Flood Affected community’s support & Members recognised for 2019/20 Bushfires

Are you prepared?

TIME TO GET PREPARED

The 2021-2022 Bush Fire Danger Period commences for Greater Sydney on the 1st of October 2021.

May 4th is known as St Florian’s Day, a day named after the patron saint of firefighters where we reflect on the service of current and past firefighters. This was a very proud day for the Arcadia brigade, the St Florian’s Day awards were announced and Arcadia was one of the brigades that was awarded the Commissioner’s Unit Citation for Service of a meritorious nature, for outstanding actions in relation to fire service duties during the 2019/20 Bushfire Emergencies.

Arcadia turns 80!

As 2020 comes to an end it is safe to say it has been an interesting and different year. We experienced some of the worst fires NSW has seen at the beginning, followed by flooding and storm damage, to be then faced with Covid-19. Each of these events have been trying on communities but the resilience of communities shone through.

During September the weather aligned and the Hornsby/Ku-Ring-Gai district were able to successfully complete two hazard reduction burns, the much-anticipated Banks Creek HR, which was split into 2 parts spanning from Calabash road to Chilcott road. It is safe to say the response from locals for this was positive. The last time the area had seen fire was back during the fires in late 2002.

Arcadia Brigade held our COVID Safe AGM in August and we’ve had some changes amongst the ranks.

While COVID has dominated much of what has been happening in the past months, this has also been true for the brigade, however we have continued to provide the essential emergency response to incidents while practicing social distancing and cleaning of all equipment once we have finished.

Whilst following strict procedures in response to Covid-19, brigades around the district have been undertaking essential hazard reduction preparation work to ensure these prescribed burns can be done within ideal weather perimeters. In May many crews from NSW RFS Hills and Hornsby districts, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Services (NSW NPWS),  participated in the Laybury's hazard reduction in Canoelands, north of Glenorie. This was a large burn, 761 ha, that was completed successfully over two days.

We have since left the Bush Fire Danger Period of 2019/2020 and have experienced that sought-after rain that has reinvigorated our surrounding land. Each year the message stays the same, do not become complacent and to use this time to continue property preparations for bush fires and ember attack, continue working on and improving fire safety plans.

A heartfelt farewell and a warm welcome. Arcadia 1 Alpha is one of two trucks at Arcadia station and has been part of the local community for nearly 20 years, it is well known as being the work horse of the brigade.

From fires to flooding rains, Arcadian crews have been busy since November 2019.

Crews at Arcadia have been busy behind the scenes, doing trail inspections and familiarization with our newer members. We frequently do trail inspections so we know if trails need maintenance or if any of the landscape has changed.

September has flown by! The Bush Fire Danger Period was moved forward a month and will finish on the 31st of March. As a result, anyone wishing to conduct pile burns will require a permit from Council and from the NSW RFS.

On the 14th of September between 10am and 2pm the station will be hosting its annual Get Ready event. It's a great opportunity to come up to the station and meet your local firefighters. It's also a great opportunity to get a better understanding of our role within the community and the risks Arcadia is exposed to.

Throughout June and July the brigade has been busy with training. In June, Arcadia participated in the Hornsby/Ku-Ring-Gai district's annual District Exercise. The exercise is comprised of a number of different scenarios that encompass the incidents and skills the RFS attend and use.

The brigade recently held its AGM for 2019. Our senior captain, Shannon, recently stepped down and Ian Furnass has stepped into the role. We wish to  congratulate all the position holders, and here is to a successful 2019/2020.

Winter has made its mark and is definitely here for 2019.

This serves as a timely reminder to ensure your home is safe as we look forward to using fireplaces and heaters to stay cosy, and a way to dry clothes when the laundry pile builds up. Everyone loves the ambiance of a crackling fire place, but have you made sure your flues are clean?

The 1st of April saw the end of the Bush Fire Danger period, after a long fire season for many parts of Australia. Due to the dry conditions, the season started a month early for Sydney.  We had crews deployed to a number of fires, including interstate deployment in Queensland.

Arcadia is hosting their inaugural car boot sale on 4th May 2019 at 9am. It will be held alongside the famous Arcadia Market Day at Arcadia Primary school. The car boot sale is the brigade’s main fundraising event for the year!

The members of Arcadia have been busily working in the background for a future hazard reduction (HR) in the Arcadia and Berrilee area. You may have seen a number of trucks in the area on the weekends, and a number of yellow figures working in the bush. 

As we enter March our brigade has been preparing itself for the year ahead

With a brief, but appreciated quiet period over Christmas and New Year's, the brigade got a chance to relax and recharge, however, we were still quietly working away in the background.

New year, same message.

Preparing your property is an essential part of getting ready for Summer and while we support and encourage the reduction of hazards from around your home, it is a timely reminder to make sure that you have received the correct fire permits.

The cool start to October has been a welcomed change from the heat of September. This can often be a time for the community to slow down and think that the bushfire threat is not there, however, we don’t need a 40 degree day to have a bad bushfire

That is the question. Unfortunately we have been called to a number of pile burns and bonfires in recent weeks that have not had the required paperwork.

Preparations continued for upcoming Fire Season

We have seen an early start to the fire season with a drier than usual winter which has seen the fire season brought forward to September in many parts of the state.