Equipment
Firefighting Equipment
Ensuring that you have the right firefighting equipment is crucial for preparing and defending your property against fire. Investing in proper tools is not only more cost-effective than replacing assets but also makes preparation significantly easier and faster. Below are key pieces of equipment that can make a difference in fire prevention and suppression efforts.
Clearing Saw
A Clearing Saw, essentially a powerful brush cutter, is an invaluable tool for cutting through dense shrubbery and ground cover. It helps expose the earth, creating containment lines and removing saplings and vegetation that pose a fire risk. This tool allows property owners to establish defensible asset protection zones efficiently. Clearing saws are also very efficient tools to reduce midstory threats, reducing the potential risk of fire climbing into the canopy.
Backpack Leaf Blowers
Powerful backpack leaf blowers are among the best investments for fire preparation and defense. Partnered with the clearing saw, these leaf blowers can swiftly clear the debris and leaf litter along a new containment line or help in the annual refurbishment of preexisting lines. They swiftly clear leaf litter and fine fuels around assets, outperforming rakes or standard leaf blowers.
In an active fire situation, these machines are invaluable. They can quickly remove leaf litter and ground fuel ahead of a fire front to create an ad hoc containment line or push the fire front back onto already burnt ground from a relatively safe distance. Despite their weight and potential instability on uneven terrain, their utility far outweighs these drawbacks.
Fire Trailers
A fire trailer or truck-mounted unit is a critical resource for protecting built assets and engaging moderately active fire fronts. Constructing a cost-effective fire trailer is possible using a secondhand trailer, a repurposed IBC and a fire pump from eBay. Hose reels in buildings are required to be replaced regularly and you can pick them up for around $50. Then it's a few plumbing parts from the hardware store and a bit of handyman time putting it together. Standardizing hose fittings with neighbours, such as using Camlock couplings, enables hoses and pumps to be swapped easily in emergencies. It doesn’t need to be registered now. The new Farm Trailer permit scheme in NSW allows a trailer to travel on the road unregistered for up to 100 kilometers, to attend a fire. Give it a coat of red paint and it will look grand. Nothing fancy, but it will do the same job as a brand new $15,000 equivalent.
Additional Firefighting Tools
Investing in the right firefighting equipment ensures better preparedness and enhances the ability to protect property from fire threats. While larger units such as fire trailers with pumps provide the best fire suppression capability, smaller tools like knapsacks, clearing saws, and rakes play an equally vital role in fire management. Thoughtful planning and resourcefulness can maximize efficiency while keeping costs manageable. By taking proactive steps, landholders can significantly reduce the severity and risk of fire and improve overall safety.
Knapsacks: Particularly useful for managing cool burns, protecting plants and trees you want to keep safe, and subduing small flare-ups. They allow for targeted application of water to contain fire within designated boundaries. However, during an actual fire, their limited capacity and need for frequent refilling make them less effective compared to larger firefighting units. Nevertheless, they serve as a handy tool in fire prevention efforts and localized firefighting situations.
Rake Hoes and Rakes: Useful for containment efforts and moving burning material. These tools are particularly effective in maintaining control over ground fires.
Drip Torch: For cool burning and back burning operations, a drip torch is a lot easier to manage than a handful of dry grass. Don’t go crazy and light up the whole mountain, but they are good to help keep the fire moving in the right direction.
Tractor Slashers and Ride-on Mowers: Essential for large-scale vegetation management. Keeping grass and groundcover low reduces available fuel, significantly lowering fire risk. In an emergency, slashing can very quickly create containment lines on flat ground, particularly at the base of a slope.
North runs through some equipment choices for firefighting.