
- Download the VicEmergency App
- Warnings are available on VicEmergency's Twitter () and Facebook (VicEmergency), and CFA’s Twitter () and Facebook (CFA (Country Fire Authority)).

Make sure you understand the different levels of warnings and what they mean:
- ADVICE – An incident is occurring or has occurred in the area. Access information and monitor conditions
- WATCH AND ACT (Warning) - An emergency is developing nearby. You need to take action now to protect yourself and others
- EMERGENCY WARNING - You are in imminent danger and need to take action now. You will be impacted
- EVACUATION (Prepare to Evacuate or Evacuate Now) – An evacuation is recommended or procedures are in place to evacuate.

Do not expect warnings to be issued in any particular order.

For more info emergency.vic.gov.au and cfa.vic.gov.au/warnings-restrictions/about-warnings.
"Being prepared is huge, because it minimizes the impact of a disaster for you and loved ones" (John Hopkins Medicine)".

Victoria's combined source of emergency information and warnings. Not monitored 24/7.

16/09/2023

Starting to think about burning off? Before you do, please read:
- The Fire Danger Period is declared when the fire risk increases in a given municipality. Once declared, open air burning is prohibited anywhere in the municipality unless you have a permit issued by CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) or a Municipal Fire Prevention Officer.
- For any permitted burns, ensure you comply with municipal local laws.
- Always register your burn on 1800 668 511 or at firepermits.vic.gov.au (otherwise a passerby may call 000 and the CFA will be called out to your property).
- If you light a fire without a permit, you could be charged with breaking the law and may be prosecuted. Penalties may include a fine up to $21,808 and/or up to 12 months imprisonment. Penalties can double on days of Total Fire Ban.
- During the warmer months, burning-off is not a safe option to reduce fire risk.
- Consider alternative methods such as disposing of green waste at a waste transfer station, mulching or chipping.
- During the Fire Danger period, store all excess waste in a burn pile kept at a safe distance from all buildings with well-maintained clearance around it until the fire danger period is declared over and conditions are favourable for burning.
- Specific laws apply to campfires and fire related to cooking during the Fire Danger Period.
- Ensure you understand what you can and can’t do during the Fire Danger Period and on days of Total Fire Ban.
- For more information see:

Find out what you can and can't do during the declared Fire Danger Period, and on days of Total Fire Ban, when fires in the open air are legally restricted.

13/09/2023

Quick and easy ways to help keep your property safe from bushfires:

11/09/2023

Did you know that the CFA responds to dozens of haystack fires every year?

Just one damp bale is enough to ignite a haystack. When the internal temperature of hay reaches 55°C, a chemical reaction begins to produce flammable gas that can lead to ignition.

Haystack fires can also be caused by sparks from machinery and equipment, and embers from burn offs or bushfires.

Important Tips: Ensure hay is well cured before baling. Keep haystacks to a limited size and separate your haystacks. Monitor moisture and temperature of your hay regularly.

Watch for unusual odours such as pipe to***co, caramel, burning or musty smells. Store in separate stacks or sheds away from farm equipment and other buildings. Keep your hay dry and protect it from rain. Don't stack hay right to the top of the hay shed.

Allow some air to circulate at the top, this helps to carry away moisture.