8/3/2019 Community Fire Refuges Policy - October 2011
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Policy Objective
The objecive of his policy is o provide he framework for
idenifying, esablishing,managing, operaing, mainaining, recording,
audiing and decommissioning communiyfire refuges in areas of very
high risk where oher bushfire survival opions are limied.
Scope
This policy provides he framework for he provision of communiy
fire refugesin Vicoria.
Policy Statement1. Proecing he life and safey of individuals
during a bushfire is paramoun.Achieving his oucome is a
responsibiliy shared beween individuals, communiies,Sae and local
governmens and he emergency services.
2. Communiy fire refuges are one of a number of bushfire safey
opions conained inVicorias Bushfire Safey Policy Framework. The
provision of refuges mus be based ona horough local risk assessmen.
They should be considered in he conex of all ofhe survival opions
available o a communiy in a very high bushfire risk area.
Ohersheler op ions in clude privae bushfire sh elers an d
Neighbourhood Safer Places.
3. Communiy fire refuges will be considered a prioriy in
communiies where ohersurvival sraegies are likely o fail. In
isolaed areas where he safes opion(leaving early) is impracical, he
provision of communiy refuges may become a highprioriy.
4. Communiy fire refuges have inheren limiaions. They are no a
guaranee of safey.Communiy fire refuges:
a. have a finie capaciy
b. may involve risk of injury or deah, especially if here is he
need oravel hrough fire-affeced landscape o reach he refuge, eiher
byvehicle or on foo.
c. do no caer for pes or livesock
d. may have limied vehicle parking
e. will no always be atended or proeced by emergency
services
f. provide basic sheler onlycommuniy services such as meals
andmedical services will no be provided
g. are no necessarily designed o be a place of sheler from oher
ypesof emergencies (e.g. o escape rising floodwaers or as a sheler
from
severe weaher evens).
5. A communiy fire refuge mus have he following atribues:
i has been purpose-buil or modified in accordance wih he
performancerequiremen s specified by he relevan provisions of he
VicorianBuilding Regulaions 2006 and he Building Code of
Ausralia
i has been formally designaed as a communiy fire refuge in
accordancewih Par III of he Country Fire Authority Act 1958,
and
Is suiabiliy as a refuge is subjec o an annual audi and
inspecionregime o be deermined by he Fire Services
Commissioner.
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Communiy Fire Refuges Page 2
Definitions
A communiy fire refuge is a designaedbuilding open o he public
ha can provideshor-erm sheler from he immediae
life-hreaening effecs of a bushfire even.
The Building Regulaions 2006 sae:
Communiy fire refuge means a building, orpar of a building, o be
used by he public forshor erm sheler from a fire fron during
abushfire even.
The Country Fire Authority Act 1958 defines acommuniy fire
refuge as a place ha is
(a) o be used by he public for shor-erm
sheler from a fire fron during a bushfire; and
(b) designaed as a communiy fire refuge in
(i) a municipal fire prevenionplan under Par IV (of he CFA Ac);
or
(ii) a municipal emergency managemenplan under he
EmergencyManagement Act 1986.
8/3/2019 Community Fire Refuges Policy - October 2011
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Policy Statement (continued)
6. The idenificaion, designaion, managemen, operaion,
mainenance, audi,recording and decommissioning of refuges will be
in accordance wih Community FireRefuges - Practices and
Procedures.
7. A communiy fire refuge may be a muli-use faciliy or par of
such a faciliy provided
i mees he relevan requiremens for siing, locaion, consrucion,
access, availabiliyand mainenance oulined in Community Fire Refuges
Practices and Procedures and heBuilding Regulaions.
8. Municipal councils are responsible for idenifying and
designaing communiy firerefuges aking ino accoun advice from
municipal fire and emergency managemenplanning commitees and he
relevan provisions of he Building Regulaions.
9. Communiy fire refuges will iniially be owned by Sae or Local
Governmenauhoriies, which will be responsible for he managemen,
operaion and mainenanceof he refuge.
10. Municipal councils are required under he CFA Ac o inform CFA
annually of anydesignaed communiy fire refuges in heir municipal
disric. CFA mus publish a lis on
is websie and circulae he lis o he people lised in he CFA
Ac.
11. Municipal councils are responsible for decommissioning
communiy refuges ha areno longer suiable or are unable o mee he
performance requiremens of he BuildingRegulaions and he Building
Code of Ausralia.
12. The Sae will inroduce legislaion in 2012 o provide
appropriae proecionfrom legal liabiliy in relaion o deah or injury
arising from he use of a communiyfire refuge designaed and operaed
in accordance wih his policy and any relaedpracices and procedures.
The Sae will provide indemniy pending he passage of hislegislaion
.
13. Communiy fire refuges will have no planned role in he
recovery or reliefarrangemens subsequen o bushfire evens.
14. Communiy fire refuges may have a role in effecing specific
evacuaionsrecommended by an inciden conroller.
Related PoliciesBushfire Safety Policy Framework
Vicorias Bushfire Safey Policy Framework is designed o offer
people living in high-risk bushfire areas a range of survival
opions. Communiy fire refuges are one of anumber of coningency
sheler opions (along wih privae bushfire shelers, defendinga
well-prepared propery, Neighbourhood Safer Places and informal
places of sheler)
which may offer some proecion during a bushfire even, bu do no
guaranee safey.No every survival opion will be appropriae or
effecive in every high-risk area.The provision of communiy fire
refuges may no be appropriae in all communiies,especially hose
where oher survival opions will be more effecive.
The Framework sresses ha people living in high bushfire risk
areas mus prepare andplan for bushfire based on heir own personal
circumsances, including preparing andpracising heir own bushfire
survival plans. A communiy fire refuge does no ake heplace of such
plans, bu may be an appropriae coningency sheler opion o include
ina plan.
The Framework is available a
www.firecommissioner.vic.gov.au.
Related Policies
Bushfire Safety Policy Framework
Vicorias Bushfire Safey Policy Framework is designed o offer
people livingin high-risk bushfire areas a range of survival
opions. Communiy fire refuges
Communiy Fire Refuges Page 3
Related documents
Community Fire Refuges Practices andProcedures.
Other Links and References
Country Fire Authority Act 1958(www.legislaion.vic.gov.au)
Emergency Management Act 1986(www.legislaion.vic.gov.au)
Building Regulaions 2006
(www.legislaion.vic.gov.au)
Policy OwnerFire Services Commissioner
Review
The Fire Services Commissioner will review hispolicy wihin 12
monhs or upon he promulgaionof a naional sandard for he consrucion
ofcommuniy fire refuges. The policy will also besubjec o review as
par of he annual reviewof he Bushfire Safey Policy Framework.
