@article {bnh-6802, title = {RUIM {\textendash} A fire safety engineering model for rural urban interface firefighter taskforce deployment}, journal = {Fire Safety Journal}, volume = {113}, year = {2020}, month = {05/2020}, abstract = {

Firefighting at the rural urban interface remains one of the most dangerous activities undertaken by fire services internationally. Whilst there is a significant volume of literature and describing methods for fire engineering safety analysis in the urban environment, a significant gap remains in the context of the rural urban interface. To address this, this article presents the Rural Urban Interface Model (RUIM). An adaptation of the Fire Brigade Intervention Model (FBIM), the RUIM enables systematic analysis of firefighter safety during catastrophic and dynamic wildfire events. When applied correctly, the RUIM provides additional guidance to Incident Controllers and Incident Management Teams regarding the suitability and safety of defensive firefighting strategies. Ultimately, the inclusion of the RUIM as part of operational fire ground analysis may reduce the potential for fatalities or injuries arising from firefighting taskforces being caught in wildfire burnover.

}, keywords = {fire engineering, firefighting, RUI, Rural urban interface, safety, Wildfire}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.firesaf.2020.102986}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0379711219305843}, author = {Greg Penney and Daryoush Habibi and Marcus Cattani} } @mastersthesis {bnh-8090, title = {Wildfire suppression {\textendash} an international analysis of operations, strategy and firefighter safety}, volume = {Doctor of Philosophy}, year = {2020}, month = {10/2020}, pages = {430}, school = {Edith Cowan University}, abstract = {

Wildfire suppression remains an inherently dangerous yet increasingly frequent task for fire services throughout Australia and the world. Each year firefighters from career and volunteer agencies respond to wildfires that impact the urban interface. When such an event occurs during a period of intense fire behaviour the conditions are often incompatible with life for persons either caught in the open or those seeking refuge in a vehicle. In order to improve firefighter safety and operational effectiveness at the rural urban interface (RUI) during landscape scale wildfires, this dissertation serves to examine critical components of wildfire response, most notably wildfire suppression strategies and tactics applied during a landscape scale wildfire event and the procedures and protective systems utilised in the event of firefighter entrapment and burnover.

The theme of the research is firefighter safety and suppression effectiveness during mega-wildfire response at the rural urban interface (RUI), also known as the wildland urban interface (WUI). Mega-wildfires are those landscape wildfires that overwhelm firefighting resources, typically generate their own localized weather systems, and require campaign style efforts lasting extended durations. Wildfire events including Margaret River (2011), and Yarloop (2016) in Western Australia, the devastating Californian and Greece wildfires (2018) and the unprecedented wildfires throughout eastern Australia in late 2019 / early 2020 meet this category. The RUI is the land where towns and cities exist alongside forest and other vegetation that supports the development of an established headfire with a quasi-steady rate of spread (RoS) across the landscape. In such instances, firefighters are called on to protect vulnerable communities and critical infrastructure from the ember storms, radiant heat and flames that accompany the head fire. In doing so, firefighters face great personal peril. If the incorrect suppression tactics or strategies are applied, or if wildfire behaviour suddenly changes, firefighter entrapment and burnover resulting in significant injury or fatality remains an all too common consequence.

The studies not only quantify the severity of the conditions firefighters encounter when attempting to protect life, property and the environment at the RUI, but also find traditional wildfire suppression strategies and tactics at the RUI need to be reexamined. Whilst the field of wildfire engineering is in its infancy, the studies suggest its development and adoption into wildfire suppression operations has the potential to improve both operational effectiveness and firefighter safety.

}, keywords = {analysis, firefighter, international, operations, safety, strategy, suppression, Wildfire}, url = {https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2349/}, author = {Greg Penney} } @article {bnh-6225, title = {Behaviour around floodwater: challenges for floodwater safety and risk communication}, journal = {Australian Journal of Emergency Management}, volume = {34}, year = {2019}, month = {09/2019}, pages = {40-47}, abstract = {

There is little disagreement that entering floodwater is risky, whether in a vehicle or on foot. There is usually little or no visibility of what is under the surface and even shallow water with moderate flow can make vehicles unstable or sweep people off their feet. In addition, floodwater will often contain contaminants and debris. Therefore, the safest course of action is to avoid entering floodwater. Indeed, the most pervasive risk communication message is {\textquoteleft}If it{\textquoteright}s flooded, forget it{\textquoteright}. This clear, unambiguous message is good at getting people{\textquoteright}s attention, but it is unclear whether it actually changes behaviour. Research with Australian public, floodplain management professionals, State Emergency Services (SES) personnel, and other emergency management experts has identified a number of challenges to floodwater safety and risk communications. Using a combination of research evidence and expert opinion, this paper discusses four pressing challenges and highlights some of the approaches being taken to help address them.

}, keywords = {communications, Fatalities, floodwater, risk, safety}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-october-2019-behaviour-around-floodwater-challenges-for-floodwater-safety-and-risk-communication/}, author = {Mel Taylor and Matalena Tofa and Katharine Haynes and Joshua McLaren and Peter Readman and Diana Ferguson and Sascha Rundle and Danny Rose} } @article {bnh-6281, title = {Optimisation of fuel reduction burning regimes for fuel reduction, carbon, water and vegetation outcomes}, number = {525}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

We have made significant progress in several areas of research over the past 12 months. This has included modelling of carbon emissions from prescribed fires using (a) regression modelling to couple the effect of prescribed fire on water and carbon at a catchment scale, and (b) FullCAM, a process-based model that can track carbon pools in forests systems. The latter is a readily accessible tool that has very good potential to be adopted by End User agencies when required to report on carbon emissions resulting from their efforts to manage fuels. A fuel condition model (the {\textquoteleft}litter triangle{\textquoteright}) detailing carbon load and fuel reduction has been developed for surface fuels in dry sclerophyll forest. This is an easy-to-use tool that can be used as a guide for estimating potential for carbon loss due to prescribed burning. We are in an exciting phase of End User utilisation and tangible uses for our research has been identified and are being pursued. Reporting on our progress has taken the form of milestone reports, bi-monthly newsletters directed towards our End Users, and presentations for local, national and international forums. We have endeavoured to meet regularly with our primary End User and have established collaborations with research groups such as CSIRO and local land managers from NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. Our vision for the next 12 months is to consolidate our research in the area of estimating carbon emissions from prescribed fires, modelling of carbon and water across the landscape for optimisation of planned burning and linking metrics describing combustion of surfaces fuels with fire severity.

}, keywords = {Emergency management, fuel reduction, optimisation, planned burning, safety}, issn = {525}, author = {Bell, Tina} } @conference {bnh-6403, title = {WHS 2.0 World Health and Safety: integrating disaster risk reduction and sustainable development into every workplace using the Sendai Framework, Paris Agreement and the Sustainable Development Goals}, booktitle = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Day AFAC19}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

A proposed integrative conceptual framework has been developed for the Australian context to promote understanding, uptake and action toward the Paris Agreement for Climate Change, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development using the National Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction. It is hoped that through compatibility with the existing Australian Work Health and Safety culture, this integrative framework can help promote understanding, uptake and action. WHS 2.0: World Health and Safety is designed to {\textquoteleft}bolt{\textquoteright} disaster risk reduction values and actions onto existing Work Health and Safety values and infrastructure in ways that are straight forward to understand. Implementation of such a conceptual framework will have positive impacts across society in terms of improved social, cultural, environmental and financial resilience.

}, keywords = {Disaster risk reduction, safety, SDGs, Sendai Framework}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/australian-journal-of-emergency-management-monograph-series/}, author = {Heidi Chappelow} } @article {bnh-4469, title = {Sleep in wildland firefighters: what do we know and why does it matter?}, journal = {International Journal of Wildland Fire}, volume = {27}, year = {2018}, month = {02/2018}, chapter = {73}, abstract = {

Wildland firefighters perform physical work while being subjected to multiple stressors and adverse, volatile working environments for extended periods. Recent research has highlighted sleep as a significant and potentially modifiable factor impacting operational performance. The aim of this review was to (1) examine the existing literature on firefighters{\textquoteright} sleep quantity and quality during wildland firefighting operations; (2) synthesise the operational and environmental factors that impact on sleep during wildland firefighting; and (3) assess how sleep impacts aspects of firefighters{\textquoteright} health and safety, including mental and physical health, physical task performance, physical activity and cognitive performance. Firefighters{\textquoteright} sleep is restricted during wildfire deployments, particularly when shifts have early start times, are of long duration and when sleeping in temporary accommodation. Shortened sleep impairs cognitive but not physical performance under simulated wildfire conditions. The longer-term impacts of sleep restriction on physiological and mental health require further research. Work shifts should be structured, wherever possible, to provide regular and sufficient recovery opportunities (rest during and sleep between shifts), especially in dangerous working environments where fatigue-related errors have severe consequences. Fire agencies should implement strategies to improve and manage firefighters{\textquoteright} sleep and reduce any adverse impacts on firefighters{\textquoteright} work.{\textquoteleft}

}, keywords = {Health, performance, physical activity, planned burn, safety, sleep restriction, wildfire.}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1071/WF17109}, url = {http://www.publish.csiro.au/wf/pdf/WF17109}, author = {Grace Vincent and Brad Aisbett and Alexander Wolkow and Sarah M Jay and Nicola D. Ridgers} }