GAUTENG PROVINCIAL DISASTER MANAGAMENT CENTRE

SUMMARY OF PROVINCIAL VELD FIRE RESPONSE ARRANGEMENTS

Presented by Roland G HendricksDirector: Fire & Rescue Services

Presentation overview

• Executive Summary• •Purpose of the plan

• Legal Framework

• Communication Structure

• Benefits of the veld fire contingency plan

• Conclusion

Executive summary

• Fire is a natural and essential ecological process, however, as was vividly illustrated in recent seasons it can also have undesirable social and economic impacts, threatening human health, safety and property.

• Balancing the potential benefits and risks of veld fire is a

complex task for land, natural resource and fire managers.

• It is also a task that is vital to public safety of communities.

Executive summary

• It is not possible or desirable to exclude all fire from the ecosystems but it is necessary to protect communities, infrastructure and natural resources from fire damage.

• The measures set out in this contingency plan may require a new understanding of the role of proactive fire management in supporting the goals of provincial veld fire management by many managers,

stakeholders, organizations and the public.

Purpose of the plan

• The purpose of this plan is to outline operational procedures for the management, response, and recovery of any incidents that may occur during the Veld Fire Season.

• Agencies will work within their established guidelines for emergency response in accordance with their established operational guidelines.

• To achieve an effective recovery the responding agencies will coordinate response and recovery activities under an approved Provincial Incident management System.

• The contingency plan must ensure a coordinated management approach.

Key objectives of the plan

• Reduce the hazards and risks associated with veld fires in and around communities and other identified areas.

• Plan and implement careful use of controlled burning in appropriate and under suitable conditions in order to reduce hazards and risks and achieve ecosystems and grasslands.

• Monitor veld fires occurring in areas where there is minimal risk to identified values and intervene when appropriate to reduce hazards and risks and ensure optimum use of fire suppression budgets and personnel.

• Ensure that plans adequately consider the management of veld fire at all appropriate scales in order to reduce hazards and risks, achieve healthy ecosystems to and ensure resource-efficient fire suppression.

• Develop a high level of public awareness and understanding about veld fires and its management to enable understanding and support for the Province’s management of veld fires.

Linkage to the Gauteng DM Plan and Framework

• The Veld Fire Contingency plan in conjunction with the Gauteng Disaster Management Plan is a plan-of-action for responding to veld fire disasters which fulfill the following criteria:

– The Local response capabilities are overwhelmed;– The Metropolitan council requests mutual aid assistance; and– The Provincial Government formally declares that a disaster has

occurred, activating the Disaster Management Act, Act 57 of 2002, – Assistance is requested by any neighboring province or country

NDMC

PROVINCIAL DM CENTREPROVJOC

(SAPS Central)

CoT WEST RANDCoJ

5 MUNICIPAL DM CENTRES

PROVINCIAL DEPARTMENTS

Other stakeholders that could become part of the system:

- Other governmental departments- NGOs (e.g. Red Cross- State Owned enterprises (ESKOM,

Spoornet, ACSA etc.)

24 LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES

ROLE PLAYERS AND COMMUNICATION STRUCTURE

CoE SEDIBENG

9 MUNICIPAL FIRE SERVICES CONTROL CENTRES

CoT WEST RAND CoJ CoE SEDIBENG

Benefits of the Veld Fire Contingency Plan Stakeholder Benefits

Communities and individualland owners

Reduced risk to:• Life and property• Public services and infrastructure• Public health due to smoke from unwanted fire• Security of water quality and quantity• Response to priority veld fire incidents

Provincial public health and safety aspects

Reduced risk of public health problems caused by unwanted fire (e.g., smoke, damage to domestic water supplies)Increased ability to manage smoke and prepare for mitigation of veld fire impactsReduced risk to public safety as a direct and indirect result of unwanted fire – particularly in vegetation-urban interface areas.

Benefits of the Veld Fire Contingency Plan Stakeholder Benefits

Provincial environmental aspects

Protect species-at-risk that rely on fire-dependent ecosystems.Increased ability to achieve climate change adaptation objectives.Ability to meet commitments to ecosystem.

Agricultural Greater certainty about costs and liabilities associated with ecosystems.Reduced risk of unwanted fire impacting livestock, water supplies, natural barriers, and infrastructure.

Forestry Greater certainty about costs and liability associated with fuel management and controlled burns.Reduced risk to investments from unwanted fire.

Benefits of the Veld Fire Contingency Plan Stakeholder Benefits

Resorts/Outdoor tourism industry

Reduced risk of:Business interruption and reputation damage due to unwanted fire.Damage to infrastructure.Catastrophic impacts on scenic values.

Other resource users Reduced risk of business interruption and loss of infrastructure due to unwanted fires.

Event triggers Level of

responseNature of response Trigger activating next level

response1 Single station response. Support required from other units within

the Fire Service to effectively manage the situation.

2 Multi-station response operations. Normal internal capability and resource capacity depleted.

3 Multiple inter-departmentalresponse operations.

Magnitude exceeds available capability and resources; spans across the jurisdiction of the municipality and/or legislative boundaries.

4 Multiple jurisdictional responseoperations constituting a localstate of disaster.

Engagement of resources from outside the municipality jurisdictional boundaries; additional powers invoked to deal effectively with the situation.

5 Multiple jurisdictional responseoperations constituting a provincialstate of disaster.

Engagement of resources from outsidejurisdictional boundaries; additional powers invoked to deal effectively with the situation

Event triggers Level of

responseNature of response Trigger activating next level

response1 Single station response. Support required from other units within

the Fire Service to effectively manage the situation.

2 Multi-station response operations. Normal internal capability and resource capacity depleted.

3 Multiple inter-departmentalresponse operations.

Magnitude exceeds available capability and resources; spans across the jurisdiction of the municipality and/or legislative boundaries.

4 Multiple jurisdictional responseoperations constituting a localstate of disaster.

Engagement of resources from outside the municipality jurisdictional boundaries; additional powers invoked to deal effectively with the situation.

5 Multiple jurisdictional responseoperations constituting a provincialstate of disaster.

Engagement of resources from outsidejurisdictional boundaries; additional powers invoked to deal effectively with the situation