Application
The unit involves detecting fires in a variety of work settings, including: forest environments mills timber and wood products production farms agriculture workshops domestic nurseries local councils The skills and knowledge required for competent workplace performance are to be used within the scope of the person's job and authority |
Prerequisites
Not Applicable
Elements and Performance Criteria
ELEMENT | PERFORMANCE CRITERIA |
1. Locate position in the field | 1.1. Applicable occupational health and safety (OHS), environmental, legislative and organisational requirements relevant to detecting fires are identified and followed 1.2. Smoke and current position in the field are identified using landmarks and key geographical features 1.3. Current position in the field is located on a map or plan in line with site procedures 1.4. Communication with others is established and maintained in line with OHS requirements |
2. Record smoke and other sightings | 2.1. Smoke and other sightings are noted and reported promptly in line with organisational procedures 2.2. Sighting details are recorded in line with required formats, conventions and site procedures 2.3. Accurate chronological log is maintained in line with required formats, conventions and site procedures 2.4. Situations requiring specialist advice are identified and assistance is sought as required in line with site procedures |
3. Communicate with fire command or control | 3.1. Communications equipment is used to relay information accurately and clearly in line with safe work practices, training and site procedures 3.2. Location of own position and sightings are accurately and clearly relayed to fire command or control using conventional descriptions 3.3. Relevant information and conditions are accurately recorded and relayed using required formats and conventions in line with instructions 3.4. Fire detecting processes and outcomes are recorded and reported to the appropriate personnel |
Required Skills
This describes the essential skills and knowledge and their level required for this unit. |
Required skills |
Technical skills sufficient to use landmarks and geographical features to locate position; effectively and safely climb fire towers; interpret map details and features; read a compass and estimate distances Communication skills sufficient to use appropriate communication methods, equipment and interpersonal techniques with colleagues and others Literacy skills sufficient to locate, record and report information Numeracy skills sufficient to apply mathematical processes to measure and record meteorological data Problem solving skills sufficient to review and identify work requirements; identify problems and hazards; demonstrate appropriate response procedures |
Required knowledge |
Applicable commonwealth, state or territory legislation, regulations, standards, codes of practice and established safe practices relevant to the full range of processes for detecting fires Environmental protection requirements, including the safe disposal of waste material Organisational and site standards, requirements, policies and procedures for detecting fires Organisational and fire command or control conventions for recording and reporting fire sightings in an emergency situation Environmental risks and hazards Precautions to be taken in a range of extreme weather conditions Smoke types, colour and meaning Terrain and features visible from a tower or aircraft Map types and features, including common scales used on maps and plans, and procedures for their use and manipulation Procedures for measuring and recording meteorological data Established communication channels and protocols Problem identification and resolution strategies, and common fault finding techniques Types of tools and equipment, and procedures for their safe use and maintenance Appropriate mathematical procedures for estimating and measuring, including calculating time to complete tasks Procedures for recording and reporting workplace information |
Evidence Required
The evidence guide provides advice on assessment and must be read in conjunction with the performance criteria, required skills and knowledge, range statement and the Assessment Guidelines for the Training Package. | |
Overview of assessment | A person who demonstrates competency in this unit must be able to provide evidence that they can safely and accurately detect fires and accurately report and record details of sightings |
Critical aspects for assessment and evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit | The evidence required to demonstrate competency in this unit must be relevant to, and satisfy all of the requirements of the elements of this unit and include demonstration of: following applicable commonwealth, state or territory legislative and regulatory requirements and codes of practice relevant to detecting fires following organisational policies and procedures relevant to detecting fires locating and identifying on a map or plan the current position of a fire from the field or air noting and reporting sighting details, including estimated distances, in the required formats and conventions accurately and clearly recording information, including a chronological log of sightings and meteorological measurements and readings |
Context of and specific resources for assessment | Competency is to be assessed in the workplace or realistically simulated workplace Assessment is to occur under standard and authorised work practices, safety requirements and environmental constraints Assessment of required knowledge, other than confirmatory questions, will usually be conducted in an off-site context Assessment is to follow relevant regulatory or Australian Standards requirements The following resources should be made available: workplace location or simulated workplace materials and equipment relevant to undertaking work applicable to this unit specifications and work instructions |
Method of assessment | Assessment must satisfy the endorsed Assessment Guidelines of the FPI11 Training Package Assessment methods must confirm consistency and accuracy of performance (over time and in a range of workplace relevant contexts) together with application of required knowledge Assessment must be by direct observation of tasks, with questioning on required knowledge and it must also reinforce the integration of employability skills Assessment methods must confirm the ability to access and correctly interpret and apply the required knowledge Assessment may be applied under project-related conditions (real or simulated) and require evidence of process Assessment must confirm a reasonable inference that competency is able not only to be satisfied under the particular circumstance, but is able to be transferred to other circumstances Assessment may be in conjunction with assessment of other units of competency The assessment environment should not disadvantage the candidate Assessment practices should take into account any relevant language or cultural issues related to Aboriginality, gender or language backgrounds other than English Where the participant has a disability, reasonable adjustment may be applied during assessment Language and literacy demands of the assessment task should not be higher than those of the work role |
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, if used in the performance criteria, is detailed below. Essential operating conditions that may be present with training and assessment (depending on the work situation, needs of the candidate, accessibility of the item, and local industry and regional contexts) may also be included. | |
OHS requirements: | are to be in line with applicable commonwealth, state or territory legislation and regulations, and organisational safety policies and procedures, and may include: personal protective equipment and clothing safety equipment first aid equipment fire fighting equipment hazard and risk control fatigue management elimination of hazardous materials and substances safe forest practices, including required actions relating to forest fire manual handling including shifting, lifting and carrying |
Environmentalrequirements may include: | legislation organisational policies and procedures workplace practices |
Legislative requirements: | are to be in line with applicable commonwealth, state or territory legislation, regulations, certification requirements and codes of practice and may include: award and enterprise agreements industrial relations Australian Standards confidentiality and privacy OHS the environment equal opportunity anti-discrimination relevant industry codes of practice duty of care |
Organisational requirements may include: | legal organisational and site guidelines policies and procedures relating to own role and responsibility quality assurance procedural manuals quality and continuous improvement processes and standards OHS, emergency and evacuation procedures ethical standards recording and reporting requirements equipment use, maintenance and storage requirements environmental management requirements (waste minimisation and disposal, recycling and re-use guidelines) |
Detecting fires | may be from: all types and locations commonly found in forested and grassland country towers aircraft |
Smoke may include: | assessing for: colour type meaning |
Communication may include: | verbal and non-verbal language constructive feedback active listening questioning to clarify and confirm understanding use of positive, confident and cooperative language use of language and concepts appropriate to individual social and cultural differences control of tone of voice |
Sighting details may include: | locations bearings estimated distances |
Specialist advice may include: | supervisor fire command or control colleagues local fire brigade |
Communications equipment may include: | public radio telephone networks or those used by the organisation local fire brigades emergency management organisations |
Safe work practices may include: | evacuation procedures when threatened by fire appropriate clothing hydration and nutrition requirements |
Training may include: | fire command or control supervisor colleagues |
Relevant information may include: | meteorological readings satellite imagery |
Records and reports may include: | chronological log of sightings and noteworthy events, such as: significant changes in smoke column colour or size locations and bearings of sightings estimated distances to sightings meteorological readings and conditions and may be: manual a computer-based system other appropriate organisational communication system |
Appropriate personnel may include: | supervisors fire command or control colleagues managers |
Sectors
Not Applicable
Competency Field
Forest Growing and Management |
Employability Skills
This unit contains employability skills |
Licensing Information
Refer to Unit Descriptor