Fire and Emergency Services

Find out about preparation and response to fires and emergencies. Information on smoke alarms, alerts and warnings, preparing your home, and volunteer emergency services is provided here.

Alerts and warnings

For all alerts and warnings, including bushfires, visit Emergency WA.

For weather warnings, visit the Bureau of Meteorology or call National Weather Warnings on 1300 659 210.

Preparing for an emergency

When an emergency occurs, it's vital that you and your family are prepared to evacuate immediately, or have preparations in place to stay.

Make sure you're aware of all of the potential emergencies that may occur in the City of Kwinana. Take the time to sit with your family to decide what to do and prepare a plan.

Visit the Department of Fire and Emergency’s website to prepare your bushfire plan and remember, in the event of a bushfire you cannot rely on scheme water supply if you plan on staying and defending your property. Heat-damaged water infrastructure or power outage may results in a loss of supply. High demand will also lead to a drop in pressure and water supply tanks can empty quickly. 

While leaving high-risk bushfire areas is the safest option, those planning to defend their home must have an independent water supply such as water tanks and pumping capability in the event of power loss.

Download the Natural disaster information sheet for advice of preparing for:

  • Severe storms
  • Earthquakes and tsunamis
  • Hazardous material emergencies.

It’s also important to prepare for the safety of your animals and pets. Visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ website for animal welfare advice.

Installing and maintaining smoke alarms

From 1 July 1997, the installation of mains powered smoke alarms became mandatory for all new residential buildings in WA.

Since 1 October 2009, mains powered smoke alarms must be fitted in all existing residential buildings, prior to the transfer of ownership, rent or hire.

For information about residential smoke alarms, visit the Department of Fire and Emergency Services website.

For City of Kwinana building requirements, refer to our Building compliance and certification page. 

Kwinana local emergency management arrangements

The aim of the Kwinana local emergency management arrangements is to:

  • Detail the emergency management arrangements within the City; and
  • Ensure an understanding between agencies and stakeholders involved in managing emergencies and recovery is maintained.

Download the Kwinana local emergency management arrangements.  

What to do after a bushfire

When you arrive home:

  • Walk around the outside of your house to check for hazards, ensuring you wear protective clothing, including a face mask.
  • Be wary of items such as glass shards, corrugated iron and rubble that could cause injury or infection.
  • Do not attempt to touch damaged asbestos, chemical containers, firearms, ammunition or explosives and contact local authorities for advice.
  • Do not drink or cook with water from your water tank, as it may be contaminated.
  • Check for any other hazards, including falling tree branches near any structures.
  • Do not drive or walk over your septic tanks if it may have been weakened by the fire.
  • If you suffer from asthma, heart or lung problems, make sure you always have medication with you.

Inspections of fire affected properties will be undertaken by the City's Bushfire Response team, comprising of a Community Development Officer, Environmental Health Officer, Building Surveyor and Planning Officer.

After a bushfire, please remember to be aware of the following potential risks:

General
  • Throw away any food, drinks and medicines that have been exposed to heat, smoke or water, and any cans that are rusted, dented or swollen.
  • Do not touch or use appliances, particularly electrical appliances that have been exposed to water, until you have an authorised service technician check them.
  • Inspect your makeup and your medicine cabinet and throw out anything that has signs of soot, smoke discolouration or fire extinguisher dust. Dangerous chemicals can be ingested or be absorbed through your skin if you keep contaminated items.
  • Low levels of ash on household surfaces are unlikely to cause short or long-term health effects. If anyone in your household is experiencing any health effects from the smoky conditions seek medical advice.
Water
  • Water in rainwater tanks on your property can be contaminated during or after a bushfire, either indirectly by ash, smoke, debris or directly by fire and fire fighting activities.
  • Water testing is usually not necessary as contamination after a bushfire is usually obvious.
  • If you think that your water tank has been contaminated in any way, you can still use the water to flush toilets, water the garden, wash clothes, wash clothes and fight fires.
  • Ensure that all rainwater from the first good rainfall event after the fire is run to waste, as this may be contaminated by ash and other pollutants from the fire.

Find out more about water tanks on your property.

Find out more about rainwater tanks after a bushfire.

For further information, please visit the Department of Health

Damaged Buildings

As soon as you can after a fire, contact your insurance company to report any damage or loss. They will need to send an assessor to your property to process your claim. Depending on their advice, you may be able to begin repairs and any rebuilding.

Otherwise, please contact City’s Building Services on 9439 0472 who will provide further advice on repairs, demolition and rebuilding.

Asbestos

Buildings built before 1988 may contain asbestos cement (sometimes called ‘AC’ or ‘ACM’) sheeting in walls, roofs, floor underlays, eaves, chimney flues or asbestos in vinyl floor tiles and backing to sheet linoleum. These materials are generally not a health risk unless they are cut, broken, drilled or crushed, which releases asbestos fibres into the air.

During a bushfire, the amount of asbestos fibres released into the air is likely to be low. After a bushfire, asbestos fibres can be disturbed by clean-up work.

If you suspect that your property could be heavily contaminated, for example asbestos in the soil, do not start clean-up until you have been told it is safe.

Please contact City’s Environmental Health Services on 9439 0475 to seek advice in relation to asbestos contamination. You may be required to engage a Worksafe licensed asbestos removalist.

Small unburned quantities (a few sheets or fragments) of broken or damaged asbestos cement material or debris under 10m2 should be:

  • wet down with a hose or bucket (not a pressure cleaner)
  • carefully removed and wrapped securely in heavy duty plastic sheeting or bags
  • wrapped in bundles and clearly labelled with the words ‘CAUTION ASBESTOS’
  • taken to a landfill site approved to accept asbestos.

Please ensure that you wear personal protective clothing before commencement of asbestos removal.

Further information regarding asbestos, please visit Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety and Department of Health.

Copper Chrome Arsenate (CCA-treated wood)

CCA-treated wood is commonly used in structures such as pergolas, decking, fencing and landscaping. After a fire, the ash from this wood contains up to 10 per cent (by weight) arsenic, copper and chromium.

Swallowing only a few grams of this can be harmful. Children, pets and other animals must be kept away from these ash areas until clean-up is completed.

  • Ash should be double-bagged, sealed and taken directly to your local landfill.
  • Damaged timber can also be taken to an approved landfill site.
Septics and effluent disposal

For any damages to your septic and effluent disposal system, please contact City’s Environmental Health Services on 9439 0475 to seek advice.

Waste Collection and Disposal

To report a damaged bin, please contact the City’s contractor SUEZ on 1300 293 955.

If you require a non-scheduled bin collection as a result of the fire incident (such as not being home to put the bin out or having additional food waste from power outage that does not fit in your bin) please contact City’s Waste Services on 9439 0401 to arrange an additional collection of your waste bin.

For disposal of building materials, household hazardous waste, demolition waste and asbestos, please contact the following disposal sites:

  • City of Rockingham Millar Rd West, Baldivis – phone: 9528 8550
  • City of Cockburn Henderson Waste Recovery Park, 920 Rockingham Rd Henderson – phone: 9411 3444
Utilities

It’s likely that your gas, electricity and water have been shut off or disconnected during the fire. You will need to wait for the suppliers to send a qualified tradesperson to inspect and repair any damage, plus arrange for reconnection. If you are insured, your insurance company can organise this for you. If you are not, you will need to sort this out yourself. Make sure you get in touch with your utilities providers:

Further advice

​Volunteer emergency services

Kwinana Bush Fire Service (BFS)

The City of Kwinana administers two bushfire brigades: Kwinana South and Mandogalup Volunteer Bushfire Brigades.

The bushfire brigades are responsible for:

  • Attending to all fires in areas within the City boundaries, east of the Kwinana Freeway
  • Supporting the Fire and Rescue Service with fires in their region of responsibility
  • Assisting the City of Kwinana in fire preparedness, prevention and recovery
  • Performing regular training on their equipment and to maintain skills.

Brigade members work closely with the City of Kwinana Emergency Services and City Assist Officers. They may also be called upon to assist the SES in emergency incidents, and adjoining local governments if required.

Kwinana Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service

The Kwinana Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service:

  • Provide fire and rescue response to support the Hope Valley Career Fire and Rescue station
  • Provide support to the City’s Volunteer Bushfire Brigades
  • Are actively involved in prevention works within the City of Kwinana.
     

Rockingham Kwinana State Emergency Service Unit (SES)

The Rockingham Kwinana State Emergency Services (SES) unit services the areas of Rockingham and Kwinana.

The SES unit:

  • Is responsible to DFES to respond to natural disasters
  • Provides support services to the WA Police Service by carrying out search and rescue operations when requested
  • Support other emergency services such as fire brigades.

Becoming a volunteer

Are you interested in becoming a volunteer in emergency services? If so, call the DFES Recruitment Hotline (free call) on 1800 628 141.

Wildlife

If you find any injured or distressed  wildlife as a result of the recent fires, please call the Wildcare Helpline on 9474 9055 for further assistance, or Native Arc in Cockburn on 9417 7105

The fires will have depleted native vegetation cover and food/water resources for our local wildlife. Here is some useful information on making your own wildlife drinking station.

More information and contacts

For more information please contact the City Assist team on 9439 0200.

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