Swanpool CFA from June 2023

01/11/2025

Yes, this is scary. But it is important to see how bushfires can behave. Prepare your plan now (including when to leave, where you can go and how you can get there), and prepare your property. For advice, join the Bushfire Safety Essentials event tomorrow from 8.30am at the Lima South CFA station.

01/11/2025

31/10/2025

Do you live in the Swanpool- Lima South area? Don't miss this important event tomorrow over a free egg and bacon breakfast.

29/10/2025

🚁🔥 Did You Know … About Pre-Determined Dispatch (PDD) of Aircraft? 🔥🚁

During the fire season, every second counts — especially when it comes to aerial firefighting. That’s where Pre-Determined Dispatch (PDD) comes in, dispatching aircraft at the same time as ground crews.

📌 What is PDD?
PDD is a system that allows helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to be pre-assigned to locations based on forecast fire risk and conditions. On days of higher risk, the whole state is covered by PDD, ensuring aircraft are ready wherever they might be needed.

PDD enables the rapid deployment of aerial firefighting assets to high-risk areas on days of high fire danger. This means that on those days, aircraft are pre-assigned to specific response areas and are paged to incidents at the same time as fire trucks, enabling immediate initial attack on fires to help keep them small.

🚨 Where it came from:
PDD was developed under the Enhanced Aircraft Request and Dispatch System Project, initiated as part of the response to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) Recommendation 20.
That recommendation called for “a system that enables the dispatch of aircraft to fires in high-risk areas without requiring a request from an Incident Controller or the State Duty Officer.”

⏱ How it works:
When weather and fire danger reach certain levels, aircraft are dispatched at the same time as fire trucks and ground crews — if available and not already committed to another fire. In some areas, they may even arrive before trucks, as access can be challenging in remote or rugged terrain.

🔗 Working with EMV & FFMV:
PDD operates in conjunction with EMV/VicEmergency, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) and other emergency partners, ensuring aircraft are strategically deployed where they’re needed most to support crews on the ground.

🚒 Why it matters:
🔥 Fires can spread rapidly — sometimes in minutes.
🚁 PDD ensures aircraft are already in position, ready to respond.
⏱️ It reduces response times, giving firefighters critical aerial support faster — helping keep fires small.

Next time you see a helicopter in the sky during fire season, remember — it might just be part of a carefully planned PDD mission, helping protect lives, property, and the environment.

📸 Image courtesy of FFMV. The photo shows the Super Puma helicopter — Helitak 349 (one of the night-capable aircraft) — drawing water from an FFMV “dip tank”.

29/10/2025

21/10/2025

With the high winds forecast for tomorrow, 22nd October 2025, Swanpool CFA urges everyone to ensure that any burn offs conducted on your property over the past few days, are fully extinguished, reducing the risk of reignition.
Stay informed about emergencies by installing the VicEmergency app on your Smart phone.

05/10/2025

Swanpool community - thank you for your support at today's Get Fire Ready Open Day. We are excited to welcome 3 new volunteers/members, and we are also grateful for receiving a donation. We also had fun showing kids our firetruck and, on a more serious note, discussing fire risks and evacuation plans with adults.
Over the coming weeks and months, we'll post practical information (on this page) to help you with your preparations and plans.
Here are some photos of your brigade at our Open Day.

04/10/2025

Ready to go! We're here ready to show you our fire truck and how it works. We'll explain the fire risks in the area and help you prepare your fire plan. We'd love to talk to you about volunteering with us, too. Sausage Sizzle starts at 12noon (We're here until 2pm).

03/10/2025

'We never thought we'd have a bushfire here'. That's what a resident of Corryong in NE Victoria told me in the aftermath of the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires that destroyed nearly 40 houses in and around the Corryong area. Having spent 4 years as a Bushfire Recovery Officer with Red Cross, I've heard this said all too often.

Seeing first hand the devastating effects of fires, floods, and storms is one reason for volunteering to work in my community as the Swanpool Fire Brigade Community Safety officer. I have seen time and time again that individuals and communities that are well prepared cope better during and after disasters (also documented in international research). Being well prepared may also mean leaving the area early and travelling to a place of safety.

So, as this fire season approaches, what are you doing to prepare yourself, your loved ones, your pets, stock, and property?
Your local brigade is here to help. Join our Get Fire Ready Open Day between 10am and 2pm on Sunday 5th October.

30/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100064809966193/posts/1243708087799512/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

29/09/2025

Have your kids been on a fire truck? Here is an opportunity for your kids to see inside the cabin of a fire truck and learn how the brigade puts out fires. Our firetruck and ultralight will be showcased as a part of the Swanpool Get Fire Ready Open Day (10am to 2pm on Sunday 5th October).
And parents, we can help you develop a fire plan, upload the VicEmergency App so you can be notified about fires and other emergencies in your area, and learn about fire risks in the Swanpool area.

28/09/2025

Do you have a Fire Plan? What is your trigger point to stay or go? Have you prepared your property for the increased risk of fire over summer? If you need advice and help with any of these, come to the Get Fire Ready Open Day between 10am and 2pm on Sunday 5th October at the Swanpool CFA Shed, cnr Midland Hwy & Swanpool Rd, Swanpool.
Watch us demonstrate our fire fighting equipment, and kids (and adults) are welcome to have a look inside our fire truck.
Morning tea from 10am and Sausage Sizzle from 12noon.
Come and meet your brigade members and discuss opportunities to volunteer.