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Elements and Performance Criteria

  1. Analyse factors impacting on the spread and behaviour of an intermediate wildfire and develop an incident prediction
  2. Develop maps and data, and maintain associated information regarding projected fire spread and behaviour
  3. Analyse and communicate key risks of the projected fire spread and behaviour
  4. Prepare and analyse a range of fire suppression options consistent with incident objectives

Required Skills

This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit

Required Skills

access and interpret weather products

implement strategic risk analysis techniques

interpret fire spread source data

manage data and maintain accurate records

understand and interpret topographic maps in order to plot potential fire spread

use fire prediction tools and suppression guides

Required Knowledge

categories of risk

conditions suitable for and the limitations of fire suppression strategies

effects of topography on fire behaviour

fire behaviour factors

fire suppression strategies and tactics

fire weather

fuel and fuel assessment

sources of data relating to fire behaviour

Evidence Required

The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the Performance Criteria Required Skills and Knowledge the Range Statement and the Assessment Guidelines for this Training Package

Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit

Assessment must confirm the ability to

provide for use by the Incident Management Team to plan the control of an intermediate wildfire

accurate analysis and projection of fire spread and fire behaviour indicating probable and possible scenarios

analysis of a range of appropriate fire suppression options

Consistency in performance

Competency should be demonstrated over time in actual or simulated wildfire incidents

Context of and specific resources for assessment

Context of assessment

Competency should be assessed in a range of actual or simulated wildfire incidents

Specific resources for assessment

Access is required to

range of actual or simulated fires

range of sources of information related to fire spread and behaviour

agency templates for fire behaviour prediction

Method of assessment

In a public safety environment assessment is usually conducted via direct observation in a training environment or in the workplace via subject matter supervision andor mentoring which is typically recorded in a competency workbook

Assessment is completed using appropriately qualified assessors who select the most appropriate method of assessment

Assessment may occur in an operational environment or in an agencyapproved simulated work environment Forms of assessment that are typically used include

direct observation

interviewing the candidate

journals and workplace documentation

third party reports from supervisors

written or oral questions


Range Statement

The Range Statement relates to the Unit of Competency as a whole. It allows for different work environments and situations that may affect performance. Bold italicised wording in the Performance Criteria is detailed below.

Fire behaviour must include:

fire perimeter

fire size/growth/shape

fire whirls

flame characteristics (height and depth)

heat output and intensity

junction zones

rate of spread

smoke

spotting

Sources may include:

air or ground observations

automated weather stations

Bureau of Meteorology websites and/or fire weather experts

fire history maps

fuel type maps

fireground information, operational situation reports and infrared scans

geographic information systems (GIS) and agency site-related databases

land managers

persons with local knowledge

Consideration of fuels and fuel assessment may include:

bark fine fuels

canopy fine fuels

coarse fuels

coarse standing fuels

coarse surface fuels

dead course fuel moisture

dead fine fuel moisture

elevated fine fuels

fine fuels

fuel and fire behaviour

live fuel moisture

moisture content assessment

near surface fine fuels

surface fine fuels

total fuel load

Weather analysis may include:

atmospheric stability

Bureau of Meteorology products and tools

calculation of fire danger ratings

cold fronts

diurnal cycles

droughts

Foehn winds

Katabatic and Anabatic winds

long-term weather cycles

relative humidity and dew point temperature

sea breezes and land breezes

seasonal cycles

short-term and local weather effects

temperature

temperature inversions

wind gustiness and directional variation

wind speed and direction

Eeffects of topography on fire behaviour must include:

acceleration effects

dry upper winds – mixing/range effect

drought index and drought factor

fuel distribution

elevation

rockiness/continuity

land form (channelling)

slope and aspect

Fire prediction toolsand references may include:

CSIRO (Mcarthur) forest fire danger meter

CSIRO (Mcarthur) grassland fire danger meter

CSIRO (Mcarthur) grassland fire spread meter

Vesta fire model

WA forest fire behaviour tables

overall fuel hazard guide (DSE, 1999)

other fuel specific fire behaviour prediction systems (such as buttongrass in Tasmania, mallee-heath model, spinifex model)

Map information and data may include:

maps of fire spread, estimated at time intervals as required by the incident management team, with separate mapping for probable and possible scenarios

narrative regarding limitations, assumptions, prediction uncertainties and other comment to assist in the interpretation of the data

victoria fire behaviour estimates

Risks may include:

operational risk

public safety risk

risks to public and private assets

economic risk

environmental risk

legal risk

technical risk

political risk

Human, economic and environmental assets may include:

areas of environmental or conservation value

areas of tourism value

crops and farm assets

historic sites

indigenous cultural sites

key infrastructure such as a major bridge or power transmission lines

plantations

private or public buildings

towns or settlements

water catchments

Strategy may include:

offensive strategies:

direct attack

indirect attack

parallel attack

defensive strategies:

community and asset protection

Tactic may include:

aerial suppression

back-burning/burning out

control line construction (hand, machine)