Australian Capital Territory
Emergencies (Response Arrangements for Fires outside of the Built-Up Area) Commissioner’s Guidelines 2011
Notifiable instrument NI2011–64
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 outside of the Built-Up Area) Commissioner’s Guidelines 2011.
2	Commencement 
This instrument commences on the day after it is notified. 
3	Guideline
I make the guideline in Schedule 1 to this instrument to improve the operational effectiveness and flexibility of emergency services by facilitating and supporting collaborative and cooperative arrangements for response to, and management of, fires outside of the built-up area for the protection of the ACT Community and its assets.
4	Revocation
NI2006-221 is revoked.

Mark Crosweller AFSM FAIM
Emergency Services Commissioner
14 February 2011

Schedule 1

EMERGENCY SERVICES AGENCY

COMMISSIONER’S GUIDELINES

relating to

Response Arrangements for Fires outside
of the Built-Up Area

Response Arrangements for Fires outside 
of the Built-Up Area

This Guideline reflects the result of consultation by the Chief Officer ACT Fire Brigade with the Chief Officer ACT Rural Fire Service for the purposes of the Emergencies Act 2004, section 29(3)(d) (Functions of the Chief Officer ACT Fire Brigade).

1.	All responses to fires outside of the built-up area will be by the nearest available most appropriate resource of the relevant emergency service, being either ACT Fire Brigade or ACT Rural Fire Service. The Officer in Charge of the first unit on scene has a responsibility to consider the most appropriate fire management strategy based on weather, location, time and the environment.  This may include either service calling the other service to attend in its place (or agreeing with the other service to remain in its place) to allow the first service to be redeployed to other duties.

2.	Where the ACT Fire Brigade and the ACT Rural Fire Service are in attendance at a grass fire or bushfire outside of the built up area, the Officers in Charge on scene from each service will liaise with each other and jointly determine the priorities and strategies for the management of the fire, including incident control.  If agreement is not quickly achieved on scene the Officer in Charge on scene from each service must immediately contact their respective Chief Officer.  The Chief Officers will then liaise with each other and appoint an Incident Controller and other key Incident Management Team (IMT) roles as required.

3.	If, in the opinion of the Chief Officer ACT Fire Brigade or the Chief Officer ACT Rural Fire Service the fire is likely to escalate, or has escalated, into a complex incident threatening life, property or significant environmental assets, or multiple incidents are occurring that may compete for resources, the fire will be under the control of an off-scene located IMT.  If an IMT is not in place, the Chief Officer ACT Fire Brigade and the Chief Officer ACT Rural Fire Service will liaise with each other and appoint an Incident Controller and other key IMT roles as required, taking into consideration the risk profile of the incident. 

4.	In the event that agreement is not reached between the Chief Officers as described in this Guideline, the Emergency Services Commissioner will appoint an Incident Controller and other key IMT roles as required.

Dictionary:

Note 1	The Emergencies Act 2004 and the Legislation Act 2001 contain definitions and other provisions relevant to this Guideline.

Note 2	For example, the Emergencies Act, dictionary, defines the following terms:

•	built-up area

•	bushfire abatement zone

•	city area

•	emergency service

•	rural area