Community Fire Refuges

October 2011

LEADERSHIP INTEGRATION ACCOUNTABILITY

Policy Objective
The objective of this policy is to provide the framework for identifying, establishing, managing, operating, maintaining, recording, auditing and decommissioning community re refuges in areas of very high risk where other bushre survival options are limited.

Scope
This policy provides the framework for the provision of community re refuges in Victoria.

Denitions A community fire refuge is a designated building open to the public that can provide short-term shelter from the immediate life-threatening eects of a bushre event. The Building Regulations 2006 state: Community re refuge means a building, or part of a building, to be used by the public for short term shelter from a re front during a bushre event. The Country Fire Authority Act 1958 denes a community re refuge as a place that is (a) to be used by the public for short-term shelter from a re front during a bushre; and (b) designated as a community re refuge in (i) a municipal re prevention plan under Part IV (of the CFA Act); or (ii) a municipal emergency management plan under the Emergency Management Act 1986.

Policy Statement
1. Protecting the life and safety of individuals during a bushfire is paramount. Achieving this outcome is a responsibility shared between individuals, communities, State and local governments and the emergency services. 2. Community re refuges are one of a number of bushre safety options contained in Victorias Bushre Safety Policy Framework. The provision of refuges must be based on a thorough local risk assessment. They should be considered in the context of all of the survival options available to a community in a very high bushfire risk area. Other shelter options include private bushfire shelters and Neighbourhood Safer Places. 3. Community re refuges will be considered a priority in communities where other survival strategies are likely to fail. In isolated areas where the safest option (leaving early) is impractical, the provision of community refuges may become a high priority. 4. Community re refuges have inherent limitations. They are not a guarantee of safety. Community re refuges: a. have a nite capacity b. may involve risk of injury or death, especially if there is the need to travel through re-aected landscape to reach the refuge, either by vehicle or on foot. c. do not cater for pets or livestock d. may have limited vehicle parking e. will not always be attended or protected by emergency services f. provide basic shelter onlycommunity services such as meals and medical services will not be provided g. are not necessarily designed to be a place of shelter from other types of emergencies (e.g. to escape rising oodwaters or as a shelter from severe weather events). 5. A community re refuge must have the following attributes: it has been purpose-built or modied in accordance with the performance requirements specied by the relevant provisions of the Victorian Building Regulations 2006 and the Building Code of Australia it has been formally designated as a community re refuge in accordance with Part III of the Country Fire Authority Act 1958, and Its suitability as a refuge is subject to an annual audit and inspection regime to be determined by the Fire Services Commissioner.

Community Fire Refuges

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Policy Statement (continued)

6. The identication, designation, management, operation, maintenance, audit, recording and decommissioning of refuges will be in accordance with Community Fire Refuges - Practices and Procedures. 7. A community re refuge may be a multi-use facility or part of such a facility provided it meets the relevant requirements for siting, location, construction, access, availability and maintenance outlined in Community Fire Refuges Practices and Procedures and the Building Regulations. 8. Municipal councils are responsible for identifying and designating community re refuges taking into account advice from municipal re and emergency management planning committees and the relevant provisions of the Building Regulations. 9. Community re refuges will initially be owned by State or Local Government authorities, which will be responsible for the management, operation and maintenance of the refuge. 10. Municipal councils are required under the CFA Act to inform CFA annually of any designated community re refuges in their municipal district. CFA must publish a list on its website and circulate the list to the people listed in the CFA Act. 11. Municipal councils are responsible for decommissioning community refuges that are no longer suitable or are unable to meet the performance requirements of the Building Regulations and the Building Code of Australia. 12. The State will introduce legislation in 2012 to provide appropriate protection from legal liability in relation to death or injury arising from the use of a community re refuge designated and operated in accordance with this policy and any related practices and procedures. The State will provide indemnity pending the passage of this legislation . 13. Community re refuges will have no planned role in the recovery or relief arrangements subsequent to bushre events. 14. Community re refuges may have a role in eecting specic evacuations recommended by an incident controller.

Related documents Community Fire Refuges Practices and Procedures.

Other Links and References Country Fire Authority Act 1958 (www.legislation.vic.gov.au) Emergency Management Act 1986 (www.legislation.vic.gov.au) Building Regulations 2006 (www.legislation.vic.gov.au) Policy Owner Fire Services Commissioner Review The Fire Services Commissioner will review this policy within 12 months or upon the promulgation of a national standard for the construction of community re refuges. The policy will also be subject to review as part of the annual review of the Bushre Safety Policy Framework.

Related Policies
Bushre Safety Policy Framework Victorias Bushre Safety Policy Framework is designed to oer people living in highrisk bushre areas a range of survival options. Community re refuges are one of a number of contingency shelter options (along with private bushre shelters, defending a well-prepared property, Neighbourhood Safer Places and informal places of shelter) which may oer some protection during a bushre event, but do not guarantee safety. Not every survival option will be appropriate or eective in every high-risk area. The provision of community re refuges may not be appropriate in all communities, especially those where other survival options will be more eective. The Framework stresses that people living in high bushre risk areas must prepare and plan for bushre based on their own personal circumstances, including preparing and practising their own bushre survival plans. A community re refuge does not take the place of such plans, but may be an appropriate contingency shelter option to include in a plan. The Framework is available at www.recommissioner.vic.gov.au.

Related Policies Bushre Safety Policy Framework Community Fire Refuges Page 3 Victorias Bushre Safety Policy Framework is designed to oer people living in high-risk bushre areas a range of survival options. Community re refuges