Notes from Community Fire meeting January 24th

Present:

June Smith, Stephen O’Connor, Roni Nettleton, Claire Collie and Benoit Oury, Adele Cammeraat and Kerrie Moore, Terry Willaims, Cheryl and George Teng, Ross Sartori, John Ross, Greg Pridmore, Steve Catterall, Cathy Westcott, Leslie McGilvray, Mary Grant, Alan Straub, Steph Towner, Robyn Higgins, Andrew Kimpton, John Combes, Gendrie Klein-Breteler, Sharon Treloar, Bill O’Donnell, Nikki Marshall

Apologies: Gerhard Emmerichs

Meeting chaired by Bill O’Donnell

Locals became aware of the fire via phone apps, CFA website, scanners, neighbours, seeing the fire and the glow, checking with locals via phone

CFA website was not accurately updated so false alarms like Nevens road remained on website until the following morning

Some residents don’t have reliable internet.

Knowing reliable people to ring is important especially for new people.

Scanners: Listening into fire fighters via scanner provided accurate info including location of fire and false alarms. Need to get onto right channel, strongest channel should be the easiest to find. Scanners are available at Dick Smith in Ballarat for approx $150. However CFA radio communications will soon be going digital, which will require different (and more expensive) scanners.

Lighting was key issue with recent fires resulting in 20 to 30 fires across Victoria so Vicfire couldn’t cope with demand. This potential reality has to be factored into people’s fire plans. Lightening in summer is highly likely to start a fire, so be aware.

Number of trucks sent, as per CFA website gives indication of severity of fire. If no trucks allocated then either under control or false alarm.

In last years Clydesdale fire residents received warning system on landlines and mobiles. This didn’t happen with the most recent fire.

Duty of care to one another is important in our community, building confidence, knowing others are around, building community .

Important for CFA to focus on fighting fire and for us to inform and support one another.

Useful to have variety of different information systems within each neighbourhood and across different neighbourhoods.

Concern re people not knowing exactly where the fire was in relation to them, a map would be helpful as well as map references.

Action/Decisions:

Support at the meeting for establishment of Neighbourhood Groups …some informal ones already occur e.g . in McPhersons lane including phone advice and contact as well as animal care . Also there was a lot of communication between community members and neighbours on the night of the fire. Suggested that each group have two team leaders, both permanent residents. Important that all residents have realistic fire plan and take responsibility for their own fire plan. Neighbourhood groups need to define boundaries and identify who may be missed out and contact all residents in defined locations, also identify those with disabilities who may need extra support or early exit plans.

Need to get accurate maps for each neighbourhood with dwellings and reference numbers. Nikki and John Ross to prepare neighbourhood maps.

Proposed neighbourhoods and boundaries are outlined below. Further information relating to potential Clydesdale and Franklinford neighbourhoods is required. Nikki and Bill will identify potential neighbourhood boundaries and Nikki will prepare and email out neighbourhood information gathering questions and points for neighbourhood gatherings.

Yandoit, Clydesdale and Franklinford Emergency telephone tree neighbourhood groups January 2014

Notes re neighbourhood groups

Approximately 10 to 15 households per group, no bigger to ensure group size is manageable and to build on natural neighbourhoods;

Nominate two ‘team leaders’ preferable permanent residents

Gather information as per neighbourhood information and discussion sheet (see attached)

Proposed neighbourhood groups

1. Yandoit central

High street to corner of Recreation drive plus Yandoit Creek rd east from Paul Sartori’s to High st corner

Proposed Meeting organiser –Steve O’Connor

2. Yandoit- Mystic dve/Yandoit rises and Glamorgan

All Yandoit Rises Rd, all Mystic dve, plus Glamorgan rd west

Proposed Meeting organisers Andrew Kimpton and Nikki Marshall

3. Yandoit- Park St and High St Sth

All Park st , High st Sth to Hazler’s including Uniting Church rd

Proposed Meeting organiser Roni Nettleton and Mark Busch

4. Yandoit Township Rd/Steeles Rd

All Steeles Rd and Yandoit Township Rd from Steeles Rd turnoff to houses along lower Coach Rd

Proposed Meeting organiser- Adele

5. Yandoit Hills

From stone ruins in Yandoit Creek Rd (just beyond Yandoit Rises rd) up to Togs at beginning of Coach rd, including Richards, Coombs, Dunc McKinnon’s in Sandon Rd, all Neven’s rd, Boundary Gully rd east, and Ballarat rd turn off corner dwellings

Proposed Meeting organisers- John coombs and Gerhard Emmerichs

6. Yandoit- Hepburn-Newstead Rd north

From fire station including Righetti’s up to Jones Reece’s rd

Proposed Meeting organisers- Gendrie Klein-Breteler and Robyn Higgins

7. Yandoit-Hepburn-Newstead rd south

From fire station to Sartori rd Franklinford, including southern end of Limestone rd

Proposed Meeting organisers- Sharon Treloar

8. Yandoit/Clydesdale- Locarno, Hallets and McPhersons

All Hallets lane, Locarno Rd from Sartori corner up to and including McPherson’s lane

Proposed Meeting organisers-Alan Straub

9. Franklinford Central

Boundaries to be confirmed