The Western Australian Farmers Federation (Inc.) (WAFarmers) is calling for better coordination between the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) and local fire fighters to ensure the best possible response to fire emergencies.
WAFarmers President, Dale Park, said he recognises the important and difficult role DFES plays however, the local knowledge of community fire fighters need to be utilised.
“Local fire fighters have a vast knowledge of their regions and to combine this knowledge with the expertise of DFES would result in better responses to fire emergencies,” Mr Park said.
“Recent fires in the Bullsbrook area, highlighted the lack of coordination between DFES and local fire fighting branches.
“While I understand DFES has an overriding responsibility, they must acknowledge and utilise all available resources including the local knowledge of fire fighters.
“Fighting fires is a complicated and dangerous task so it makes sense to use all our resources to ensure a positive outcome and to limit inconvenience to road users as well as local industry,” Mr Park concluded.
WAFarmers calls on DFES to better utilise and coordinate local fire fighters to ensure the best possible outcome for all stakeholders in a fire emergency.
