Australian Capital Territory

Emergencies (Response Arrangements for Fires in the Bushfire Abatement Zone) Commissioner’s Guidelines 2006

Notifiable Instrument NI2006–221

made under the

Emergencies Act 2004, s 11 (Commissioner may make guidelines)

1.	Name of Instrument

This instrument is the Emergencies (Response Arrangements for Fires in the Bushfire Abatement Zone) Commissioner’s Guidelines 2006.

2.	Commencement

This instrument commences on 1 July 2006.

3.	Commissioner’s Guidelines

The ACT Emergency Services Commissioner hereby makes the Response Arrangements for Fires in the Bushfire Abatement Zone in Schedule 1 to this instrument.

4.	Revocation

NI2004-499 is revoked.

David Laurence Prince
Acting ACT Emergency Services Commissioner
26 June 2006

Schedule 1

EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY

COMMISSIONER’S GUIDELINES

relating to

Response Arrangements for Fires in the
Bushfire Abatement Zone

Response Arrangements for Fires in the 
Bushfire Abatement Zone

Definitions:

Built-up Area
	All areas in the ACT declared, in writing, to be the Built-up Area

Bushfire Abatement Zone (BAZ)
	An area declared, in writing, to be the Bushfire Abatement Zone

City Area
	The Built-up Area and Bushfire Abatement Zone

Rural Area
	Any area that is not a Built-up Area

The ACT Fire Brigade is responsible for fire response in the Built-up Area and has sole responsibility for “command” of ACT Fire Brigade resources.

The ACT Rural Fire Service is responsible for fire response in the Rural Area and has sole responsibility for “command” of Rural Fire Service resources.

1.	All responses to bush/grass fires within the BAZ will be by the nearest available appropriate resource (ACT Rural Fire Service or ACT Fire Brigade).

2.	Both the ACT Rural Fire Service Duty Coordinator and ACT Fire Brigade District Officer are to be notified of all calls to bush/grass fires within the BAZ.

3.	If the ACT Rural Fire Service is the only service responded, or in attendance, then the on-scene Captain (Incident Controller) must notify the ACT Fire Brigade.

4.	Where the ACT Fire Brigade and the ACT Rural Fire Service are in attendance at a bush and grass fire in the BAZ, and the fire does not pose a risk to life or property in the Built-up Area, the senior officers on scene from each agency will liaise and jointly determine priorities and strategies for the management of the fire, including incident control.

5.	If, in the opinion of the Fire Brigade, the fire poses a risk to life or property in the Built-up Area, then the Fire Brigade will assume incident control.