❓ This parliamentary question seeks information about the Aurora technology used by DFES for bushfire simulation and its impact on firefighter safety and community warnings. The answer confirms its effectiveness and provides examples of its use.
AnsweredQoN 772Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
I refer to the Aurora technology utilised by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES): (a) does Aurora technology quickly and accurately simulate the direction, speed and intensity of bushfires; (b) does Aurora technology take into account factors like weather, fuel types and geography; (c) does Aurora technology assist firefighters by providing them with potentially life-saving information: (i) if so, when or in what fires has this occurred; (d) does Aurora technology help warn firefighters and / or communities about an approaching fire front: (i) if so, when or in what fires has this occurred; and (e) how many FTEs within the DFES are operationally engaged in the support or provision of Aurora technology services?
AnswerView source ↗
Answered
8 August 2017
Responded by
Minister for Emergency Services
Response time
8 days
(a) Yes
(b) Yes
(c) Yes
(c)(i) The following large scale bushfire events:
2016 - Gibb River (Wyndham East Kimberley)
2015 – Waroona, Esperance, Lower Hotham and Northcliffe
2014 – Parkerville
(d) Aurora can simulate multiple probabilistic fire spreads using variations in the conditions of fuel type and weather. Aurora has the ability to rapidly predict the probable spread of multiple fires that may be burning concurrently which can be used by firefighters to better prioritise community information, protection, critical infrastructure and suppression effort.
(d)(i) Refer to response (c)(i)
(e) 27
(b) Yes
(c) Yes
(c)(i) The following large scale bushfire events:
2016 - Gibb River (Wyndham East Kimberley)
2015 – Waroona, Esperance, Lower Hotham and Northcliffe
2014 – Parkerville
(d) Aurora can simulate multiple probabilistic fire spreads using variations in the conditions of fuel type and weather. Aurora has the ability to rapidly predict the probable spread of multiple fires that may be burning concurrently which can be used by firefighters to better prioritise community information, protection, critical infrastructure and suppression effort.
(d)(i) Refer to response (c)(i)
(e) 27
Explore WA Government Data
Search the full archive in the free dashboard, or query programmatically via API.
Explore more
Government Gazette
Appointments, regulatory notices, planning changes.
Hansard
Debates, questions, speeches and sentiment.
Tabled Papers
Reports and documents tabled in Parliament.
Committees
Committee profiles and recent reports.
Regulations
Subsidiary legislation with filters and summaries.
Bills
Proposed laws and parliamentary progress.
Acts
Current WA legislation and summaries.
Explanatory Memoranda
Bills with EMs (text/PDF) available.
Members
MP profiles, party breakdown and rankings.
Pollie Rankings
Data-driven rankings across 19 categories.
Amendment Chains
Track how schemes and regulations evolve over time.