❓ A WA parliamentary question addresses bushfire preparedness in schools, specifically regarding ember attack guards on evaporative air conditioners. The Minister acknowledges the importance, outlines measures taken, and explains delays due to sourcing issues.
AnsweredQoN 825Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
SCHOOLS — BUSHFIRE PREPAREDNESS
I refer to recent concerns raised with the minister’s department by the Shire of Mundaring about the provision of evaporative air conditioning guards on school buildings. (1) What measures has the minister’s department taken to fit these guards at schools in bushfire-prone areas? (2) Have school premises been inspected, tenders let and guards fitted at all schools in bushfire-prone areas? (3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE
I refer to recent concerns raised with the minister’s department by the Shire of Mundaring about the provision of evaporative air conditioning guards on school buildings. (1) What measures has the minister’s department taken to fit these guards at schools in bushfire-prone areas? (2) Have school premises been inspected, tenders let and guards fitted at all schools in bushfire-prone areas? (3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE
AnswerView source ↗
(1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(1) What measures has the minister’s department taken to fit these guards at schools in bushfire-prone areas? (2) Have school premises been inspected, tenders let and guards fitted at all schools in bushfire-prone areas? (3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(2) Have school premises been inspected, tenders let and guards fitted at all schools in bushfire-prone areas? (3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(1) What measures has the minister’s department taken to fit these guards at schools in bushfire-prone areas? (2) Have school premises been inspected, tenders let and guards fitted at all schools in bushfire-prone areas? (3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(2) Have school premises been inspected, tenders let and guards fitted at all schools in bushfire-prone areas? (3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(3) If not, why not? Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
Dr E. CONSTABLE replied: (1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
(1)–(3) I thank the member for his question. It is obviously a very important question not only now because we are entering the summer season but at all times to make sure schools are safe for students and for staff. The department has done quite a lot of work in the area of making sure that our evaporative air conditioners are safe. One of the things that came out of the Keelty report was some advice in this area. If there is a bushfire, the first thing that happens is that advice from Fire and Emergency Services Authority and the incident controller is given that evaporative air conditioners should be switched off. That is the very first thing that happens, and schools are very much aware of that. At the moment the Department of Education, and Building Management and Works are developing a program to fit ember attack guards in evaporative air conditioning units, but what we have discovered is that none of them are manufactured in Western Australia. We are looking to see how we can get 1 000 of these units fitted to evaporative air conditioners. The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
The very first thing that happens is that they are switched off. Once switched off, there is not a problem. The department has been speaking to FESA to make sure that they are switched off. When they are switched off it is not a problem, but we need to take that protective measure to make sure that every one of those evaporative air conditioners is fitted with ember attack guards. Any new evaporative air conditioners that are fitted come with guards on them. The work is being done. As soon as that report came out, work started to be done on that. We had to inspect all the schools that have them to see what the issue is, and the issue is being dealt with.
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