// BUSH FIRE INFORMATION SHEET EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION education.nsw.gov.au | 1

Bush Fires and Early Childhood Education and Care ServicesThe National Law requires that early childhood education and care services operate in a way that ensures that every reasonable precaution is taken to protect children being educated and cared for by the service from harm and any hazard likely to cause injury, including responding to potential bush fire risks.

Regulations 97 and 168(2)(e) of the Education and Care Services National Regulations require an approved provider of an education and care service to have an emergency and evacuation policy and procedure which includes the following information:

■ risk assessment to identify the potential emergencies that are relevant to the service

■ instructions for what must be done in the event of any emergency

■ emergency and evacuation procedures and a floor plan

In NSW, Clause 83 of the Supplementary Provisions Regulation requires that home-based, mobile and occasional care services develop, maintain and implement a written emergency plan

(including evacuation procedures) for fire and other emergencies.

Services of all kinds are required to ensure that emergency procedures are regularly practised with staff members and volunteers of the service and children being cared for by the service.

This Information Sheet is designed to provide early childhood education and care services with information and support to assist them in preparing for bush fire conditions and responding appropriately during periods of high fire danger or local bush fire activity.

This Information Sheet does not address business continuity planning but does assume that early childhood education and care services have a business continuity plan in place.

Services in a bush fire prone areaA bush fire prone area is an area of land that can support a bush fire or is likely to be subject to bush fire attack. Bush fire prone land maps are prepared by local councils and certified by the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS).

Information Sheet for the 2017/2018 Bush Fire SeasonEarly Childhood Education and Care

INFORMATION SHEET

All early childhood education and care services should contact their local council to determine if they are in a bush fire prone area.

The NSW Department of Education places specific obligations on principals of NSW government schools located in bush fire prone areas. Early education and care services located on government school grounds should consult with the school about emergency planning. School principals are expected to consult with early childhood education and care services in this regard. Services should instigate this consultation if it hasn’t already occurred.

Services should be aware that even if they are not located in a bush fire prone area, their site could still be potentially impacted by bush fire. If a service site adjoins bush fire prone areas, for instance, smoke and embers from a bush fire can travel through the air and local traffic conditions can be affected by bush fires.

ECE service responsibilities Services are responsible for the preparedness and safety of their service in relation to bush fires. They are also responsible for coordinating the emergency response of the site in the event of an emergency.

While all services are expected to have emergency and evacuation procedures in place, services located in bush fire prone areas should prepare specific bush fire response procedures in the event their site is impacted by bush fire.

The NSW RFS has an online resource which services in or close to bush fire prone areas are encouraged to complete: Bush Fire Response Procedure

A bush fire response procedure should identify key actions including:

■ Prevention measures the service will take before and during the bush fire season

■ Response measures the service will take when faced with a particular bush fire hazard or bush fire emergency situation

■ Recovery measures to support the return of services and routines.

Services should identify and plan for specific bush fire hazards and risks relevant to their location and situation and document this planning in relevant policies and procedures. This will ensure that decisions on what to do in response to bush fires and when is understood by staff in advance of a bush fire emergency situation.

Services need to put policies and procedures in place to ensure appropriate information, to assist staff in responding to bushfire conditions and acting appropriately during periods of high bush fire danger or local bushfire activity, is received and shared.

Fact sheet for the 2017/2018 bush fire season

// BUSH FIRE INFORMATION SHEET EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION education.nsw.gov.au | 2

Things to consider ■ What are your onsite and offsite evacuation

procedures? Whole neighbourhoods can be impacted by bush fire and services need to identify offsite evacuation sites not in the immediate vicinity of their service.

■ What assistance do you need to evacuate the children in your care? If any of your children or staff have special needs or will require assistance to evacuate, services need to have pre-arrangements in place to ensure this assistance can be provided during an emergency.

■ If you do evacuate, how will parents know where to find their children? Services need to ensure they retain access to parent/carer contact information once offsite. Services should also ensure that parents/carers know what these evacuation procedures are in advance of any emergency.

■ What facilities are available at your pre-identified evacuation sites?

■ How will you ensure that children are only released to persons authorised to collect them?

■ If it’s not safe to evacuate, are you equipped to shelter-in-place at your usual location?

-■ What mechanisms do you have in place to ensure the transfer of real-time information, such as weather forecasts, bush fire activity, site closures, and emergency operations? Services need to have arrangements in place to receive and share appropriate information and advice that will assist staff to respond appropriately.

■ How do you make visitors and contractors aware of your service’s emergency response procedures?

Terminology Bush Fire SeasonThe bush fire season generally runs from 1 October until 31 March annually, however the NSW RFS Commissioner may alter this period in a local government area, dependent on the conditions. During the bush fire season additional restrictions apply, such as requiring a permit to undertake certain types of burning in the open.

Fire Danger Rating (FDR) During the bush fire season, Fire Danger Ratings (FDR) are issued by the Bureau of Meteorology each afternoon for the following day within a specific NSW Weather Fire Area. An FDR gives you an indication of the consequence of a fire, if a fire was to start. The rating is based on predicted weather conditions, including forecast temperature, dryness, humidity and wind. The higher the FDR, the more dangerous the conditions.

A Low Moderate FDR means that a fire will not burn or burn so

slowly that it will be easily controlled

At the higher end of the scale, Severe, Extreme and Catastrophic

FDRs mean that a fire will be unpredicatable, uncontrollable and

very fast moving

LOW-MODERATE CATASTROPHIC

HIGH

VERY HIG

H SEVE

RE

EXTREME

Further information on FDR is available from NSW RFS Fire Danger Ratings website. During periods of increased fire danger and when there is local bush fire activity, it is important for services to stay up to date on the FDR for their NSW Fire Area.

Fact sheet for the 2017/2018 bush fire season

// BUSH FIRE INFORMATION SHEET EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION education.nsw.gov.au | 3

Bush Fire Alert LevelsWhere a bush fire has been detected, the NSW RFS uses Bush Fire Alert Levels to give an indication of the level of threat from a fire. The Bush Fire Alert Level will give information about the severity of the fire, its location and what you should do.

During periods of increased fire danger and when there is local bush fire activity, it is important for services to stay up to date with Bush Fire Alert Levels. Further information on Alert Levels is available from NSW RFS Alert Levels website.

ADVICEA fire has started.There is no immediate danger. Stay up to date in case the situation changes.

WATCH AND ACTThere is a heightened level of threat. Conditions are changing and you need to start taking action to protect you and your family.

EMERGENCY WARNINGAn Emergency Warning is the highest level of Bush Fire Alert. You may be in danger and need to take action immediately. Any delay now puts your life at risk.

Neighbourhood Safer PlacesNeighbourhood Safer Places are a place of last resort during a bush fire emergency. They may include buildings or open spaces that are away from bushland and can provide some protection from the immediate threat of fire. Neighbourhood Safer Places do not guarantee safety and should only be used as a place of last resort during a bush fire.

Not all areas will have a Neighbourhood Safer Place. Where this is the case, a safer location that is away from the bushland should be identified where required.

Further information on Neighbourhood Safer Places is available from NSW RFS Neighbourhood Safer Places website

Prevention strategies A number of prevention measures may be undertaken to prepare your service:

■ Review and update your emergency management plan to ensure that appropriate response strategies are in place which can be implemented in the event of a bush fire.

■ If a service is located in a bush fire prone area, complete a Bush Fire Response Procedure.

■ Communicate with your staff and parent body about specific bush fire preparedness information and arrangements.

■ Outline bush fire response procedures at a staff meeting in late September / early October. Consider having emergency management as a standing agenda item.

■ Consult with NSW RFS about your bush fire arrangements, including your evacuation plans and a shelter in place option. If your service will require assistance to evacuate children, please let your local RFS unit know.

Fact sheet for the 2017/2018 bush fire season

// BUSH FIRE INFORMATION SHEET EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION education.nsw.gov.au | 4

■ Ensure that local emergency services have up to date contact details of people in day-to-day charge including a mobile number for emergency contact after hours.

■ Conduct fire drills.

■ Clear gutters of dry leaves and other debris.

■ Lock away flammable items such as door mats and garbage skips.

■ Consider how you will communicate during an emergency.

■ Organise and communicate with off-site evacuation sites about emergency arrangements.

Further information on bush fire conditions or activity It is important that services stay up to date during periods of increased fire danger and when there is a bush fire in the local area. Services can do this by:

■ Knowing the Fire Danger Rating (FDR) for your NSW Fire Area (especially on hot, dry and windy days)

■ Actively monitor information on fire activity through TV, radio and the NSW RFS website https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/

■ Be on alert for warnings such as Bush Fire Alert Levels issued by the NSW RFS

■ Watch for signs of fire, especially smoke or the smell of smoke

■ Call the NSW RFS Bush Fire Information Line on 1800 NSW RFS (1800 679 737)

■ Download the free NSW RFS Fires Near Me - Mobile App

How can I learn more? NSW Rural Fire Service: NSW RFS Homepage https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/

The NSW Rural Fire Service has an online bush fire survival plan which services in or close to bush fire prone areas are encouraged to complete: Bush Fire Emergency Management and Evacuation Plan https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/plan-and-prepare/building-in-a-bush-fire-area/bush-fire-emergency-management-and-evacuation-plan

Other fire-related education resources on building, workplace and community fire safety can be accessed on the Fire & Rescue NSW site: https://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/

Other useful sites include:Emergency NSW: https://www.emergency.nsw.gov.au/

Live Traffic: https://www.livetraffic.com/desktop.html

Fires Near Me: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/fire-information/fires-near-me

Fact sheet for the 2017/2018 bush fire season

// BUSH FIRE INFORMATION SHEET EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION education.nsw.gov.au | 5