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The 14th Fire Management Symposium: Educating and training for effective wildfire management
Registration for the event close on 23 October 2024
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The Forestry Department of the Nelson Mandela University (NMU) invites you to the 14th Fire Management Symposium: ‘Educating and training for effective wildfire management’, which will be held on 6 to 8 November 2024 at the Halliwell Country Inn in Karkloof in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Scan the QR code above for registration. Exhibitors include VitalWeather, Vanguard Fire and Safety, Santon Workwear, FPASA, Krurekpro, SPCA, Working on Fire-Kishugu, SARZA, Husqvarna, Stihl, Baobab Sentinel t/a Dryad Africa, Forestry and Agriculture Training Organisation (FATO), Kwmahlati Training Services, Lottenburg Edu-farm, NTE, Mondi, Volunteer Wildfire Services, ANCO Manufacturers, Legal Environment Safety and Health Requirements (LESH), Trident SA, TWK Agri, Fire and Rescue International.
The 2024 Fire Management Symposium promises to be a special event. Not only because of the unique setting of the venue in the heart of the scenic Karkloof region but because of the conglomeration of top-rated international and local fire management specialists and service providers who will share their expertise in a very practical and applied manner.
On the first day of this event the focus will be on the education and training needs that exist in our industries. Organisations will express their needs and providers will explain how these needs can be addressed. The second day of the event, which will be hosted by the KwaZulu-Natal Fire Protection Association (KZNFPA), will provide opportunities to visit fire management activities, scenery and cultural attractions and view some of the latest technology, tools and equipment in the form of a mini expo. A gala dinner on the eve of the second day will allow networking opportunities for guests. On the final day of the event, fire management topics dealing with protection, prevention and suppression will make up the programme.
Registration
Please follow the link below to register. Please take note that it is possible to register for specific dates/events. https://forms.office.com/r/2DjiWCM6WR
The field day (7 November) will include two parts. Our first stop will be at a fire demonstration on a sugarcane farm and the second stop will take us to the Shafton Airstrip where a mini-expo will take place.
Remember the second day will end with our gala dinner at Halliwell Country Inn.
Please follow the instructions on registration form carefully to make sure that your registration is recorded correct.
Download programme
Background and purpose
Globally, effective wildfire management is impeded by a lack of integration between research results, technological development and efforts by fire managers. In the end, all role-players on the wildfire stage strive to prevent, suppress and protect the environment, human wellbeing and assets against wildfire.
This event aims to integrate the efforts of natural resource managers, engineers, fire managers, educators/trainers and scientists. Through an integrated approach, different role-players will be sensitised about each other’s realities, successes, and failures.
Understanding the needs and gaps within organisations involved in wildfire management will open up new avenues that will support the fire management effort.
You are therefore invited to join fire managers and authorities from different disciplines and land uses such as nature conservation, agriculture, disaster management, forestry, local authorities, etc, for a range of informative presentations and exciting networking opportunities.
In general
This event presents opportunities to people from different entities, management levels and parts of South Africa. Due to the capacity of the venue only 200 delegates can be accommodated for the event. Cost to attend the whole event (Including lunches, field day and gala dinner), amounts to ± R3 500pp. The venue host will spoil us with local cuisine with live music.
For more information contact:
Tiaan Pool at email: tiaan.pool@mandela.ac.za or mobile: 072 374 2347
Hannes van Zyl at email: Hannes.vanZyl@mandela.ac.za or mobile: 072 733 1692
Sonia Roets at email: sonia.roets@mandela.ac.za or Tel: 044 801 5091
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| High-angle rescue at Howick Falls, KwaZulu-Natal |
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On Tuesday, 8 October 2024, the KwaZulu-Natal Section rescue team was asked to assist the South African Police Service (SAPS) Search and Rescue (SAR) members to rescue a patient at Howick Falls. The person had fallen 50 metres and come to rest on a small tree, hanging over another cliff face. In a combined operation with the SAP, Midlands EMS and Howick Traffic Department, the patient was carefully roped up and pulled back off the tree and simultaneously placed in a stretcher.
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A helicopter crashed Sunday, 21 October 2024, in Houston, killing four people on board and destroying a radio tower, officials said. The helicopter went down just before 20h00 in Houston’s Second Ward, east of the city’s downtown, after taking off from Ellington Field, which is about 24 kilometres away, Mayor John Whitmire said at a news conference. He didn’t know its destination. The National Transportation Safety Board said in a social media post that it was investigating the crash of the Robinson R44 II helicopter.
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| Fire stations of the world: Christchurch City Fire Station, New Zealand |
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Fire and Emergency New Zealand celebrated significant work being completed in its post-earthquake reconstruction programme in Christchurch, officially opening both the flagship Christchurch City Fire Station and the Sumner Fire Station in May 2023. Both stations were built on existing sites following the demolition of the original stations that were extensively damaged in the earthquake sequence of 2010-11. Most of the funding for both rebuilds came from the Government’s COVID Response and Recovery Fund.
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In an Australian first for public agency fire investigation, Fire and Rescue New South Wales (FRNSW) has begun using a ground-breaking, three-dimensional scanner to record fire scenes and capture evidence. The LEICA 3D Laser Scanner has a measuring rate of up to two-million points per second and advanced High Dynamic Range (HDR) imaging to accurately record the dimension of a fire scene in both panoramic image and dot cloud forms. FRNSW has purchased the scanner and its software at a cost of about $130 000.
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| Fitness |
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| Training: Learn to crawl |
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We’ll talk about body positioning when we’re operating in a fire building. I quit crawling when I was about 8 months old. When I was a rookie on the fire department I started crawling again. Okay I had to teach myself a better method learn from other people you see guys searching buildings advancing HES and what not on your hands and knees crawling like this. if I have to monitor the conditions above me what do I have to do?
Source: NCOSFM
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Source: Stockton Fire History
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| Inspiration: Quote of the week |
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NEFSFPA