ABC Local Radio launches bushfire emergency warning system

As this year’s bushfire danger season again approaches, ABC Local Radio has officially launched the National Bushfire Emergency Warning system.

The National Bushfire Emergency Warning system has been developed by Australian Emergency Services Agencies to warn the public about bushfire danger. It has been endorsed by the Emergency Ministerial Council and is the result of collaborations between approximately 50 emergency agencies, the Bureau of Meteorology and media organisations including the ABC.

Under the new system, Emergency Service Agencies will use three levels of messaging to help communities make the right safety choices during Australia’s bushfire season.

A Bushfire Advice Message is the first level of warning. It means that agencies are dealing with a fire but there is no immediate danger. General information will be provided by emergency agencies.

A Bushfire Watch and Act Message means conditions are changing and the fire has the potential to threaten property and lives. ABC Local Radio will broadcast Bushfire Watch and Act Messages regularly.

A Bushfire Emergency Warning Message is the highest level of alert, telling the public of immediate danger and a direct threat to life. This message will usually be preceded by the Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS). The Standard Emergency Warning Signal has been used for many years in cyclone regions, but listeners in other states will rarely have heard it, and should familiarise themselves with the signal before the fire season starts.

The first warning messages to be released under the new system were recently broadcast by ABC Local Radio Townsville when a fire threatened homes in the community of Mt Fox.

Manager of Emergency Broadcasting and Community Development for ABC Local Radio Ian Mannix has told radioinfo:

“The arrangements we had in place in Queensland worked well. Warnings issued by the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service were broadcast within a few minutes of them being written. As a result we were able to keep the Mt Fox community up to date with interviews, weather reports and listener feedback until the threat passed the next day.

“Radio really is the only way to receive real-time updates from the scene of a bushfire, so it is essential that members of the public pay close attention to broadcasts. Our audience has come to trust our coverage of emergencies and they know the ABC will be there before, during and afterwards to provide support to affected communities.”

The ABC’s 60 station Local Radio network has “committed to broadcasting all emergency warnings repeatedly and for as long as needed until the threat is over.” ABC Radio has also developed a series of announcements preparing listeners for the fire season.

A website outlining the new warning system, audio of the SEWS, and the announcements can be found at the link below.