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Code Red arrangements for Summer

Code Red arrangements for Summer

The Hepburn Shire Council's primary focus on declared Code Red (Catastrophic) Fire Danger Rating days will be to ensure that members of staff with emergency management roles are on full alert to respond should a fire incident occur.

Under new arrangements adopted by Council in December 2009, no facilities or services will operate in the 'high risk' bushfire prone townships of Daylesford, Creswick, Hepburn Springs and Trentham on Code Red days declared for Victoria's North Central Weather Forecast District.

Code Red is the highest rating under the new Victorian fire alerting system introduced following the Black Saturday fires of 2009 and subsequent recommendations of the Bushfire Royal Commission. Code Red fire danger ratings issued by the Bureau of Meteorology warn of a possible catastrophic event similar to the events on 7 February 2009 in which 173 people died. These terrible events showed the greater level of bushfire danger we all now face.

At this Fire Danger Rating, the CFA advises that the safest option for anyone in a bushfire prone area is for them to leave the night before, or early in the morning. The new arrangements reflect Council's 'duty of care' to all staff, volunteers and contractors in such dangerous circumstances.

The procedures are proposed as an interim measure for the 2009/10 fire season and will be reviewed prior to the next fire season.

Hepburn Shire Council encourages all residents, business owners and tourism operators to think very carefully about their own plans for such a day.

Council's business continuity plan will be implemented throughout the Code Red period, as will its emergency management procedures.

On all other Fire Danger Rating Days, Hepburn Shire Council services and facilities will continue to operate unless there is a fire incident.

The closures will apply from midnight to midnight on a Code Red day.

Code Red (Catastrophic) Fire Danger Ratings will be issued via national weather warnings on television, radio, newspapers and via the CFA website www.cfa.vic.gov.au.


Summary of affected services under these arrangements
# Aged and Disability Services - clients will be individually contacted

# Offices and Customer service centres - will not operate in Daylesford and Creswick

# Depots - will not operate in Daylesford (including Wombat Hill)and Creswick

# Garbage collection
- will not operate in Daylesford, Creswick, Hepburn Springs and Trentham - contractor will collect bins as soon as practicable within a day or two, where possible.
# Recreation centres
- Doug Lindsay Recreation Reserve facilities at Creswick and the ARC and Victoria Park facilities at Daylesford will not operate
# Swimming pools
- will not operate in Daylesford and Trentham, Calembeen Park dive tower will not operate
# Transfer stations
- will not operate in Daylesford, Creswick and Trentham
# Town Halls
- will not operate in Daylesford, Creswick, and Trentham (Mechanics' Institute)
# Visitor Information Centres
- will not operate in Daylesford, Creswick and Trentham.