That the State Emergency Management Committee makes arrangements to actively manage the use of social media in the community during an emergency, to avoid negative consequences for emergency operations.

That arrangements are made and appropriate pre-planning occurs to effectively implement the policy on evacuation.

That Tasmania Fire Service and its partner agencies establish a means of monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of centralising the location of Incident Management Teams.

That Tasmania Police reviews its Emergency Traffic Management Points policy; and develops a multi-agency policy in the emergency management plans for road closures and traffic management, including clarity in decision making, coordination and sufficient operational flexibility.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its integration of rural local knowledge and volunteer brigades into fire operations, develops and maintains appropriate strategies, and aims to be a best-practice fire service in this regard.

That Tasmania Fire Service considers adopting a primary tactic of an aggressive first attack on fires.

That the State Emergency Management Committee determine suitable risk management tools, such as the Bushfire Risk Assessment Model, and encourages their use in assessing bushfire risk in a consistent manner.

That the State Emergency Management Committee includes in its planning, the development of contingency emergency management plans for areas of high risk due to local conditions.

That Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police review their use of modern forms of communication with the community, including social media, and commit resources to fully use this capability where appropriate.

That Tasmania Police be identified as the lead agency on evacuations.

That emergency management plans specifically include processes and resources for effectively engaging with and using local communities, including volunteers

That arrangements are made for and appropriate pre-planning occurs to effectively implement the policy on road closures and traffic management.

That Tasmania Fire Service critically reviews the operation of the Six Operational Priorities to determine whether they are appropriate and effective.

That the Government actively support the timely development and implementation of an ongoing Strategic Fuel Management Plan.

That Tasmania Fire Service reviews its approach to communicating with communities threatened by bushfire and consider the matters referred to in this Report.

That decisions to open Community Fire Refuges and evacuation centres be coordinated with Tasmania Police.

That appropriate plans are made to mobilise resources quickly to re-open roads affected by emergencies.

That Tasmania Fire Service considers what adjustments may be necessary to the promotion and use of the Six Operational Priorities to ensure plans are suitable for the circumstances of each fire.

That following any review, the Emergency Management Act 2006 be amended.

That a structure and facilities be established for the State Controller or other person managing multi-agency response and recovery operations.

That Tasmania Fire Service supports the relevant authorities to continue developing methodologies to forecast and simulate fire risk.

If it is considered more information is required on action to suppress the fires in Dunalley and why fire operations did not continue, the Department of Justice should conduct an independent examination of this matter.

That Tasmania Fire Service develops a research base from which to inform the design of communication campaigns for communities threatened by bushfire.

That evacuation centres and other centres have plans and arrangements for electrical power redundancy.

That emergency management plans recognise the need to provide priority access to areas of emergency operations for critical infrastructure providers.

That the state level structural arrangements for managing recovery operations are reviewed.

TFS should take steps to obtain cell transmission coverage maps for LBS-based EA messages and take note of the need for training of staff to ensure that messages are drafted carefully and appropriately so as to take cell transmission coverage into account.

TFS continue to develop and publish RFOC policy and procedures, ensuring that all partners who perform roles within the RFOC are included in the consultation and training.

That TFS develop a strategy to manage the workloads on career staff to reduce the risk of single point failures through spreading workloads and capability to ensure a level of redundancy and resilience in a number of critical portfolios.

All Tasmanian fire agencies seek to have the State Bushfire Policy finalised and signed-off at the required level of government.

TFS review the restriction on interstate personnel filling positions such as Incident Controller and obtain definitive advice on the legal reasons for this.

TFS finalise and sign off the State Fire Protection Plan (SFPP). All the documents named in the SFPP should be finalised and available to relevant stakeholders to support the SFPP.

TFS seek legal opinion on the Bushfire CRC Research Report on legal liability implications of the Prepare, Stay and Defend or Leave Early policy to confirm the advice, consider the implications and implement those that are appropriate.

TFS review the Inter-Agency Fire Management Protocol and the Terms of Reference (ToR) of the Multi-Agency Coordination Group (MAC), to ensure that the Inter-Agency Fire Management Protocol accurately reflects the role and functions of the State Fire Operations Centre (SFOC) and clearly establishe

TFS review all areas in which the SFOC has a role and ensure that robust policy and protocols are finalised to ensure that corporate knowledge is widely accessible and is not held solely by individuals.

TFS develop MOUs with interstate fire agencies and land management authorities to formalise agency to agency resource sharing/mutual aid protocols that ensure the effective deployment of interstate resources for all roles from fire ground to state control, and management of those resources within

TFS make their community education and safety material available to the culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities in Tasmania.

TFS develop written guidelines for the use of IMTs about the use of evacuation in a bushfire context, and triggers for decision-making.

TFS seek to address the following outstanding items from the recommendations of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. § 45 out of 53 Community Bushfire Response Plans for “at risk” communities have been finalized. The remaining eight should be completed as a priority action.

Recommendation 9 TFS should review the capacity of its Fire Information Line to handle very large scale events, and explore additional options for a surge capability for the Fire Information Line.

That TFS and Ambulance Tasmania work together to resolve problems around congestion, particularly during the fire season.

That the Whole of Government project’s objectives should include meeting entity requirements and the consultant be asked to reevaluate the revised set of objectives.

That government considers the establishment of a separate unit to implement and operate a Whole of Government network if existing stakeholders fail to make significant progress toward an agreed Whole of Government solution.

That duplication of infrastructure be costed and taken into account when considering whether to proceed with the Whole of Government network.

That until the outcome of the Whole of Government project is complete (and interoperability is achieved), emergency services should investigate and implement methods for further improving interoperability.

That network managers develop and document strategic plans for the management of their radio networks.

That:
- TFS, Ambulance Tasmania, Forestry/Parks and SES set reliability standards and monitor against them
- TFS, Ambulance Tasmania, Forestry/Parks and SES establish a register to record service outages and complaints regarding their networks

That the network managers produce business cases for all major upgrades.

That stakeholders involved with the Whole of Government radio project re-engage positively to ensure a solution to the current impasse is achieved in the best interests of the stakeholders and the State as a whole.

That the project team become independent from any of the entities involved in the Whole of Government network.

That Tasmania Police, Tasmania Fire Service (TFS), Ambulance Tasmania and State Emergency Services (SES) investigate ways of providing secure and confidential radio communications.

Review the format and necessity for Schedules 9 and 10 of the Regulations

Amend the F&ES Act to provide for the operation of interstate fire and emergency service workers in South Australia. The issue of liability may need to be considered.

Review Section 134 to ensure that it is not a deterrent to a group of farm fire units operating at an incident.

That once the review of the Emergency Management Act has been finalised, any reference to the liability of councils should be mirrored in both the EM Act and the F&ES Act. 

Develop a code of practice which is referenced by the F&ES Act for burning off including the option to issue seasonal permits for relevant purposes throughout the State.

A thorough consultative process be developed and implemented between the CFS and local government. This will determine how bushfire management planning can enable improved process and practice to mitigate bushfire risk, and ensure that fire permits are issued and complied with.

Should the State Bushfire Coordination Committee continue to exist under the F&ES Act amend Section 94 (4) (c) to refer to the ‘State Bushfire Coordination Committee’.

Consider the amendment of Section 82 (2) to include the power to order the cessation of harvesting or any other actions (including the lighting of fires authorised under Section 81) that because of the weather conditions, may cause a fire, if ignited, to get out of control.

In consultation with stakeholders including CFA, develop a Forest Industry Brigade standard for inclusion in the Fire and Emergency Services Regulations.

Amend Sections 28, 61 and 110 to provide the Chief Officers greater flexibility over organisational structure.

That the F&ES Act be amended to enable fire safety inspections in and outside fire districts.

The F&ES Act be amended to clarify the meaning of ‘closure’ in Section 38 and that provisions relating to the extension and rescission of closure orders be reviewed.

Sections 42 and 97 be amended to provide greater flexibility in the engagement of contractors by Senior MFS and CFS Officers. Consideration be given to providing similar powers in Section 118 to enable the SES to engage contractors.

The Act be amended to require the mandatory appointment of Authorised Officers by each rural council or council that has within its area a Designated Urban Bushfire Risk Area(s) with an option for the CFS Chief Officer to exempt council from this requirement (similar to Section 105B). 

That the MFS, CFS and SES be incorporated into a departmental structure under the direction of a Chief Executive based on interstate developments over the past two decades, which establishes this arrangement as the benchmark for the governance of Emergency Services in Australia.

Section 70 (5) be amended to preclude a person from being elected as a group officer, brigade captain or brigade lieutenant if he or she is an employee of the CFS.

That South Australia’s Hazard Leader Plan for Rural Fire, prepared in accordance with the State Emergency Management Plan, replace the F&ES Act requirement for a separate State Bushfire Management Plan.

Amend the F&ES Act to reflect the SES expanded responsibilities as Hazard Leader for ‘Extreme Weather’ including their community education role.

Should the State Bushfire Coordination Committee continue to exist under the F&ES Act, then Section 71 of the Act be amended to provide for the appointment of an independent presiding member of the committee.

The power of the Chief Officer to appoint officers from the staff of the SES as well as appoint volunteer officers of the SES be clarified.

Notification of a total fire ban should be broadcast to the public via any means reasonably available. Section 80, parts (2), (5) and (6) be amended so that broadcast fire ban warnings include, but not be limited to, radio stations, internet sites, social media outlets etc.

Amend Regulation 41 to exempt the use of prescribed appliances when a Hot Work Permit compliant with AS1674.1 has been issued.

Clarify that Section 128 of the F&ES Act is not compromised by any other legislation. 

An external audit of shared services performed by SAFECOM and services now provided by the three ESOs which have the potential to be shared, be undertaken to determine the most efficient and cost effective way such services can be delivered to the sector.

Consider whether Regulation 71 be amended to extend the range of offences for which expiation fees apply to include a breach of any permit condition imposed by an authorised officer.

Section 142 be amended to include the SES

Greater attention needs to be given to the recruitment and retention of volunteers in alignment with the National Emergency Management Volunteer Action Plan.
Consideration should also be given to measures including:
- Increased administrative support for volunteers

That an independent review of the operational and geographic boundaries of the ESOs be conducted recognising the limitations of the current governance structures to adequately address such issues. Such a review needs to be performed periodically, but not less than every 8 years.

Government in conjunction with the CFS identify the ownership of disused railway corridors which may pose a significant fire risk and ensure the agency or individual responsible for the land complies with legislative requirements. 

SES be given a power ‘to register, subject to any conditions the Chief Officer SES considers appropriate, suitable organisations (such as Volunteer Marine Rescue Associations) as affiliated organisations of the State Emergency Service’. 

That the proposed ‘Permit Information Management System’ (PIMS) be implemented as soon as possible and incorporated into the Call Receipt and Dispatch process. Following implementation, amend Regulation 33 (5) (d) and (10) (c) in line with the automated notification process.

Amend Section 143 to strengthen the capacity of the ESOs to recover outstanding debts (e.g. penalty for late payment provisions).

When judging major incidents in the future, consideration be given to Eburn and Dover’s proposal to establish processes with a statutory basis that sufficiently balance the community’s interests in ensuring that true lessons, including lessons of error or neglect, are identified, whilst also prot

Should the SES be given the power ‘to register suitable organisations’, then the ‘other person’ in Section 127 – Protection from liability, could be defined to include members of organisations affiliated to emergency service organisations.

Amend Regulation 33 (6) and (8) to include respectively ‘notice given’ and ‘permit application’ using the online medium.

The requirement to consult with members of the unit and the SESVA before an SES Unit is dissolved should remain but the need for public meetings be removed from the regulations.

Review employment conditions under the F&ES Act to align with those under the Public Sector Act unless there is a compelling reason to the contrary.

If possible the terms of election for CFS Health and Safety Representatives be aligned with group elections.

That Government agencies work closely with the Bureau of Meteorology and radio stations that broadcast emergency service announcements, to ensure the earliest possible determination of, and communications about, dangerous bushfire conditions.

That the Government work with the Local Government Association to resolve questions of liability by volunteers who work for Councils, as raised with the Select Committee.

That with regard to volunteer community safety and emergency service organisations that do not own land where their facilities exist: i.

That the Government increase the budgets of all emergency services and community safety organisations, including: i. seeking Federal funding where appropriate (and assisting at no cost volunteer organisations with the grants application process); and ii.

That the Government’s Workers Rehabilitation and Compensation (SAMFS Firefighters) Amendment Bill be amended to include Country Fire Service firefighters alongside Metropolitan Fire Service firefighters.

That the Government consult broadly upon and review impediments to volunteering in the community and establish a taskforce to assist in removing barriers to volunteering, particularly with respect to: i harmonising the regime for reimbursement to community safety and emergency services volunteers

That the Government cease drawing from South Australia Police or other Community safety and emergency service budgets to fund the Directorate and instead merge its work and functions with the pre-existing South Australia Fire and Emergency Services Commission for zero total State and other Commun

That noting the precedents for legislated charters in the Carers Recognition Act 2005 and the Health and Community Services Complaints Act 2004, that the Government support the Fire and Emergency Services (Volunteer Charters) Amendment Bill introduced by the Member for Morphett in November 2012 t

That the Government work with the volunteer community safety and emergency service providers to organise a comprehensive advertising campaign to promote the community and personal benefits of volunteering in the sector.

That the State Government give high priority to liaising with interstate and Federal processes, and offer to take a lead, on changing the climatic and fire rating arrangements to ensure these match the conditions that can create dangerous bushfire conditions at short notice.

That the obligation (following the passage of the Fire and Emergency Services (Review) Amendment Bill 2009) for Chief Fire Officers (CFS & MFS) to require State agencies to clean up fire risk on their land, and to make similar requests to Commonwealth agencies, be strongly implemented.