Swanpool CFA from June 2023

06/11/2025

If we can't access your property or water, we can't help you.https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/access00:00 Introduction00:11 Visible Property Number00:22 Driveway c...

01/11/2025

Yes, this is scary. But it is important to see how bushfires can behave. Prepare your plan now (including when to leave, where you can go and how you can get there), and prepare your property. For advice, join the Bushfire Safety Essentials event tomorrow from 8.30am at the Lima South CFA station.

01/11/2025

31/10/2025

Do you live in the Swanpool- Lima South area? Don't miss this important event tomorrow over a free egg and bacon breakfast.

29/10/2025

🚁🔥 Did You Know … About Pre-Determined Dispatch (PDD) of Aircraft? 🔥🚁

During the fire season, every second counts — especially when it comes to aerial firefighting. That’s where Pre-Determined Dispatch (PDD) comes in, dispatching aircraft at the same time as ground crews.

📌 What is PDD?
PDD is a system that allows helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft to be pre-assigned to locations based on forecast fire risk and conditions. On days of higher risk, the whole state is covered by PDD, ensuring aircraft are ready wherever they might be needed.

PDD enables the rapid deployment of aerial firefighting assets to high-risk areas on days of high fire danger. This means that on those days, aircraft are pre-assigned to specific response areas and are paged to incidents at the same time as fire trucks, enabling immediate initial attack on fires to help keep them small.

🚨 Where it came from:
PDD was developed under the Enhanced Aircraft Request and Dispatch System Project, initiated as part of the response to the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) Recommendation 20.
That recommendation called for “a system that enables the dispatch of aircraft to fires in high-risk areas without requiring a request from an Incident Controller or the State Duty Officer.”

⏱ How it works:
When weather and fire danger reach certain levels, aircraft are dispatched at the same time as fire trucks and ground crews — if available and not already committed to another fire. In some areas, they may even arrive before trucks, as access can be challenging in remote or rugged terrain.

🔗 Working with EMV & FFMV:
PDD operates in conjunction with EMV/VicEmergency, Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) and other emergency partners, ensuring aircraft are strategically deployed where they’re needed most to support crews on the ground.

🚒 Why it matters:
🔥 Fires can spread rapidly — sometimes in minutes.
🚁 PDD ensures aircraft are already in position, ready to respond.
⏱️ It reduces response times, giving firefighters critical aerial support faster — helping keep fires small.

Next time you see a helicopter in the sky during fire season, remember — it might just be part of a carefully planned PDD mission, helping protect lives, property, and the environment.

📸 Image courtesy of FFMV. The photo shows the Super Puma helicopter — Helitak 349 (one of the night-capable aircraft) — drawing water from an FFMV “dip tank”.

29/10/2025

21/10/2025

With the high winds forecast for tomorrow, 22nd October 2025, Swanpool CFA urges everyone to ensure that any burn offs conducted on your property over the past few days, are fully extinguished, reducing the risk of reignition.
Stay informed about emergencies by installing the VicEmergency app on your Smart phone.

30/09/2025

https://www.facebook.com/100064809966193/posts/1243708087799512/?mibextid=rS40aB7S9Ucbxw6v

29/09/2025

Have your kids been on a fire truck? Here is an opportunity for your kids to see inside the cabin of a fire truck and learn how the brigade puts out fires. Our firetruck and ultralight will be showcased as a part of the Swanpool Get Fire Ready Open Day (10am to 2pm on Sunday 5th October).
And parents, we can help you develop a fire plan, upload the VicEmergency App so you can be notified about fires and other emergencies in your area, and learn about fire risks in the Swanpool area.