Firefighters using paper maps to find emergencies
Fire Rescue Victoria is investigating the cause of four system outages last month, which lasted up to seven hours at a time.
The United Firefighters Union says the outages are risking public safety. The Station Turn Out System, used to dispatch crews to emergencies failed, with firefighters receiving phone calls from dispatchers asking if they had received notices to attend emergencies.
The notices had never arrived.
Firefighters and dispatchers had to rely on fallbacks and workarounds like manual phone calls, pagers, and pen & paper to respond to emergencies.
The union says one outage occurred on April 26, followed by the four in May.
The same system also provides emergency tones throughout stations, delivers routing information to firefighters and advice on hydrant location.
In its absence firefighters relied on a combination of Google Maps on their personal phones, Melway street directories, and separate apps.
The union said neither the outages nor resolutions were communicated by management to firefighters -instead they became aware through communication between stations or a call from Triple Zero Victoria.
In a letter sent to Commissioner Gavin Freeman seen by AAP, United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall said the failure of the critical systems put firefighters and the community at risk.
"The failure of these systems has potentially grave impacts," Mr Marshall told AAP on Sunday.
"Firefighters are resourceful in protecting public safety, but these failures make that job more difficult and dangerous."
Questions still remain over the December 2022 cyber attack.
The hack significantly affected Fire Rescue Victoria's technology and communications systems and exposed sensitive information.
It also left the FIRECOM firefighting information system offline for a year, affected the rostering system for much longer.Fire Rescue Victoria has been contacted for comment.
Firefighters are being forced to rely on personal phones and printed maps to find their way to emergencies, more than two years after a cyber attack damaged communication systems in one state's fire services.
Fire Rescue Victoria is investigating the cause of four system outages last month, which lasted up to seven hours at a time.
The United Firefighters Union says the outages are risking public safety. The Station Turn Out System, used to dispatch crews to emergencies failed, with firefighters receiving phone calls from dispatchers asking if they had received notices to attend emergencies.
The notices had never arrived.
Firefighters and dispatchers had to rely on fallbacks and workarounds like manual phone calls, pagers, and pen & paper to respond to emergencies.
The union says one outage occurred on April 26, followed by the four in May.
The same system also provides emergency tones throughout stations, delivers routing information to firefighters and advice on hydrant location.
In its absence firefighters relied on a combination of Google Maps on their personal phones, Melway street directories, and separate apps.
The union said neither the outages nor resolutions were communicated by management to firefighters -instead they became aware through communication between stations or a call from Triple Zero Victoria.
In a letter sent to Commissioner Gavin Freeman seen by AAP, United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall said the failure of the critical systems put firefighters and the community at risk.
"The failure of these systems has potentially grave impacts," Mr Marshall told AAP on Sunday.
"Firefighters are resourceful in protecting public safety, but these failures make that job more difficult and dangerous."
Questions still remain over the December 2022 cyber attack.
The hack significantly affected Fire Rescue Victoria's technology and communications systems and exposed sensitive information.
It also left the FIRECOM firefighting information system offline for a year, affected the rostering system for much longer.Fire Rescue Victoria has been contacted for comment.
Firefighters are being forced to rely on personal phones and printed maps to find their way to emergencies, more than two years after a cyber attack damaged communication systems in one state's fire services.
Fire Rescue Victoria is investigating the cause of four system outages last month, which lasted up to seven hours at a time.
The United Firefighters Union says the outages are risking public safety. The Station Turn Out System, used to dispatch crews to emergencies failed, with firefighters receiving phone calls from dispatchers asking if they had received notices to attend emergencies.
The notices had never arrived.
Firefighters and dispatchers had to rely on fallbacks and workarounds like manual phone calls, pagers, and pen & paper to respond to emergencies.
The union says one outage occurred on April 26, followed by the four in May.
The same system also provides emergency tones throughout stations, delivers routing information to firefighters and advice on hydrant location.
In its absence firefighters relied on a combination of Google Maps on their personal phones, Melway street directories, and separate apps.
The union said neither the outages nor resolutions were communicated by management to firefighters -instead they became aware through communication between stations or a call from Triple Zero Victoria.
In a letter sent to Commissioner Gavin Freeman seen by AAP, United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall said the failure of the critical systems put firefighters and the community at risk.
"The failure of these systems has potentially grave impacts," Mr Marshall told AAP on Sunday.
"Firefighters are resourceful in protecting public safety, but these failures make that job more difficult and dangerous."
Questions still remain over the December 2022 cyber attack.
The hack significantly affected Fire Rescue Victoria's technology and communications systems and exposed sensitive information.
It also left the FIRECOM firefighting information system offline for a year, affected the rostering system for much longer.Fire Rescue Victoria has been contacted for comment.
Firefighters are being forced to rely on personal phones and printed maps to find their way to emergencies, more than two years after a cyber attack damaged communication systems in one state's fire services.
Fire Rescue Victoria is investigating the cause of four system outages last month, which lasted up to seven hours at a time.
The United Firefighters Union says the outages are risking public safety. The Station Turn Out System, used to dispatch crews to emergencies failed, with firefighters receiving phone calls from dispatchers asking if they had received notices to attend emergencies.
The notices had never arrived.
Firefighters and dispatchers had to rely on fallbacks and workarounds like manual phone calls, pagers, and pen & paper to respond to emergencies.
The union says one outage occurred on April 26, followed by the four in May.
The same system also provides emergency tones throughout stations, delivers routing information to firefighters and advice on hydrant location.
In its absence firefighters relied on a combination of Google Maps on their personal phones, Melway street directories, and separate apps.
The union said neither the outages nor resolutions were communicated by management to firefighters -instead they became aware through communication between stations or a call from Triple Zero Victoria.
In a letter sent to Commissioner Gavin Freeman seen by AAP, United Firefighters Union Secretary Peter Marshall said the failure of the critical systems put firefighters and the community at risk.
"The failure of these systems has potentially grave impacts," Mr Marshall told AAP on Sunday.
"Firefighters are resourceful in protecting public safety, but these failures make that job more difficult and dangerous."
Questions still remain over the December 2022 cyber attack.
The hack significantly affected Fire Rescue Victoria's technology and communications systems and exposed sensitive information.
It also left the FIRECOM firefighting information system offline for a year, affected the rostering system for much longer.Fire Rescue Victoria has been contacted for comment.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Advertiser
14 hours ago
- The Advertiser
'Sense of belonging' helps Indigenous kids at school
Holistic support for Indigenous students, combining tutoring with cultural activities and engagement with Elders increases attendance and improves confidence at school, a study has found. Attendance levels and grades, as well as confidence and sense of belonging at school were measured among more than 500 students at 47 schools across NSW, where the Aurora Education Foundation delivered its Redefining Indigenous Success in Education program. The five-year initiative has three levels of support, with the most basic covering tutoring services and a laptop for students. Alongside tutoring, the two more intensive programs include up to $1000 financial assistance for students each semester, cultural activities or camps, and days where students' families could engage with staff, Elders and mentors in the program. In the most intensive program, fewer students wanted to stay home from school at least one or twice a week (17 per cent) when compared to the program with the basic level of support (35 per cent), the evaluation found. Students in the most supported programs reported stronger feelings of school belonging compared to their peers receiving basic support. They also had higher confidence in their future - 76 per cent compared to 59 per cent. "It makes sense that when students are getting the supports they need, they're more likely to go to school more," Aurora Education Foundation chief executive Leila Smith told AAP. Ms Smith, a Wiradjuri woman, said the $1000 financial support for students also helped to change students' mindsets, with the teens who received it reporting increased happiness and more confidence. While tutoring is important, Ms Smith said this study shows a range of supports are needed to make a real difference to students. "If they don't feel confident as an Indigenous person or they're experiencing racism in the classroom, tutoring alone isn't going to cut through," she said. The Redefining Indigenous Success in Education initiative was co-designed alongside Indigenous families, Elders and communities. Ms Smith said it was important to listen to families about what success meant to them, and design a holistic program, led by Indigenous ways, to support students. "Targeted, culturally grounded support works," she said. "We now have the evidence to back what communities have long known, which is that strong relationships, high expectations and systems designed with us can deliver real change." Holistic support for Indigenous students, combining tutoring with cultural activities and engagement with Elders increases attendance and improves confidence at school, a study has found. Attendance levels and grades, as well as confidence and sense of belonging at school were measured among more than 500 students at 47 schools across NSW, where the Aurora Education Foundation delivered its Redefining Indigenous Success in Education program. The five-year initiative has three levels of support, with the most basic covering tutoring services and a laptop for students. Alongside tutoring, the two more intensive programs include up to $1000 financial assistance for students each semester, cultural activities or camps, and days where students' families could engage with staff, Elders and mentors in the program. In the most intensive program, fewer students wanted to stay home from school at least one or twice a week (17 per cent) when compared to the program with the basic level of support (35 per cent), the evaluation found. Students in the most supported programs reported stronger feelings of school belonging compared to their peers receiving basic support. They also had higher confidence in their future - 76 per cent compared to 59 per cent. "It makes sense that when students are getting the supports they need, they're more likely to go to school more," Aurora Education Foundation chief executive Leila Smith told AAP. Ms Smith, a Wiradjuri woman, said the $1000 financial support for students also helped to change students' mindsets, with the teens who received it reporting increased happiness and more confidence. While tutoring is important, Ms Smith said this study shows a range of supports are needed to make a real difference to students. "If they don't feel confident as an Indigenous person or they're experiencing racism in the classroom, tutoring alone isn't going to cut through," she said. The Redefining Indigenous Success in Education initiative was co-designed alongside Indigenous families, Elders and communities. Ms Smith said it was important to listen to families about what success meant to them, and design a holistic program, led by Indigenous ways, to support students. "Targeted, culturally grounded support works," she said. "We now have the evidence to back what communities have long known, which is that strong relationships, high expectations and systems designed with us can deliver real change." Holistic support for Indigenous students, combining tutoring with cultural activities and engagement with Elders increases attendance and improves confidence at school, a study has found. Attendance levels and grades, as well as confidence and sense of belonging at school were measured among more than 500 students at 47 schools across NSW, where the Aurora Education Foundation delivered its Redefining Indigenous Success in Education program. The five-year initiative has three levels of support, with the most basic covering tutoring services and a laptop for students. Alongside tutoring, the two more intensive programs include up to $1000 financial assistance for students each semester, cultural activities or camps, and days where students' families could engage with staff, Elders and mentors in the program. In the most intensive program, fewer students wanted to stay home from school at least one or twice a week (17 per cent) when compared to the program with the basic level of support (35 per cent), the evaluation found. Students in the most supported programs reported stronger feelings of school belonging compared to their peers receiving basic support. They also had higher confidence in their future - 76 per cent compared to 59 per cent. "It makes sense that when students are getting the supports they need, they're more likely to go to school more," Aurora Education Foundation chief executive Leila Smith told AAP. Ms Smith, a Wiradjuri woman, said the $1000 financial support for students also helped to change students' mindsets, with the teens who received it reporting increased happiness and more confidence. While tutoring is important, Ms Smith said this study shows a range of supports are needed to make a real difference to students. "If they don't feel confident as an Indigenous person or they're experiencing racism in the classroom, tutoring alone isn't going to cut through," she said. The Redefining Indigenous Success in Education initiative was co-designed alongside Indigenous families, Elders and communities. Ms Smith said it was important to listen to families about what success meant to them, and design a holistic program, led by Indigenous ways, to support students. "Targeted, culturally grounded support works," she said. "We now have the evidence to back what communities have long known, which is that strong relationships, high expectations and systems designed with us can deliver real change." Holistic support for Indigenous students, combining tutoring with cultural activities and engagement with Elders increases attendance and improves confidence at school, a study has found. Attendance levels and grades, as well as confidence and sense of belonging at school were measured among more than 500 students at 47 schools across NSW, where the Aurora Education Foundation delivered its Redefining Indigenous Success in Education program. The five-year initiative has three levels of support, with the most basic covering tutoring services and a laptop for students. Alongside tutoring, the two more intensive programs include up to $1000 financial assistance for students each semester, cultural activities or camps, and days where students' families could engage with staff, Elders and mentors in the program. In the most intensive program, fewer students wanted to stay home from school at least one or twice a week (17 per cent) when compared to the program with the basic level of support (35 per cent), the evaluation found. Students in the most supported programs reported stronger feelings of school belonging compared to their peers receiving basic support. They also had higher confidence in their future - 76 per cent compared to 59 per cent. "It makes sense that when students are getting the supports they need, they're more likely to go to school more," Aurora Education Foundation chief executive Leila Smith told AAP. Ms Smith, a Wiradjuri woman, said the $1000 financial support for students also helped to change students' mindsets, with the teens who received it reporting increased happiness and more confidence. While tutoring is important, Ms Smith said this study shows a range of supports are needed to make a real difference to students. "If they don't feel confident as an Indigenous person or they're experiencing racism in the classroom, tutoring alone isn't going to cut through," she said. The Redefining Indigenous Success in Education initiative was co-designed alongside Indigenous families, Elders and communities. Ms Smith said it was important to listen to families about what success meant to them, and design a holistic program, led by Indigenous ways, to support students. "Targeted, culturally grounded support works," she said. "We now have the evidence to back what communities have long known, which is that strong relationships, high expectations and systems designed with us can deliver real change."
Perth Now
17 hours ago
- Perth Now
'Sense of belonging' helps Indigenous kids at school
Holistic support for Indigenous students, combining tutoring with cultural activities and engagement with Elders increases attendance and improves confidence at school, a study has found. Attendance levels and grades, as well as confidence and sense of belonging at school were measured among more than 500 students at 47 schools across NSW, where the Aurora Education Foundation delivered its Redefining Indigenous Success in Education program. The five-year initiative has three levels of support, with the most basic covering tutoring services and a laptop for students. Alongside tutoring, the two more intensive programs include up to $1000 financial assistance for students each semester, cultural activities or camps, and days where students' families could engage with staff, Elders and mentors in the program. In the most intensive program, fewer students wanted to stay home from school at least one or twice a week (17 per cent) when compared to the program with the basic level of support (35 per cent), the evaluation found. Students in the most supported programs reported stronger feelings of school belonging compared to their peers receiving basic support. They also had higher confidence in their future - 76 per cent compared to 59 per cent. "It makes sense that when students are getting the supports they need, they're more likely to go to school more," Aurora Education Foundation chief executive Leila Smith told AAP. Ms Smith, a Wiradjuri woman, said the $1000 financial support for students also helped to change students' mindsets, with the teens who received it reporting increased happiness and more confidence. While tutoring is important, Ms Smith said this study shows a range of supports are needed to make a real difference to students. "If they don't feel confident as an Indigenous person or they're experiencing racism in the classroom, tutoring alone isn't going to cut through," she said. The Redefining Indigenous Success in Education initiative was co-designed alongside Indigenous families, Elders and communities. Ms Smith said it was important to listen to families about what success meant to them, and design a holistic program, led by Indigenous ways, to support students. "Targeted, culturally grounded support works," she said. "We now have the evidence to back what communities have long known, which is that strong relationships, high expectations and systems designed with us can deliver real change."
The Advertiser
5 days ago
- The Advertiser
'Good medicine': playgroup brings generational joy
Lisa loves having "nanna days" on a Friday with her one-year-old granddaughter. But now there's an extra reason she looks forward to these special bonding times - she attends the Marra Elders Playgroup, which started only a few weeks ago but has already won her heart. "I call it good medicine," Lisa told AAP. The benefits are multiple. Her granddaughter, whose great grandparents live some distance away, instead gets to learn from the other Elders in the group but so too does Lisa love the opportunity to yarn with them. "I didn't grow up around a lot of my own Elders because my Elders were already passed away," she said. "This has been a great opportunity for myself to be able to learn and listen as well." Many families don't have access to Elders for various reasons, says Ingrid Coad, manager of the Aboriginal Elders Village in Adelaide, where the playgroup is run. But the Elders at the village relish being able to pass down stories and language to not only the littlest attendees of the playgroup but the generations between too. "They're actually teaching the little ones in Pitjantjatjara the heads, shoulders, knees and toes song," Ms Coad said. "They're also teaching the mums and the grandmothers and the residents who don't speak Pitjantjatjara, they're also learning those words." Each fortnight at the playgroup, run in collaboration with Aboriginal Community Services, Playgroup SA and local cultural community centre Marra Dreaming, the Elders and the children come together for painting, cooking, storytelling, music and weaving activities. "For our Elders, this exciting new program brings joy, purpose and connection, reducing isolation and celebrating their vital role in raising strong, culturally connected children," said Graham Aitken, chief executive of Aboriginal Community Services, which runs the village. "This is a true community approach where young and old come together to support one another, learn from each other and build strong, inclusive communities." The playgroup has run for about a month but Ms Coad has already noticed the difference it has made to the residents of the only First Nations aged care home in Adelaide. "We have a lot of residents who have various stages of dementia and when they see the little ones you can see their smiles," she said. "They laugh with them, they interact with with the little ones, they're less anxious. "It's as if they're seeing their own grannies so that's one of the benefits, the joy of seeing the little ones playing with them. "It's so nice." Lisa loves having "nanna days" on a Friday with her one-year-old granddaughter. But now there's an extra reason she looks forward to these special bonding times - she attends the Marra Elders Playgroup, which started only a few weeks ago but has already won her heart. "I call it good medicine," Lisa told AAP. The benefits are multiple. Her granddaughter, whose great grandparents live some distance away, instead gets to learn from the other Elders in the group but so too does Lisa love the opportunity to yarn with them. "I didn't grow up around a lot of my own Elders because my Elders were already passed away," she said. "This has been a great opportunity for myself to be able to learn and listen as well." Many families don't have access to Elders for various reasons, says Ingrid Coad, manager of the Aboriginal Elders Village in Adelaide, where the playgroup is run. But the Elders at the village relish being able to pass down stories and language to not only the littlest attendees of the playgroup but the generations between too. "They're actually teaching the little ones in Pitjantjatjara the heads, shoulders, knees and toes song," Ms Coad said. "They're also teaching the mums and the grandmothers and the residents who don't speak Pitjantjatjara, they're also learning those words." Each fortnight at the playgroup, run in collaboration with Aboriginal Community Services, Playgroup SA and local cultural community centre Marra Dreaming, the Elders and the children come together for painting, cooking, storytelling, music and weaving activities. "For our Elders, this exciting new program brings joy, purpose and connection, reducing isolation and celebrating their vital role in raising strong, culturally connected children," said Graham Aitken, chief executive of Aboriginal Community Services, which runs the village. "This is a true community approach where young and old come together to support one another, learn from each other and build strong, inclusive communities." The playgroup has run for about a month but Ms Coad has already noticed the difference it has made to the residents of the only First Nations aged care home in Adelaide. "We have a lot of residents who have various stages of dementia and when they see the little ones you can see their smiles," she said. "They laugh with them, they interact with with the little ones, they're less anxious. "It's as if they're seeing their own grannies so that's one of the benefits, the joy of seeing the little ones playing with them. "It's so nice." Lisa loves having "nanna days" on a Friday with her one-year-old granddaughter. But now there's an extra reason she looks forward to these special bonding times - she attends the Marra Elders Playgroup, which started only a few weeks ago but has already won her heart. "I call it good medicine," Lisa told AAP. The benefits are multiple. Her granddaughter, whose great grandparents live some distance away, instead gets to learn from the other Elders in the group but so too does Lisa love the opportunity to yarn with them. "I didn't grow up around a lot of my own Elders because my Elders were already passed away," she said. "This has been a great opportunity for myself to be able to learn and listen as well." Many families don't have access to Elders for various reasons, says Ingrid Coad, manager of the Aboriginal Elders Village in Adelaide, where the playgroup is run. But the Elders at the village relish being able to pass down stories and language to not only the littlest attendees of the playgroup but the generations between too. "They're actually teaching the little ones in Pitjantjatjara the heads, shoulders, knees and toes song," Ms Coad said. "They're also teaching the mums and the grandmothers and the residents who don't speak Pitjantjatjara, they're also learning those words." Each fortnight at the playgroup, run in collaboration with Aboriginal Community Services, Playgroup SA and local cultural community centre Marra Dreaming, the Elders and the children come together for painting, cooking, storytelling, music and weaving activities. "For our Elders, this exciting new program brings joy, purpose and connection, reducing isolation and celebrating their vital role in raising strong, culturally connected children," said Graham Aitken, chief executive of Aboriginal Community Services, which runs the village. "This is a true community approach where young and old come together to support one another, learn from each other and build strong, inclusive communities." The playgroup has run for about a month but Ms Coad has already noticed the difference it has made to the residents of the only First Nations aged care home in Adelaide. "We have a lot of residents who have various stages of dementia and when they see the little ones you can see their smiles," she said. "They laugh with them, they interact with with the little ones, they're less anxious. "It's as if they're seeing their own grannies so that's one of the benefits, the joy of seeing the little ones playing with them. "It's so nice." Lisa loves having "nanna days" on a Friday with her one-year-old granddaughter. But now there's an extra reason she looks forward to these special bonding times - she attends the Marra Elders Playgroup, which started only a few weeks ago but has already won her heart. "I call it good medicine," Lisa told AAP. The benefits are multiple. Her granddaughter, whose great grandparents live some distance away, instead gets to learn from the other Elders in the group but so too does Lisa love the opportunity to yarn with them. "I didn't grow up around a lot of my own Elders because my Elders were already passed away," she said. "This has been a great opportunity for myself to be able to learn and listen as well." Many families don't have access to Elders for various reasons, says Ingrid Coad, manager of the Aboriginal Elders Village in Adelaide, where the playgroup is run. But the Elders at the village relish being able to pass down stories and language to not only the littlest attendees of the playgroup but the generations between too. "They're actually teaching the little ones in Pitjantjatjara the heads, shoulders, knees and toes song," Ms Coad said. "They're also teaching the mums and the grandmothers and the residents who don't speak Pitjantjatjara, they're also learning those words." Each fortnight at the playgroup, run in collaboration with Aboriginal Community Services, Playgroup SA and local cultural community centre Marra Dreaming, the Elders and the children come together for painting, cooking, storytelling, music and weaving activities. "For our Elders, this exciting new program brings joy, purpose and connection, reducing isolation and celebrating their vital role in raising strong, culturally connected children," said Graham Aitken, chief executive of Aboriginal Community Services, which runs the village. "This is a true community approach where young and old come together to support one another, learn from each other and build strong, inclusive communities." The playgroup has run for about a month but Ms Coad has already noticed the difference it has made to the residents of the only First Nations aged care home in Adelaide. "We have a lot of residents who have various stages of dementia and when they see the little ones you can see their smiles," she said. "They laugh with them, they interact with with the little ones, they're less anxious. "It's as if they're seeing their own grannies so that's one of the benefits, the joy of seeing the little ones playing with them. "It's so nice."
