Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

This unit of competency involves the skills and knowledge required to work as a member of a crew to apply appropriate fire control strategies and safe work practices to extinguish a wildfire, participate in mop ups and patrol operations and prepare equipment for the next crew.

The unit applies to personnel who work as a member of a crew or team. Work at this level is often undertaken without direct supervision and instruction. There may be some level of supervision of other members of the crew at this level.

The fire sector is those sections of government departments, statutory authorities or organisations that have responsibility under jurisdictional arrangements for the delivery of firefighting and fire management services.

No licensing, legislative or certification requirements apply to this unit at the time of publication.

It is essential that the prerequisite units listed below are obtained prior to the issuance of this unit to individuals within the fire sector or the units contributing to the attainment of a fire qualification.

PUAFIR204 Respond to wildfire

Fire

Fire

ELEMENTS 

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA 

Elements describe the essential outcomes.

Performance criteria describe the performance needed to demonstrate achievement of the element.

1  

Receive and report details of wildfire 

1.1 

Details of the wildfire including location, type, behaviour and developments are received and recorded

1.2 

Fire details are reported, in accordance with organisational requirements

2 

Prepare to respond to fire 

2.1 

Location of wildfire is confirmed and safest access route is determined

2.2 

Personal protective clothing and equipment, apparel, food and water are obtained before departure, in accordance with organisational requirements

2.3 

Most appropriate appliance or vehicle is selected and used

3 

Proceed to fire 

3.1 

Location of wildfire is confirmed by observation or from instructions while on approach

3.2 

Access to area is determined and achieved without injury to personnel or damage to vehicles, equipment or environmentally sensitive areas

3.3 

Evidence observed on approach relevant to wildfire cause is noted and brought to the attention of appropriate authorities

3.4 

Navigational aids are used for planning and operational purposes

3.5 

Notification of arrival and appropriate report is provided

4 

Protect people and assets 

4.1 

As far as conditions allow the number, location and safety of people and assets in the threatened area is determined and assessed

4.2 

Appropriate protective procedures are implemented, under direction, to protect persons in the path of a wildfire

4.3 

Access by the public and personnel to hazardous locations is controlled, as directed, in accordance with organisational procedures

4.4 

Defensibility of property and assets is considered and, if appropriate, assistance is provided to help occupiers

4.5 

Safety of people and assets in the threatened area is monitored

4.6 

Safety of people and security of assets in the area is checked and reported after the fire

5 

Combat wildfire 

5.1 

Briefing is received including area of operations, strategies and tactics to be employed

5.2 

Escape routes and safety zones are confirmed and communicated to personnel

5.3 

Firefighting media and equipment are selected and used in accordance with organisational procedures

5.4 

Fire hazards are identified and action is taken to minimise the risks of injury to the public, personnel and self

5.5 

Firefighting strategies and tactics are implemented to achieve objectives and to minimise overall damage and impact on asserts and the environment

5.6 

Fuel, weather and topographical factors are observed and potential fire behaviour is anticipated and acted upon to ensure safety

5.7 

Communication is maintained with supervisor through the chain of command and with other firefighters in the work area

5.8 

Fire control activities are undertaken to minimise overall damage and impact on assets and the environment

5.9 

Potential fire behaviour is considered and acted upon to ensure safety and achievement of objectives

5.10 

Fire reports are provided to supervisor, as required

5.11 

Area of origin and evidence of fire cause are protected and brought to the attention of supervisor or relevant authority, in accordance with organisational procedures

6 

Conduct mop up and patrol activities 

6.1 

Mop up activities are carried out, in accordance with organisational procedures

6.2 

Patrol of the fire is maintained

7 

Recover and maintain equipment 

7.1 

Equipment is made ready for operational use, in accordance with organisational procedures

7.2 

Damaged or missing equipment is replaced, recorded and/or reported, in accordance with organisational procedures

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Foundation skills essential to performance are explicit in the performance criteria of this unit of competency.

Range is restricted to essential operating conditions and any other variables essential to the work environment.

Non-essential conditions may be found in the Companion Volume Implementation Guide.

Release 1.  This is the first release of this unit of competency in the PUA Public Safety Training Package.

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements, performance criteria and range of conditions on at least one occasion and includes

• anticipating and reacting to changing wildfire behaviour
• applying Work Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) organisational requirements
• assessing risk to life, property and the environment
• contributing to the implementation of firefighting strategies
• combating wildfires, performing firefighting tactics, and using firefighting equipment and extinguishing media
• communicating and working with team members
• conducting mop ups and patrol activities
• detecting hot spots and hazardous trees
• implementing and monitoring firefighting strategies and tactics
• interpreting fire weather, fuels and terrain and predicting likely impact on fire behaviour
• maintaining safety and health of self, other workers and people in a wildfire area
• participating in briefings and confirming instructions
• preparing to respond to wildfires, using navigation equipment
• proceeding to wildfires
• receiving, recording and reporting information

Evidence required to demonstrate competence in this unit must be relevant to and satisfy all the requirements of the elements, performance criteria and range of conditions and includes knowledge of

• crew protective procedures
• access to wildfires
• recognition of environmentally sensitive areas and actions to minimise damage
• escape routes including prepared tracks, roads, trails and waterways
• fire behaviour and its response to different fuels, topography and weather conditions
• fire cause
• fireground hazards
• fire report requirements
• fuel types and factors that impact fire development
• media and equipment for firefighting
• means of transport to fire ground
• navigational aids including aerial photographs, compass, global positioning systems and maps
• organisational documentation, policies and procedures
• potential fire behaviour including fire development, flame height and intensity, fuel load and arrangement, rate of speed, spotting, change due to terrain, topography, changes due to weather conditions, winds and fire winds.
• protective procedures including alerts and warnings, insitu protection and relocation
• safety zones including bare ground, burnt areas, clearings, rivers, site of recent wildfire or prescribed burns and static water bodies
• strategies for firefighting including offensive strategies including direct attack, indirect attack, parallel attack and combined attack and defensive strategies including community and asset protection
• tactics for firefighting including back burning and burning out, control line construction - hand and machine and direct suppression and extinguishment
• tasks for firefighting including application of firefighting media, control line construction, mopping up and patrol
• topographical factors that affect fire development
• types of fires including crown, ground and surface
• types of assets that require protection
• weather factors that influence fire development
• Work Health and Safety (WHS)/Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) organisational requirements including risk mitigation and safety near vehicles and machines

As a minimum, assessors must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

As a minimum, assessment must satisfy applicable regulatory requirements, which include requirements in the Standards for Registered Training Organisations current at the time of assessment.

Assessment processes and techniques must be appropriate to the language, literacy and numeracy requirements of the work being performed and the needs of the candidate.

Assessment must occur in workplace operational situations. Where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in industry approved simulated workplace operational situations that reflect workplace conditions.

Where this is not appropriate, assessment must occur in industry approved simulated workplace operational situations that reflect workplace conditions.

Resources for assessment must include access to

• a range of relevant exercises, case studies and/or simulations
• relevant and appropriate materials, equipment, tools and personal protective clothing and equipment currently used in industry including

• access to wildfire or prescribed burns and/or approved field based environment
• firefighting equipment and extinguishing media

• applicable documentation including organisational procedures, industry standards, equipment specifications, regulations, codes of practice and operation manuals.