Officials from Australia’s National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) will lead a delegation of state and territory fire and emergency management Commissioners and Chief Officers to visit their counterparts in California this week.
The nine-day visit follows the devastating Los Angeles wildfires in January and will provide an opportunity to show support to all impacted by the event; renew the longstanding fire-fighting cooperation between Australia and California; and equip both regions to deliver best practice in fire preparedness and prevention.
Officials will also exchange lessons learned during the disaster, sharing wildfire management knowledge and best practices to support prevention and preparedness across:
- Building codes, preparedness and readiness
- Response to wildfires and urban conflagration
- Mass evacuation of urban communities
- Aerial firefighting strategies and limitations
- Lithium-ion batteries and their effects on conflagration and environmental contamination
- Environmental recovery and clean up including hazardous materials, temporary accommodation and rebuild policies.
The visit supports the Australia-California Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Australia and California on climate and clean energy, including knowledge sharing on wildfire resilience.
Delegates from South Australia, Western Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the Australian Capital Territory will meet with officials from the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) in a visit supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
Quote attributable to NEMA Deputy Coordinator-General, Emergency Management and Response, Joe Buffone:
“This is an important opportunity to prepare ahead of the next Higher Risk Weather Season and I’d like to thank our Californian partners for sharing their experiences, so we can better inform our fire management and prevention strategies back home.”
Quote attributable to Consul-General Los Angeles, Tanya Bennett:
“This visit is a show of solidarity to everyone - Australians and Americans - impacted by the devastating wildfires in Los Angeles and renews our ongoing readiness to support each other during natural disasters.”
Quote attributable to Cal OES Director, Nancy Ward:
“Australia and California have a long partnership built on mutual challenges and shared values. We are honored to work alongside our Australian partners to support our communities against the threat of wildfires and other complex disasters.”
ENDS
Media contact:
DFAT LA Post: Hannah Jenkins | Hannah.jenkins@dfat.gov.au
NEMA: Media@nema.gov.au | +61 427 182 853
OES: Media@CalOES.ca.gov
Interviews and b-roll available upon request.