The 90-minute bushfire safety sessions being offered by Hume are aimed at staff whose work involves outdoor activity in bushfire risk areas or significant amounts of travel on open roads.
As well as an enthusiastic take-up from shires and councils, over the past two weeks a number of employers have shown interest in the program, including Goulburn Valley Family Care, Trans Services (that runs a large truck fleet) and Goulburn Murray Water.
All these organisations have large numbers of staff on the road during summer.
Paul Verbeek, Community Education Coordinator for the Hume region, said that working with large organisations such as councils or utilities usually involved the delivery of three to five sessions on site.
“There are a lot of things people can do to avoid being caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, and we’re keen to help businesses support their people.” he said.
“FireReady sessions cover danger signs to look out for when you’re travelling, how to access warnings, also the Fire Danger Ratings and what they mean. There’ll also be some discussion around the current outlook based on weather predictions.
“This is an important program for targeting people who are regularly away from home or in unfamiliar areas, so we’re encouraging employers of all types to get in touch.
“Accredited CFA presenters are available daytime or evening, seven days a week, so we have quite a bit of flexibility to work with different types of businesses,” Mr Verbeek said.
Hume region presenters have delivered sessions to a major power company, several horse studs and a branch of the Salvation Army that runs youth camps in the bush.
The program is available to employers based in Hume region. For more information, employers can contact the Community Education Coordinator at the CFA district office at Shepparton (03 5833 2400).
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