- Title:
-
Weather Services in the Integrated Emergency Co-ordination Centre
- Date:
- September 2008
- Organisations
- Bureau of Meteorology
- Authors:
Kevin Parkyn
Contributing Authors: Peter Billing, Alen Slijepcevic, Mark Woodman , ClaireYeo
- Location:
- Australia, VIC, Australia
Overview
The International Bushfire Research Conference 2008 - incorporating The 15th annual AFAC Conference, Adelaide, South Australia, Australia
In 2007, the Department of Sustainability and Environment (DSE) in Victoria, requested the provision of a meteorologist from the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) to its Emergency Co-ordination Centre (ECC) for the 2007-2008 bushfire season. The ECC is the location where the DSE coordinates its reponse to bushfires on public land and a range of other emergencies for which it is a response agency. The centre is from one with a primarily DSE focus to an intergrated ECC for DSE and its partners: the Country Fire Authority, State Emergency Service, Metropolitan Fire Brigade and Parks Victoria.
The funds for this initiative were provided by the DSE and were used to cover costs associated with a BOM computer workstation and employing fire weather forecasters from the US, who backfilled fire weather forecasting positions in the BOM's Regional Forecast Centre in Victoria.
Placing a meteorologist within the ECC created a stronger link between the BOM and emergency service agencies, particuarly in the strategic planning arena. Fire managers' were able to leverage off the dedicated weather resource by gaining a clearer understanding of forecast conditions and associated uncertainties. During fire episodes the meteorologist was able to work closely with the fire behaviour analyst, strengthening the link between fire weather forecasts and fire behaviour predicition. The initiative also assisted the meteorologists' understanding of how emergency services use weather forecast products to make resourcing, tactical and strategic decisions.
Prescribed burns were better managed due to the better communication of expected fire weather conditions to DSE from the meteorologist placed in the ECC.
A review of the operation was conducted in May, which sort to provide a more permenant arrangement based on the experience with further financial support from DSE and CFA.
