Timely Reminder (Fires)

[monstermick58]

As we have quite a few fires burning around the country (mainly down the East Coast) I think its a timely reminder for you good people to sincerely think about your Bush Fire Survival Plan ( http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/file_system/images/State08/Attachment_20121020_D3C805A2.png ) if you can see bush or trees or grassland do yourself and family a favour and for god's sake have a look and try to understand the devastation that fires can create, to those that have done this I cannot commend you enough.

PLANNING TO MAKE A PLAN IS NOT A PLAN






                                   Mmick

[ungeheuer]

We have a tried and tested bushfire survival plan:

Place a sign on the gate that says "let it burn", load the family and insurance documents into the car and RUN THE make the beast with two backs AWAY. 

Early.

Fighting fires to save replaceable stuff makes no sense to me.

[dragonworld.]

I have mates who are volunteers in the CFA and I dont want them put in any more danger than necessary because some dickhead didnt make escape plans and/or couldnt make up their thick "it wont happen to me" minds to "GET THE make the beast with two backs OUT!!" 

A BIG keep safe to all our emergency services people! 

[DBEng]

I am also on the leave with your life and let insurance fix your house philosophy.

Another suggestion though with digital photos and stuff these days, make a back up on an external hard drive of all of this irreplaceable stuff (including insurance policy numbers) and keep it somewhere offsite.  Not sure if the CFA site covers this but it is good general advice anyway in case your house is subject to flood, fire, act of god, or whatever else.

[monstermick58]

I hear what you are saying Ung

   And getting out early is a plan, the only thing that you need to do before you get out is ask yourself this.

     What is my trigger to leave (or to quote you guys 'get the make the beast with two backs out')? Will it be smoke in the area, weather reports, news flash, elderly relatives. anyway I could rattle on but I have crews to organise for this Tuesdays deployment so have a plan and stay safe.





                                       Mmick

[cokey]

Living ina city I don't deal with this.. is there any way for an individual to clear out said brush to prevent fires from reaching their house?  I would still evac as the smoke alone can cause you harm..
Stay safe out there Mick..  I hope to join a FD here in the states one day..

[monstermick58]

Living ina city I don't deal with this.. is there any way for an individual to clear out said brush to prevent fires from reaching their house?  I would still evac as the smoke alone can cause you harm..
Stay safe out there Mick..  I hope to join a FD here in the states one day..

I don't know where you live Cokey, It's almost impossible to stop fires or embers reaching you but you can be pro-active and prevent the damage that they can cause to the dwelling you are trying to protect, follow this link http://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/dsp_content.cfm?cat_id=4073   and it will show you how to prepare your property





                                   Mmick

[ungeheuer]

I hear what you are saying Ung

   And getting out early is a plan, the only thing that you need to do before you get out is ask yourself this.

     What is my trigger to leave (or to quote you guys 'get the make the beast with two backs out')? Will it be smoke in the area, weather reports, news flash, elderly relatives. anyway I could rattle on but I have crews to organise for this Tuesdays deployment so have a plan and stay safe.





                                       Mmick

When our small community was under threat... there were frequent town meetings to update the situation....  and when the local CFA Chief said "...tomorrow has the potential to be catastrophic..."  we figured that was trigger enough for us to leave.

Leaving the place to its fate is IMO the safest plan.  But thats only part of the point I'm trying to make. 

There's also this: If I have decided not to risk my own neck to stay and "defend" my property, I DONT EXPECT ANYBODY ELSE TO RISK THEIR NECK TO DEFEND IT EITHER.

Let it burn.  I pay insurance premiums for a reason and GIO aint gonna give any of us a discount coz we died with a hose in our hands.

Mmick, thanks for your service to the community.  Stay safe!

[cokey]

I'm in NYC..  but will be in a hot country side withing 2 years