What we do
CFA has evolved from its informal beginnings in community- based fire brigades to become one of the world’s largest volunteer-based emergency service organisations.
We are wholly committed to the prevention, preparedness, response and recovery phases of emergency situations, providing a diverse range of risk reduction, fire suppression and incident management services to minimise the impact of fires and other emergencies on Victorian communities.
CFA provides statewide fire and related emergency coordination
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Wildfire suppression
- Structural fire suppression
- Transport-related fire suppression
- Road rescue
- Technical rescue, such as high angle, trench and mine operations
- Hazardous materials transportation and storage incidents
- Working with Forestry industry brigades
- Other emergency activities including flood assistance.
CFA is also involved in a range of non-emergency activities
- Community awareness, education and safety programs
- Technical services including building code-related inspections, post incident analysis and fire investigation
- Fire safety input planning for major community risks
- Fire prevention
- Land use planning advice at municipal level.
CFA incident response in 2010-11
Major incidents in 2010-11 were dominated by structure fires.
The most notable bushfire was at Tostaree in East Gippsland. This fire, which started on 1 February 2011, threatened a number of small communities and resulted in the loss of two houses.
Although there was a significant decrease in bushfires, between September 2010 and February 2011 many Victorian towns and communities were affected by floods that caused widespread damage and loss.
CFA supported the Victoria State Emergency Service in responding to these floods with the deployment of incident management teams and field-based crews into the community.
Our members also responded to other major incidents, including the deployment of:
- urban search and rescue (USAR) personnel to the Queensland Floods
- IMT personnel to the bushfires in Western Australia
- USAR personnel to the earthquake in Christchurch.
