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Brigade Training

The brigade has an active training program every year. To check out the schedule for 2011, please Click Here.

As the year winds down, the Brigade has helped some local land owners with hazard reduction burning. It also is a good opportunity for newer members to understand fire behavior. Congratulations to the "Wookies", our graduates of 2011 for successfully completing their FM1 assessments at Flinders Peak on the 4th December.

October Highlights

For Thursday night theory; the brigade covered leadership. Jim took members through an understanding of rank structures and the chain of command in a very entertaining way.

George covered the tasks and management side of being a Duty Officer for the senior fitrefighters and crew leaders.

September Highlights

For the training day in September; the Brigade members visited Ipswich Urban Station 45. The main aim of the day was to understand what similarities and what differences occur with the different equipment used by Urban Firefighters as we interact regularly in Izone areas.

 

45 Station at Ipswich

Peter Van Nida (Acting Urban Training Officer) hosted the visit and showed us around the vehicles starting with 645Y, a 4WD Izone appliance.

Unfortunately we didn't get a good look over the 645M Command Vehicle as it was called out to a large grass fire during the visit.

Peter then ran us through the 645J TAP appliance.

Some Urban Firefighters are trialing a new face mask system for vegetation fires that still allow for semi-normal communications. Peter discussed these units along with the self contained breathing apparatus systems typically used by the Urban branch of the service.

To finish the visit, members had a glimpse of the smoke training room just after it had been used for test run. Not for the faint hearted.

Thank you to Peter for the hospitality and Shane Hogan SO for the invite.

August Highlights

The Brigade went through a wide range of core skills for the August training session. Crews returned to the scene of the crime so to speak at the site of an earlier hazard reduction burn near Swanbank to run through crew safety, back burning options, pump operation, fighting fire with water, vehicle positioning and burn over drills.

John running through back burning and burn over with part of the group.

Dave running through awareness of equipment locations.

Meanwhile at another location, Chucka and Squirt (Gary and Steve) ran through similar drills also with a burn over practice.

RV52 and crew going through the burn over drill.

Inside the cabin, nearly all covered.

It took a crowbar to get Hungry (Matty) out.

Welcome to the Brigade Gavin Costello.

On the way back to station, crews got reacquainted with stand pipes etc.

Thanks to all members who came along.

July Highlights

With the fire season well on us; the Brigade sharpened up skills in the field with a joint Rural / Auxiliary training day.

 

The crew from 673 Station at Rosewood joined the Brigade for training and brought along their Yankee Unit.

Of course whilst there are many differences in plumbing etc; there are many similarities.

Crews undertook a joint small broad acre hazard reduction burn.

The new high pressure system on RV51 got a test run and proved very helpful in punching through thick grass.

It was a case of welcome to the brigade John Z (aka Stiggy). That's JB lying around on the job.

Amy coaching Clayton at his first grass fire.

June Highlights

As we approach our fire season, training gets more and more hands on and in June, training was incorporated with a Hazard Reduction (HR) Burn program. To view this story; please Click Here.

May Highlights

The Team tackled Team Building for May's training. The first few exercises were brain benders; especially with the drawing abilities of some of our artistically challenged members. Luckily Tracey showed us how to get one right.

..and then there was the design challenge. To design a structure from paper and straws to help an egg survive a 4 metre drop.

It was a good thing we don't work for NASA...

Next the start of the team coordination exercises. Keeping on a line and changing positions. Not a task for the feint hearted or pot bellied!

Then outside for a case of the blind leading the blind.

Some people needed a lot of help, not mentioning any names Chucka.

Neil in style.

But the prize effort for the day went to Brian. He is still in therapy.

A great fun day for all members; thanks to Amy and Antie for organising it.

April Highlights

 

The Brigade headed into serious bush recently; actually it was at the end of Bayliss Road, Ripley for training.

John gave an overview on situation awareness and safety considerations with remote structure scenario.

The team next went to one of the areas newest suburbs at Augustine Heights to view a true Izone scenario.

Some of the very new estates aren't on maps or GPS units and so local knowledge coupled with historical knowledge are essential in Izone areas. We won't talk about mud map creation. That was also a lesson of the past.

The Brigade covered property protection in the Izone in earlier training.

Crews carried out practical exercises including strategies, communications, incident control and crew safety on a rural property along Fischer Road, Ripley.

Debrief and training discussions for the teams. Bowlsie was happy; we didn't loose his house.

 

To view last years training activities, please Click Here.

To view the Burn Over Drill Exercise, please Click Here.