30 December 2009
Record number of Victorians get FireReady
A record number of Victorians have attended bushfire preparedness meetings this year.
CFA CEO Mick Bourke said CFAs FireReady Victoria meetings have had 44,000 attendees since June.
More than 44,000 people have attended FireReady meetings in the last six months thats more than a 50
per cent increase from last fire season, he said. These record attendance figures show how communities
have taken on a strong commitment to be informed and ready for this bushfire season.
To cope with this increased demand, CFA has created an online community meeting booking system under
To meet this significant increase in attendance figures, CFA has scheduled an additional 130 Fire Ready
meetings in January and February. This takes the number of meetings to 1730 a 57 per cent increase on the
entire 2008/09 fire season.
Bushfires are a reality for the state of Victoria. This spike in attendance to these meetings is an encouraging
sign people understand they must prepare and develop their personal Bushfire Survival plan well in advance,
Mr Bourke said.
CFA urges all residents, workers and holiday makers in bushfire-prone areas to develop a bushfire survival
plan today, he said.
The one-hour FireReady sessions are designed by CFA to help reduce the loss of lives and homes in
bushfires, are open to all members of the community and are facilitated by trained presenters. Topics
discussed include bushfire behaviour, personal safety, property preparation and a review of local risks.
Sessions are promoted on the CFA website and through local radio and newspapers.
In addition to the FireReady meetings, more than 6,600 additional people have also attended CFAs
comprehensive Community Fireguard program since June.
This bushfire safety program runs for up to 12 months using specially trained facilitators to work with
community groups to develop bushfire survival strategies specific to their risk environment and local needs.
Groups can go on street or property walks to identify the risks in their street, as well as look at available fire
protection equipment in their area.
To obtain your copy of the FireReady Kit, to learn more about CFAs bushfire preparedness programs or to
find the next FireReady meeting near your home visit cfa.vic.gov.au or call the Victorian Bushfire Information
Line on 1800 240 667.
Further information
CFA Media
(03) 5330 3124
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