AW supports critical fire emergency response team

With the onset of autumn's cooler temperatures concerns about highly destructive bush fires drop back a notch in most people's minds. But the important work or recording fire related data and managing the land to keep it healthy using fire remains of utmost importance.

AW’s Data and information Management Coordinator Adam Wood also plays an important role by recording and mapping the region’s historic fire scarring and satellite ground cover data. This informs accurate and effective fire management planning. In late January Adam (who is also a member of the state mapping support group) was contacted by

Department for Environment and Water’s Mapping Functional Support group supervisor with an urgent request for assistance in the CFS bushfire response to the Cherry Gardens bushfire.

Adam worked 12 hourly shifts rotating in teams of 2 people at the incident control centre at Mt Barker CFS office. This meant that 24 hour mapping support was provided to all personnel involved in the response effort. Overlaying fire scar and hot spot information with topographic and infrastructure information was essential to guiding on-ground operations.

“Working 3 x 12 hours shifts gave me unique insight into how the Incident Control Centre operates, the importance of maps and how widely they are used by all stakeholders involved in the fire response and its recovery operations” said Adam. Great job Adam and all those who worked so hard to minimise the impact of a fire that could have so easily caused far greater devastation that it did.