Ocean Grove’s fire services ready for summer

FIREFIGHTERS in Ocean Grove are set for this year’s fire season, and are ready to handle the mix of urban and rural environments in the surrounding area.

The town’s fire station is shared between Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) and the County Fire Authority (CFA), and FRV assistant chief fire officer Mick McGuinness said the two agencies had separate areas of responsibility but worked closely together in the event of an emergency.

The station has been integrated with career and volunteer staff since 2010, and the state government’s fire service reforms have seen the career staff move into the FRV.

“The FRV really concentrates on the urban response, technical rescue, and hazardous materials response; and the CFA can be very focused on the bushfire-type response for the peninsula,” ACFO McGuinness said.

“From an administrative point of view, there’s a very clear administrative boundary set – this is the CFA’s area of focus and responsibility and this is the FRV area of focus and responsibility – however, from an umbrella view, we both look at the Bellarine at a whole and ask: how can we provide the best service to this community?

“It really comes down to having the right people with the right equipment and the right skillset on scene within the expected timeframes to deal with the incident that’s being responded to.”

He said the Bellarine Peninsula had become increasingly urban over recent decades.

“I live in Leopold, and when I came here about 30 years ago, Leopold had a population of 3,000 – look at it now; it’s 13,000.

“So much of Clifton Springs on the west side of Jetty Road didn’t exist; thousands of families have shifted in.”

He said good rainfall over winter and spring across the Bellarine resulted in good grass growth, so the main concern for the CFA and FRV this summer would be the abundance of fuels to support hot and intense grassfires.

“The community should have started at least a month ago to prepare their properties, particularly if they have rural environments around them.”

He said fire safety was a joint operation between the fire services and the community.

“There is an absolute responsibility from the community to know and understand fire, know the environment they live in, understand that environment and be prepared for that environment.

“Don’t expect the fire service is going to park a truck out the front of everybody’s house and protect their one and only property, because that just cannot happen.”

For more information on fire safety and preparing your property, head to frv.vic.gov.au or cfa.vic.gov.au.