How COVID-19 restrictions could change CFS firefighting tactics

As the state prepares for two scorchers, firefighters are preparing to send out trucks with fewer crew members - because of social distancing.

Harsher COVID-19 restrictions have the potential to change firefighting tactics – including sending out fewer crew members aboard each truck.

Country Fire Service volunteers have spent the week preparing for two 40C days and brigade leaders have also had to take into account tighter-than-usual restrictions that are unlikely to ease until Tuesday.

Aldgate CFS captain Grant Wood said firefighters would work around the restrictions.

“The tactics that we use to fight fires – there’s not just one tool in the toolkit, we can always fight fires in different ways,” Mr Wood said.

“We might take one less firefighter in the vehicle, which might mean the CFS has to consider more fire trucks to make up for that.”

Mr Wood said crews would be on active standby if the fire danger index passed 60, as is predicted on Friday, but the restrictions meant brigade leaders might also need to be selective in the crews sent out to fires.

Aldgate CFS volunteers Erin Barrera, Dan Deans (grandson of an Aldgate fire brigade founding member), Judy Vardon, and Grant Wood. Picture Dean Martin

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“It might not just be that the first six (available) get on the truck and go, we might actually make an assessment to choose the crew that’s appropriate,” he said.

“And that might mean that some of the new people don’t get to go out and fight fires straight away, which is unfortunate, but it needs to be done to look after everybody.”

Mr Wood urged everyone to have a bushfire action plan and to avoid last-minute decisions to leave high-risk areas on extreme or catastrophic fire danger days. The CFS has predicted Friday will be a day of extreme fire danger in the Mount Lofty Ranges.

The Aldgate brigade, like many throughout SA, has undergone significant personnel changes since last year’s horrific fire season, which saw members fight fires are far afield as NSW, Port Lincoln, the Yorke Peninsula, Kangaroo Island and, of course, in their own backyard during the Cudlee Creek fire.

The 40-person brigade lost about 50 years worth of firefighting experience after the summer but has welcomed 10 new members since March.

Some of the new members were forced to wait up to six months to complete their basic firefighting courses because of social distancing regulations and other pandemic-enforced delays.

Erin Barrera and her father Adam joined in January and combines her commitment with the CFS with university study and work as a lifeguard and swimming instructor.

“I’ve always been interested in what the CFS does and when dad said he was thinking of joining I thought it was so fantastic for us to do this together,” she said. “So far I’ve been to two vehicle accidents, a tree down and a chimney fire but have yet to get on a fireground.”

Judy Vardon joined to offer operational support.

“There are heaps of supporting roles that are really important including radio operator, scribe (recording what’s happening), logistics, resources, planning and investigation,” she said. “All you need are basic clerical and computer skills and to have your wits about you.”

The Aldgate CFS features in a new book, to be released next year, which examines into the history of fires in the Adelaide Hills. An extract from that book appears in Saturday’s SAWeekend magazine.