New devices put bush fire brigades on the map

New devices put bush fire brigades on the map
31 January 2025

City of Kwinana equips fire-fighting appliances with six tablets to access fireground mapping, record their fire responses, and photograph evidence.

 

Mandogalup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade Third Lieutenant Grant Howatson (right) and City of Kwinana Bush Fire Mitigation Officer Jarrad Fowler.

The City of Kwinana provided six tablets to two bush fire brigades to better equip frontline firefighting appliances.

The tablets were installed in the Urban Tankers and Light Tankers at the Mandogalup Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade and the Kwinana South Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade.

Mayor Peter Feasey said the tablets provided fast access to up-to-date and interactive digital maps, allowing for faster fire mapping.

“Crews can now map a fire ahead of any air intel and upload it into the map,” Mayor Feasey said.

“This allows for improved safety on the fire ground for brigade members, and enhances their responsiveness to fires,” he said.

The Samsung Galaxy Tablet Active 5 5G are rated to military standard specifications, designed to operate in extreme conditions.

The fire ground mapping application known as Firemapper can be used by City of Kwinana volunteer crews in their local area, adjoining Local Government areas, and across Western Australia in the event of deployment.

Approved applications, mounts and cradles were covered through the Local Government Grant Scheme which is sourced from the Emergency Services Levy collected to maintain the brigades.

Kwinana South received their devices and Firemapper training in January, with Mandogalup scheduled for training on 10 February.

Mayor Feasey urged all residents to be prepared this bush fire season by downloading the new Emergency WA app for emergency information straight from the source.

“Residents can download the new Emergency WA app or check the Emergency WA website for the fastest, most reliable access to alerts and warnings for hazards across the state,” he said.

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