AFAC has developed a nationally accredited short course – 22023VIC Course in Basic Wildfire Awareness (BWA) – for people who perform support roles (under supervision) at a wildfire such as drivers of heavy equipment and media liaison personnel. A number of fire agencies recognise this course as the minimum requirement for non-firefighting support staff who may attend wildfires.
The BWA Course is not intended to replace training in firefighting, and people undertaking support roles will be expected to hold the technical competencies necessary to perform those roles (e.g. a Driver's Licence), in addition to completing the BWA Course. Agencies must ensure support personnel receive sufficient training and information prior to entering the fire workplace to satisfy OHS obligations.
The BWA Course has replaced Module 1.26 Basic Wildfire Awareness in the Certificate II in Firefighting (Operations) which has been superseded by the Public Safety Training Package. The Public Safety Training Package and other training packages have no competencies that are the equivalent of this course.
The BWA Course is presently accredited for the period:
1st January 2010 to 31st December 2014.
Course delivery
The course is delivered by registered training organisations (RTOs) licensed by AFAC. (AFAC does not function as an RTO.)
Non-commercial providers
The following organisations are licensed by AFAC to undertake internal (non-commercial) delivery of the Course in BWA:
- Australian Capital Territory Emergency Services Agency
- Bushfires NT
- Country Fire Authority, Victoria
- Country Fire Service, South Australia
- Department of Community Safety, Queensland – Queensland Fire & Rescue Service
- Department of Sustainability & Environment, Victoria
- Fire & Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia
- Forestry Tasmania
- Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, Melbourne
- New South Wales Rural Fire Service
- Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service
- South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service
- Tasmania Fire Service
Commercial providers
The following training organisations are licensed by AFAC to undertake external (commercial) delivery the Course in BWA:
Registered training organisations meeting AFAC's selection criteria can apply to become an AFAC BWA Short Course Licensee.For more information contact
Benjamin Smith or call +61 3 9418 5226
