Introduction

Over the last 20 years there has been vast change in the rural environment of Australia. This includes continuing reductions in the rural work force, increased restrictions on rural burning, the increase in the number of rural residents not dependent on rural industries for a livelihood; a change from concentration of rural populations in small villages to peri-urban developments in large allotments; and, less separation between buildings and fuels. In the more closely settled areas little vacant crown or lease-hold land remains and most land comes under the responsibility of a private landowner or a public land manager. There have also been significant changes in the fire suppression environment. Previously most forest fires were fought by the employees of the government forest managers and most grass fires were fought by volunteers. The forest workers considered firefighting as just another of their tasks. They tended to remain in the workforce and gained experience in fire through working with prescribed fire used for fuel reduction and forest regeneration. In many areas there was the opportunity for promotion through the workforce and the opportunity for informal apprenticeship in fire suppression under experienced overseers. Direct firefighting was undertaken on fires of low intensity and once the fires had escaped initial attack most firefighting reverted to indirect attack.

Grass fires were largely fought by volunteer firefighters drawn from the rural community. They were often familiar with stubble burning but most had little experience with forest fire suppression. More often than not fires on private forest lands were not attacked until they emerged from the forest onto the grasslands. In grassland, however, they mostly employed direct attack and perhaps had a greater sense of urgency in attack because their livelihood was directly under threat.

Some of the changes that are occurring that could influence the safety of firefighters are:

• the reduction of the paid work force in Government land management agencies;
• the wider use of volunteers for forest firefighting;
• the reduction of burning per se in the landscape and with it is the loss of opportunities for observation of and familiarisation with basic fire behaviour;
• an expectation by many peri-urban residents that the rural fire service will protect their homes from bushfire; and,
• the media hype that has elevated the firefighter to the ranks of folk hero during fire emergencies but which also places their activities under closer scrutiny than ever before.

I believe these trends place firefighters at greater risk; they require rural fire agencies to examine the training provided, the equipment that are provided to firefighters and the expectation that the general public has of our volunteers. Following recent fatal incidents firefighters both in Australia and overseas have raised questions about the effectiveness of safety programs; the safety of fire tankers in entrapment situations; the effectiveness of personal protective shelters; and the practicality of introducing these protective shelters for Australian firefighters.