Volunteer Bush Fire Brigade Hub
At the heart of every community, volunteer bushfire fighters play a crucial role in protecting lives, property, and assisting with public safety. These brave men and women are often the unsung heroes of our local emergency services, dedicating their time and energy to serve without monetary compensation. A high percentage of our bushfire brigade members across the Shire use their own equipment to respond to fires on there and neighbouring properties from October through to May annually.
The Shire of Katanning under the current WHS Act is to ensure that all bushfire brigade volunteers remain safe and contribute effectively to the overall fire response efforts.
As a result, only volunteers who have completed the “Rural Fire Awareness Training” module are permitted to be involved in fire fighting activities.
Currently our Local Government has approximately 165 trained volunteer fire fighters. Please contact Cindy Pearce at admin@katanning.wa.gov.au to enquire about training opportunities.
If you wish to become a Registered Member of your local bushfire brigade please complete each of the following forms and submit them to the Community Emergency Services Manager at the following email address. admin@katanning.wa.gov.au
Once these two forms have been completed, and submitted you will be required to complete the Rural Fire Awareness training within 5 months, either in a classroom setting (approx 4 hours) or on-line (approx 3 hours). If you have not completed this training within the 5 month time frame you will be deregistered as a bushfire brigade member. Attendance at fires as a fire fighter is not permitted until this training has been completed.
Personal Protective Equipment will be supplied to you once the Rural Fire Awareness Course has been completed. If you are completing the online training please forward your Certificate of Completion to the Community Emergency Services Manager at admin@katanning.wa.gov.au.
We ask for your understanding and cooperation as we focus on maintaining a well-organized and safe environment during an emergency.
PPE Order Form ( For registered Bushfire Brigade Members) – attached here
Brigade Capt / FCO Contacts 2024/2025 - listed in the Fire Management Requirement Notice located in the reference material.
SMS Notification
The Shire circulates harvest and vehicle movement bans to mobile phones as soon as information is received that a ban is going to be implemented.
Total Fire Bans are declared by the Dept of Fire and Emergency Services with notification usually circulated the evening before the ban is declared. This information is also circulated through the SMS system.
If you wish to have your mobile number added to the SMS list, please contact the shire on 98219999.
Please note that the SMS system should not be the only avenue for notifications, as mobile reception is not always effective in some areas.
Emergency WA App
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services is helping Western Australians and visitors to stay safe during emergencies with the launch of the new Emergency WA app, providing access to quick, reliable and relevant emergency information.
The app, now available in the App Store or Google Play, delivers instant notifications on your mobile device about warnings, incidents, Total Fire Bans and elevated Fire Danger Ratings in your area.
Create up to 10 watch zones for areas that are important to you, such as your home, family members’ homes and your children’s school. You can also customise the types of notifications you’d like to receive.
You can also set watch zones for upcoming travel destinations to be notified of warnings, park closures, Total Fire Bans or other helpful information for trip planning.
Reference Material
Emergency WA