Role statement - Fire Rescue Victoria

Fire Rescue Victoria

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) was established in July 2020 as part of Victoria’s Fire Services Reform, to provide fire safety, fire suppression and fire prevention services and emergency response in the FRV fire district. FRV personnel are highly trained and ready to respond to emergencies such as fires, complex rescues, road crashes, emergency medical calls and hazardous chemical spills, and work closely with agencies within the emergency services sector, particularly the Country Fire Authority (CFA).

Mitigation

Activity Critical task alignment / activity source

Reduce the number of fires and hazardous incidents through:

  
  • developing/enforcing of relevant legislation and regulations

1.1
  • changing community behaviour through public education and legislation
 1.1, 2.1
  • increasing the understanding of the use of fire protection and detection systems
 1.2, 1.4
  • increasing community involvement and awareness in hazard prevention
 1.4, 2.1
  • applying risk management strategies to identified community risk
 1.5
  • broadening community awareness and preparedness to minimise the impact of an emergency on the community
 2.1, 6.3

Engage with communities to build their resilience in preventing and managing emergencies, through targeted and general education programs

6.4

Participating agency, for the following bushfire mitigation activities:

  • land use planning
  • building regulations, standards and codes
  • landscape fuel management including legislative requirements
  • fire ignition controls including total fire danger period determination, fire ban days and arson programs
  • community education, awareness and engagement to prevent and respond to bushfire and bushfire smoke
  • seasonal arrangements to ensure capability

Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Participating agency, for the following earthquake mitigation activity:

  • building standards / regulations and enforcement (post 1989, 1993, 2007 standards)

Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Participating agency for the following electricity supply disruption mitigation activities: 

  • Legislative framework, e.g. Electricity Industry Act 2000, Electricity Safety Act 1998, associated regulations, national electricity laws and rules, and critical infrastructure resilience requirements under the Emergency Management Act 2013 (referral agency for electrical infrastructure and EM planning) 
  • public communication and engagement 
  • urban development and planning (referral agency) 
  • industry forums, including regular emergency exercises 
  • community microgrids and sustainable renewable energy programs (isolated battery storage and generators) 
  • coal mine regulation and emergency preparedness 

Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Participating agency for the following gas supply disruption mitigation activity: 

  • industry forums, including regular emergency exercises 

Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Participating agency for the following hazardous materials (including industrial waste) incident mitigation activities: 

  • reduction/substitution of HAZMAT use (including inventory minimisation) 
  • land use planning 
  • regulate and process facility/residential/ commercial development designs 
  • HAZMAT storage design and maintenance (including transport design) 
  • HAZMAT transport requirements (e.g. prohibitions, material volume and selection, route and timing selection, transport mode, stakeholder engagement (e.g. WorkSafe Victoria, FRV, DTP, CFA, transporter, receiver)) 
  • pre-transport consequence modelling and readiness (plume modelling) 
  • Dangerous Goods transporter maintenance, training, licensing, inspection etc. (road/rail/marine, pipeline) 
  • legislation/regulation and enforcement (e.g. Major Hazard Facilities, Dangerous Goods Code preventative requirements), supported by audits and inspection 

Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Participating agency for the following mine, quarry and petroleum (exploration or production site) emergency mitigation activities: 

  • legislation, regulation and enforcement of legislation including, but not limited to, the Mineral Resources (Sustainable Development) Act 1990 and regulations (licensing and approvals process for operators of mines, quarries and coal mines), EM Act 2013, EM (Critical Infrastructure Resilience) Regulations 2015, Country Fire Authority Act 1958 and Regulations 2014, Energy Safe Victoria Act 2005, and Petroleum Act 1998 

 Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation

Participating agency for the following liquid fuel disruption mitigation activity: 

  • industry forums, including regular emergency exercises 

 Table 8: Participating agencies for mitigation
Maintain ICC and RCC facilities under FRV responsibility  3.3

Response (including Relief)

Activity Critical task alignment / activity source

Control agency for fire and other emergencies (as identified in the Response table) for the FRV Fire District (including the Port of Melbourne and waters as defined in the Port Management Act 1995): 

  • other accidents involving gas leakage, lifts, cranes or scaffolding and amusement structures 
  • fire and explosion incidents, including those involving aircraft, marine vessels (including Port of Melbourne Waters), boilers and pressure vessels 
  • hazardous [1]  materials, high consequence dangerous goods or dangerous goods (including leaks and spills) 
  • hazardous pollution of inland waters 
  • rescue incidents involving rail and aircraft [2], industrial, lifts, cranes or scaffolding and amusement structures, USAR, trench or tunnel, and building/structure collapse and/or risk of collapse [3] 

3.1, 7.2, 12.3

Table 9: Control agencies for response

Protect life, property and the environment from the effects of fire, accidents and other hazards through: 

  • providing advice to threatened and affected communities on actions to take during an emergency event, confined space, trench, low-high angle rescue 

  • controlling accidents involving boilers/pressure vessels, dangerous goods/hazardous materials, lifts and cranes, tunnelling/trenches, building collapse and explosions (e.g. gas) 

 3.1
  • the suppression of uncontrolled fires
 3.1, 7.1, 7.2
  • rescue of persons from fire, road, rail and aircraft accidents, industrial accidents and other emergencies
 3.1, 12.3

Provide key support for: 

  • incidents involving explosive devices, natural events (flood, storm and tsunami) and maritime casualty involving commercial ships in Port of Melbourne waters (non-search and rescue)  

 3.2
  • swift water and maritime incidents  
 3.2, 12.3
  • the provision of EMR to relevant, as defined, events to support AV  
 3.2, 14.2, 14.4
  • USAR capability across Victoria in accordance with state arrangements
 3.2, 12.4
  • investigation into the causes of fire
 4.4, 4.6, 7.1
  • initial impact assessment at the request and in support of, the state requirements
 11.1

Lead Response Support Agency (RSA) for the functional areas: 

  • responder agencies 
  • rescue (aircraft, building/structure collapse, vehicle into building/structure road, rail, and industrial 

Table 10: Support agencies for response
When responding to Hazmat events, the responding crew will, as much as practicable, attempt to contain the spread of hazardous materials into the environment. This includes, communicating with external agencies to ensure the event does not spread unnecessarily and for a smooth transition from the initial response to the remediation phase of a HAZMAT incident.  16.1, 16.5 
When responding to Hazmat events, the responding crew will, as much as practicable, render a hazardous material safe through dilution, dispersal or neutralisation, in consultation with appropriate agencies. This may include collection and relocation once hazardous materials are rendered safe.  16.7, 16.8 
When responding to Hazmat events which results in exposure to members of the public, FRV is responsible for mass casualty decontamination.  16.9 

Recovery

Activity Critical task alignment / activity source

Assess, restore, clear and rehabilitate FRV managed public buildings and assets 

19.2, 19.3, 19.4, 19.7

Support the controller by providing post incident assistance and advice to persons impacted by fire and other emergencies 

4.5, 20.6

Provide support to other agencies, where appropriate, for recovery activities involving personnel or the environment

3.2

Recovery Support Agency (RecSA) to: 

  • DEECA and CFA in assisting rural land holders repair and restore fences damaged by suppression activities on private land or bushfire on the public/private land boundary 

 19.2, 19.4, 19.7 Table 16: Recovery coordination: Economic environment 

Assurance and Learning

For assurance and learning activities, refer directly to the agency for further information.

 

Footnotes

1 For the purposes of the SEMP, ‘hazardous’ is defined as any contaminants or materials that are harmful to human health (including substances that are dangerous goods as defined by Dangerous Goods Act 1985), and ‘non-hazardous’ is defined as any contaminants or materials (not identified as ‘hazardous’) that are not harmful to human health (noting these may be harmful to the environment and/or biodiversity (including plants and animals)). Where there is any doubt, contaminants or materials are to be deemed hazardous until such time as the Control Agency or support agency confirm they are non-hazardous 

2 Aircraft rescues that occur within designated airports are a Class 2 major emergency, led by ARFFS 

3 Utilising USAR Category 2 FRV/CFA and Category 1 VICSES 

 

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