Fire Protection Month
Photo gallery: Evan Collis
September is Fire Protection Month, raising awareness and celebrating the fire protection sector in Australia, taking in everything from managing natural resources and reducing the risk of bushfires to high-rise urban safety systems.
Fire protection is a topic close to our hearts. The activities of the sector are coordinated through the Fire Protection Association (FPA) Australia, and we help FPA Australia and AFAC (Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council) design and produce their quarterly Fire Australia magazine.
Many of the industries we write about for other clients involve agriculture and fisheries – sectors based in rural areas where the threat of equipment fires and bushfires are real and ongoing challenges. It’s something we report on regularly, particularly for the Grains Research and Development Corporation.
Several of our staff also live in semi-rural and regional areas. For those making the move from urban areas for a ‘tree change’, it can be a shock to realise fire protection will require more than home smoke alarms.
Coretext’s Production Manager Christine Fotis recently moved from the inner-city suburbs to the outskirts of Melbourne, into a designated bushfire-prone area. She now has to contend with fire management practices including an escape plan for her family in case of a bushfire threat.
However, fire protection isn’t only about bushfires. It covers fire system maintenance including sprinkler systems and smoke alarms, and legislation and national construction codes to avoid tragic events such as the UK Grenfell Tower disaster in 2017.
FPA Australia has been running a series of events this month including a webinar on fire safety in the Australian Defence Force and another on the personal experience of a professional firefighter.
Find out more www.nationalfpmonth.com.au