Firefighting Equipment


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	Fire Safety
	Firefighting Equipment
	Certain basic safety equipment is important for ensuring that your household can cope in a fire emergency. You have to help the brigade so they can help you.

The telephone may seem like a funny thing to put at the head of the list, but in a fire situation, use this first. Ring the brigade (000 or 6230 3232 or 0418 303 232). They would rather help you put out a little fire than have to call in the whole district to deal with a big one because the emergency call was delayed.

A radio with batteries can help you keep in touch with what is going on if there is a major incident in the district and the electricity is cut off.

A water source, whether it be house tanks, swimming pool, dam or creek, should be accessible for firefighting. There should be adequate access for fire trucks. In a really extreme season when the dams have dried up, remember that you don't want to be down to the last few litres in the house tanks if a fire comes through so don't leave it too late if you need to buy in domestic water.

You should have a firefighting pump which is not dependent upon electricity, in case the electricity is turned off during a bushfire. It should be kept fitted out, fuelled and in working order. Don't keep it neatly boxed and in bits in the shed in case of emergency. Use it to water the vegies so you know it is working. The brigade is not going to expect you to stand in front of a towering inferno with your little 5 hp Honda portable. In fact they will discourage you actively from doing it. But you can use it to fill up your gutters and wet down around your house before the fire arrives and extinguish any hot spots if a fast moving grass fire has passed through. If you pump your house water directly from a bore using an electric pump, think about an additional source, or some additional storage, for emergencies.

Not all fires are bushfires. Don't forget the extinguishers, fire blankets and smoke alarms for the domestic emergencies. The brigade has attended its share of kitchen and domestic fires.

You might live in the Sutton district for decades without having to deal with a fire on your property, but there is no value in just hoping it doesn't happen and panicking in case it does. We live in combustible country. The brigade deals with a number of fires every year, most of them grass fires and most of them minor. Fires will happen. A bit of sensible preparation can ensure that the once in a blue moon incident is not a personal disaster for you.

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