The Western Australian Government has committed an additional $10.1 million to bolster Western Australia’s aerial firefighting fleet and help keep Western Australians safe ahead of what is expected to be another challenging bushfire season.
Two additional Black Hawk helicopters will be added to the State Aerial Firefighting Fleet to provide rapid response to bushfires across Western Australia. This will be part of the state’s biggest-ever aerial firefighting fleet of ex-military aircraft.
The helicopters, which can each hold up to 4,500l of water, will be online for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 seasons and based in strategic locations to the north and south of the metropolitan region.
Western Australian Premier, Roger Cook, and Emergency Services Minister, Stephen Dawson, made the announcement while visiting the site of the new Cardup Career Fire and Rescue Service (CFRS) Station, which is on track to be completed in December this year.
“My government is stepping up to invest in the best facilities, equipment and resources possible, as well as more firefighters to help keep Western Australians safe from the growing risk of bushfires,” Mr Cook said.
“We’ve acted early, ahead of a potentially tough season, to secure two extra Black Hawks, which will provide invaluable support for firefighters on the ground as they work to protect lives and homes.”
The station will receive three state-of-the-art appliances and be crewed by 36 firefighters, part of a multimillion-dollar investment in career personnel.
Western Australian Minister for Emergency Services, Stephen Dawson, said, “I look forward to seeing this modern facility up and running soon and the benefits it will deliver to the local community during what looks like being another busy bushfire season.
“Our dedicated emergency services personnel are getting ready for summer – now it’s time for all Western Australians to play their part and spend 15 minutes creating a bushfire plan.”
It comes as the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) launched its annual bushfire safety campaign, highlighting that it takes just 15 minutes to make a plan that could save a person’s property or life. The 2024 campaign is being launched more than a month earlier than usual due to an increased risk of bushfires.
Department of Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner, Darren Klemm, said, “The 2023-24 bushfire season was longer and more intense than we have experienced in recent years and should serve as a wake-up call to the community.
“The first emergency-level bushfire arrived much earlier than usual, in October 2023, and over the seven months that followed, firefighters battled 5,088 bushfires – 1,000 more than the previous season.”
More than 93 per cent of Western Australia is bushfire-prone, yet only 1.95 per cent of households have a recorded plan. Prolonged periods of dryness have left a large amount of mature fuel throughout the state, which is why Western Australians are being urged to prepare for what could prove to be an extremely challenging season.
The My Bushfire Plan app and website help users make the critical choice of leaving early or staying to defend themselves. The app also has essential prompts, including what to do with pets and what to do if evacuation is necessary.
Visit www.mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au or download the app from the Apple Store or Google Play.
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