❓ Question about helicopter fleet activity during bushfire season. Answer provides statistics on fleet usage, acknowledges firefighters, and includes political banter.
AnsweredQoN 196Legislative Assembly
QuestionView source ↗
BUSHFIRE SEASON — HELICOPTER FLEET
196. Mr J.M. FRANCIS to the Minister for Emergency Services:
As a volunteer firefighter, I have been unlucky enough to
have had water dumped on me by helicopters a number of times over the summer
season; one has to listen for the alarm before they dump the water, and that is
the cue to duck! Can the minister share with the house details of the state's
helicopter fleet activity over the summer fire season?
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
196. Mr J.M. FRANCIS to the Minister for Emergency Services:
As a volunteer firefighter, I have been unlucky enough to
have had water dumped on me by helicopters a number of times over the summer
season; one has to listen for the alarm before they dump the water, and that is
the cue to duck! Can the minister share with the house details of the state's
helicopter fleet activity over the summer fire season?
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
AnswerView source ↗
I did not see the member for Girrawheen ask the question,
although I notice she is dressed in half her SES outfit today!
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Knocked back? What does that mean?
Ms M.M. Quirk :
Refused!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
It has been a very, very busy fire season. The advice I have in relation to
bushfires is that our firefighters attended 4 250 bushfires this fire season.
At times our resources were stretched from Carnarvon right through to Walpole
and further east towards Albany. I take this opportunity—on behalf of
everyone in this house, I am sure, member for Girrawheen—to acknowledge
and thank for their efforts all those firefighters, the people who support them
and their families who stay at home while they are out in harm's way.
There are, of course, professional firefighters, employed by the Fire and
Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment and Conservation
and the Forest Products Commission, local government employees who line up to
fight fires —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
They're all professional, you do realise that, don't you? They
are career and volunteer firefighters.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : — and the tens of thousands of volunteers,
professionally trained, who go out to fight fires when called upon. From a FESA
point of view, not only were we out fighting fires, but also we have been
implementing a range of reforms that were outlined to the government as a
result of the Keelty inquiry. Those reforms are far-reaching and are being
implemented as we speak. We are also dealing with the challenges that emerged
out of the second Keelty inquiry around the development and instigation of the
Office of Bushfire Risk Management and extra resourcing in the capes region to
deal with fire risks there.
I am sorry that the member for
Jandakot had water dumped on him; we might need one of those on standby to help
the member for Mandurah when he leaves the George Michael concert! I do not
want him going up in flames; it seems like he is going to get very excited!
The rotary fleet plays a very big
role in fighting fires. This fire season the government has invested about $13 million
supporting our on-the-ground firefighters with the rotary fleet. Just to remind
the house, the rotary fleet is composed of eight helicopters. There is the big
Erickson Air-Crane helicopter nicknamed ''Marty''. The next time
the member for Girrawheen asks, the name is ''Marty'', not ''Elvis''.
I was unable to answer her question because she got the name wrong, but I will
try again. There are also two type 1 helitacks, which hold around 4 500 litres,
one in Perth and one based in Busselton, and there are four further helitacks supported
and assisted by one aerial intelligence platform.
I will wrap this up shortly, but
there are some interesting statistics on fighting those 4 250 fires. Our rotary
fleet was activated 433 times; they flew more than 590 hours; they made 2 555
water drops, and in those water drops, dropped approximately four million
litres of water and foam. Those helicopters played a massive role in fighting
fires. The 9 500 litre Erickson Air-Crane also played a significant role; it
was a major boost to the fleet. Over the next little while we will be examining
the impact that the air crane had on our firefighting efforts, but the one
thing I can assure the house —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I was down south there in Margaret River with the member for
Girrawheen, and I have to report to the house that her performance that night
was nothing short of disgraceful. There were people at that meeting —
Mr J.N. Hyde interjected.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I am just passing on my observations, and if the member for
Perth had been there, he would have made the same observations. People at that
meeting, who were calling —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen! Minister, you indicated that you are very close to the
end of your answer. I sincerely hope that is the case. I do not want to be
formally calling people to order at any point for the remainder of this
question time. I address those remarks to you, minister.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : At that meeting there were members of the public calling for
the heads of firefighters and people involved in firefighting. My view—I
made this point at that meeting—is that if we run around after every
fire and try to find someone to blame so that we can chop their head off, we
will not be able to fight fires with headless firemen. It is important that we
understand the fundamental point that we should do all we can to protect and
stand behind the volunteer and non-volunteer professional firefighters who go
out to protect our communities. That is a decision that we have made as a
government, and that is what I will be doing as the Minister for Emergency
Services whenever called upon to do so. I conclude by saying that those
statistics and that $13 million investment is a reflection of this government's
commitment to working with communities the length and breadth of this state to
help protect them from the threat of fire.
although I notice she is dressed in half her SES outfit today!
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
Knocked back? What does that mean?
Ms M.M. Quirk :
Refused!
Mr T.R. BUSWELL :
It has been a very, very busy fire season. The advice I have in relation to
bushfires is that our firefighters attended 4 250 bushfires this fire season.
At times our resources were stretched from Carnarvon right through to Walpole
and further east towards Albany. I take this opportunity—on behalf of
everyone in this house, I am sure, member for Girrawheen—to acknowledge
and thank for their efforts all those firefighters, the people who support them
and their families who stay at home while they are out in harm's way.
There are, of course, professional firefighters, employed by the Fire and
Emergency Services Authority, the Department of Environment and Conservation
and the Forest Products Commission, local government employees who line up to
fight fires —
Mrs M.H. Roberts :
They're all professional, you do realise that, don't you? They
are career and volunteer firefighters.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : — and the tens of thousands of volunteers,
professionally trained, who go out to fight fires when called upon. From a FESA
point of view, not only were we out fighting fires, but also we have been
implementing a range of reforms that were outlined to the government as a
result of the Keelty inquiry. Those reforms are far-reaching and are being
implemented as we speak. We are also dealing with the challenges that emerged
out of the second Keelty inquiry around the development and instigation of the
Office of Bushfire Risk Management and extra resourcing in the capes region to
deal with fire risks there.
I am sorry that the member for
Jandakot had water dumped on him; we might need one of those on standby to help
the member for Mandurah when he leaves the George Michael concert! I do not
want him going up in flames; it seems like he is going to get very excited!
The rotary fleet plays a very big
role in fighting fires. This fire season the government has invested about $13 million
supporting our on-the-ground firefighters with the rotary fleet. Just to remind
the house, the rotary fleet is composed of eight helicopters. There is the big
Erickson Air-Crane helicopter nicknamed ''Marty''. The next time
the member for Girrawheen asks, the name is ''Marty'', not ''Elvis''.
I was unable to answer her question because she got the name wrong, but I will
try again. There are also two type 1 helitacks, which hold around 4 500 litres,
one in Perth and one based in Busselton, and there are four further helitacks supported
and assisted by one aerial intelligence platform.
I will wrap this up shortly, but
there are some interesting statistics on fighting those 4 250 fires. Our rotary
fleet was activated 433 times; they flew more than 590 hours; they made 2 555
water drops, and in those water drops, dropped approximately four million
litres of water and foam. Those helicopters played a massive role in fighting
fires. The 9 500 litre Erickson Air-Crane also played a significant role; it
was a major boost to the fleet. Over the next little while we will be examining
the impact that the air crane had on our firefighting efforts, but the one
thing I can assure the house —
Ms
M.M. Quirk interjected.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I was down south there in Margaret River with the member for
Girrawheen, and I have to report to the house that her performance that night
was nothing short of disgraceful. There were people at that meeting —
Mr J.N. Hyde interjected.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : I am just passing on my observations, and if the member for
Perth had been there, he would have made the same observations. People at that
meeting, who were calling —
Ms M.M. Quirk interjected.
The SPEAKER :
Member for Girrawheen! Minister, you indicated that you are very close to the
end of your answer. I sincerely hope that is the case. I do not want to be
formally calling people to order at any point for the remainder of this
question time. I address those remarks to you, minister.
Mr
T.R. BUSWELL : At that meeting there were members of the public calling for
the heads of firefighters and people involved in firefighting. My view—I
made this point at that meeting—is that if we run around after every
fire and try to find someone to blame so that we can chop their head off, we
will not be able to fight fires with headless firemen. It is important that we
understand the fundamental point that we should do all we can to protect and
stand behind the volunteer and non-volunteer professional firefighters who go
out to protect our communities. That is a decision that we have made as a
government, and that is what I will be doing as the Minister for Emergency
Services whenever called upon to do so. I conclude by saying that those
statistics and that $13 million investment is a reflection of this government's
commitment to working with communities the length and breadth of this state to
help protect them from the threat of fire.
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