Fire Lessons Learnt Workshop - Sharing US and Australasian
Experiences
26 September, 2007
On Wednesday 26 September the Fire Knowledge Network hosted a
Fire Lessons Learnt Workshop in Melbourne with the aim of providing
a unique opportunity for fire agency representatives working in the
areas of continuous improvement, translating learnings into
workplace change, and learning and development, to collaborate with
recognised international leaders in this field.
Fifty workshop participants from around Australia heard
international guest presenters Paula Nasiatka, Centre Manager
US Wildland Fire Lessons Learned Centre and Paul Chamberlin, Aerial Fire
Depot Missoula speak about their experiences in developing a US
Fire Lessons Learned Centre and examples of programs that have
achieved success in translating learnings into action.
The workshop program also included presentations from Australian
fire agencies who willingly shared their experiences and provided
opportunities for open discussion on what their agencies are doing
in relation to capturing learnings and applying those learnings
within their respective organisations. Presenters included: Geoff
Conway, CFA, Vic, Leanne Adams, Country Fire Service, SA and Noel
Harbottle and Bruce Budge, QLD Fire and Rescue Service.
Lesley Crombie, from the Bushfire CRC provided the audience with
an overview of the Fire Knowledge Network and information on how
the Australasian Centre for Lessons Learnt was progressing.
Presentations:
Paula Nasiatka, Centre Manager US Wildland Fire Lessons
Learned Centre - Focus of Paula's presentation was to
provide background in establishing the Lessons Learned Centre, the
lessons they learned in setting up the Centre that we in
Australasia could benefit from and the Centre's strategic direction
for the next 5 years. View Presentation
View copy of paper "Organisational Learning and Wildland Fires"
David A. Garvin, Harvard Business School, August 2003
Lesley Crombie, Manager Knowledge Networking, Bushfire
CRC - Lesley provided an overview of the Fire
Knowledge Network and the Australasian Centre for Lessons Learnt
which is a key component of the Network
View
Presentation
Geoff Conway, Country Fire Authority, Victoria
- "Developing a Comprehensive Performance Improvement Program"
View
Presentation
Leanne Adams, Incident Management Project Officer,
Executive Officer SA CLL - "SA CFS Centre for Lessons
Learned"
View
Presentation
Noel Harbottle, Acting Superintendent and Bruce Budge,
Station Officer, Queensland Fire and Rescue Services -
"Lessons Learnt - The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service
Experience"
View
Presentation
Paul Chamberlin, Aerial Fire Depot, Missoula,
Montana - "Facilitated Learning Analysis - Reinforcing
High Reliability by Taking a Hard Look at Near Miss"
View
Presentation
View copy of paper
"Facilitated Learning Analysis - Reinforcing High Reliability by
Taking a Hard Look at Near Miss Within the Wildland Fire
Community", Paul Chamberlin, Aerial Fire Deport, Missoula,
February 2007.
View a copy of the Workshop
Discussion Notes and Actions
View a copy of the Workshop
Program
Report - "Lessons
Learned in the Development of the US Interagency Wildland Fire
Lessons Learned Centre", 2007, Mary Omodei - LaTrobe
University
Professor Geoff Cumming and Dr Mary Omodei of the La Trobe
University Bushfire CRC Safety in Decision Making and Behaviour
Project visited the US Interagency Wildland Fire Lessons Learned
Centre (LLC) in July 2006 and October 2006, respectively.
One of the aims of the visits was to consult with senior
management of the LLC to identify issues and lessons that might
inform the development of a lessons learned function for the
Australasian fire community as part of the Fire Knowledge Network
Project in the Bushfire CRC. This report is documents the learnings
and insights from the visit.
Public Forum @ Stawell - 28 August 2007
A Fire Knowledge Network free Public Forum was held at the
Stawell Entertainment Centre on Tuesday 28 August 2007. The forum
was an opportunity to highlight Bushfire CRC research and provide
an update on research studies relevant to the Stawell and adjacent
Grampians region. More than 60 residents, land owners and fire and
land management staff attended the forum which was addressed by the
Federal Member for Wannon, The Hon David Hawker, and the
Mayor of the Northern Grampians Shire, Cr Robyn Smith with
presentations from Bushfire CRC representatives:
Gary Morgan, Acting CEO Bushfire CRC
Dr Richard Thornton, Research Manager, Bushfire
CRC - Overview of Bushfire CRC. View
presentation
Dr Kevin Tolhurst, University of Melbourne/Bushfire
CRC - Research Perspectives o 
n Recent Victorian Fires and Prescribed Burning.
View
presentation
Dr Jim McLennan, LaTrobe University/Bushfire
CRC - The Future of Volunteerism.
View presentation
David Nichols, CFA/Bushfire CRC - Firefighter
Health Safety and Wellbeing. View
presentation
Dr Matt Pucinski, ENSIS/Bushfire CRC - The
Effectiveness of Aerial Firefighting. View
presentation
View a copy of the Public Forum @ Stawell Program
View copy of the Media
Release from The Hon David Hawker, MP
More information about the
Forum
Public Forum @ Wangaratta - 6 June 2007
A Fire Knowledge Network free Public Forum was held at the
Playhouse Theatre in Wangaratta on Wednesday 6 June 2007. The forum
was an opportunity to highlight Bushfire CRC research and provide
an update on studies currently underway in north-east Victoria.
More than 90 community representatives attended the forum which was
addressed by Mrs Sophie Mirabella, MP - Federal Member for
Indi with presentations from Bushfire CRC
representatives:
Len Foster, AO, Chairman Bushfire CRC
Kevin O'Loughlin, CEO Bushfire CRC - Overview of
the Bushfire CRC. View
presentation
Dr Kevin Tolhurst, University of Melbourne -
Lessons from recent Victorian fires
Prof Mark Adams, University of NSW/Bushfire CRC -
High Country Fuels and Ecosystem Functions (HCFEF). View
presentation
Dr Jason Sharples, University of New South Wales @
ADFA/Bushfire CRC - Bushfire Risk Management in
High-Country Landscapes. View
presentation
Jenny Indian, RMIT/Bushfire CRC - What makes
people resilient in fire prone areas? View
presentation
View a copy of the Public Forum @ Wangaratta Program
While in Wangaratta Mrs Sophie Mirabella, MP
also launched the next phase of the Bushfire CRC's HIghFire
research at Howman's Gap on 5th June.
Bushfire CRC Media
Release
Mrs Sophie Mirabella, MP Media Release
More information about the
Forum
Public Forum @ Cooma - 12 April 2007 
A Fire Knowledge Network Public Forum was held in Cooma at the
NSW Rural Fire Service, Fire Control Centre on 12 April 2007. The
forum highlighted Bushfire CRC research with a special emphasis on
HighFire research in the Cooma/Monaro region of New South
Wales.
More than 30 community representatives attended the Forum which
was addressed by The Hon Gary Nairn, MP, Federal Member for
Eden Monaro with presentations from Bushfire CRC
representatives:
Kevin O'Loughlin, CEO Bushfire CRC - Overview
of the Bushfire CRC
Prof Mark Adams, University of NSW/Bushfire CRC
- High Country Fuels and Ecosystem Functions (HCFEF).
View
Presentation
Stephen Roxburgh, University of NSW/Bushfire
CRC - HighFire - High Country Fuels and Ecosystem
Functions: Grazing and Fire Experiments. View Presentation
Amalie Tibbits, RMIT/Bushfire CRC - What makes
people resilient in fire prone areas? View Presentation
Jason Sharples, ANU/Bushfire CRC - Bushfire
Risk Management in High-Country Landscapes. View Presentation
Phil Zylstra, NSW National Parks and Wildlife
Services/Bushfire CRC - How do plant species contribute to
fire intensity?
View a
copy of the Public Forum @ Cooma Program
News coverage of the event:
Bushfire research could prevent tragedies - Nairn - IBN
News Monday 16 Apr, 2007
Nairn
pushes for further bushfire research - ABC Online, Sunday
15 Apr, 2007
Bushfires - New and Emerging Research from the Bushfire
CRC
During February and March, 2007 Fire Knowledge Network Public
Forums were held in Canberra and Melbourne.
These free public events showcased local and international
research on bushfires. The main speaker was Jerry Williams, who
outlined how the USDA Forest Service is attempting to deal with the
mega-fire phenomenon and what Australia can learn from the US
experience. Other speakers included researchers from Australian
National University, CSIRO, RMIT and University of Melbourne
highlighting Bushfire CRC research projects underway in the ACT and
Victoria.
More than 60 people attended each Forum. Community groups
respresented included: researchers, students, volunteer
organisations, emergency services personnel, government
departments, fire agencies and local residents.
Canberra Forum - Wednesday 28th February, 2007, hosted by
Australian National University
Click
here to view the Canberra Program 
View Kevin
O'Loughlin's presentation
View Jerry
Williams' presentation
View Geoff Carey's presentation
View Jim
Gould's presentation
Melbourne Forum - Tuesday 6th March, 2007, hosted by RMIT
Click here to
view Melbourne
Program
View Kevin
O'Loughlin's presentation
View Jerry Williams'
presentation
View John Handmer's
presentation
View Tina Bell's
presentation
