Funds help fire preparation

Last week, 144 letters were sent out alerting people they had received a share of $470,000 in the Regional Capability Community Fund which they could use to set up on-farm fire fighting units, radios or safety equipment.

Emergency Services Minister Tony Piccolo said the fund was established to help farmers, community groups and councils build capacity to respond to fires.

"If we respond quickly it stops a small fire becoming a big fire," he said.

Mr Piccolo said farm fire fighting units were a valuable resource to support the Country Fire Service.

"I've been told at Bundaleer at any one time they had 70 farm fire units helping out," he said.

"It would have been a much bigger task without them."

Mr Piccolo said the first round of funding had more than 1000 applications.

He said this was the first of four rounds, with equivalent money expected to be handed out in the next three years.

Mr Piccolo said most of the money would be given to more isolated communities and regions in the South East, Eyre Peninsula and near Mount Remarkable.

"These are areas at greater risk because they are near national parks," he said.

"They may also have populations that meant they are lighter on for volunteers (for the CFS)."

In all, there are 32 grants to the EP, 70 to the Mid North and YP, 17 to the SE, 18 to the Murray and Mallee regions and four to the Far North towards 88 mobile firefighting units, 28 bulk water storage tanks, high volume water pumps, personal protective clothing, UHF radios, vehicle mounted beacons and other safety equipment.

One of the recipients was a small community in the Lower North, which will use the money to buy a mobile unit that can be accessed by all residents.

Graham Brookman, The Food Forest, Hillier, said he had been planning to improve his fire preparedness, with the Sampson Flat fire providing extra impetus. The mobile firefighting unit will be available for use by any of the registered and trained users in the neighbourhood.