Prisoners from Karnet have volunteered to assist with the re-loading of water, fire retardants and foam into Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA) waterbomber aircraft over 10 years.
They played a crucial support role during the devastating Waroona-Yarloop fires in 2016, setting a record for the number of planes re-loaded in one day (110).
Karnet Prison Farm Superintendent, Ray Edge, said the waterbomber re-loading team members were not only providing an important service to the community, but also learning new skills and experiencing the rewards of teamwork.
"The prison re-loading team are very enthusiastic, and they take great pride at being as good at filling a plane with water as anyone," Superintendent Edge said.
"Once trained they are on standby and available to assist DBCA seven days a week as required."
The prisoners honed their re-loading skills during a DBCA training session with an Airtractor waterbomber at Dwellingup Airstrip yesterday (Friday, 29 October).
DBCA has extensive aerial firefighting capabilities, including aircraft used to detect and combat bushfires in vast areas of often inaccessible and rugged country. DBCA’s aerial fleet provides effective support to ground based firefighting operations.
The planes can carry up to 3,150 litres of water per drop.
DBCA senior fire aviation services officer Brad Bourke said that prisoners provide invaluable support to these aerial suppression operations that assist ground crews to protect the community and the environment from the devastating impacts of bushfire.
"Teamwork is crucial in bushfire incidents, and we are lucky to have had this partnership running for more than a decade," he said.
"We are thankful for those taking up the opportunity to learn these important skills as the bushfire season approaches."
Managing bushfires is a shared responsibility. DBCA works closely with the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), local government authorities and volunteer bushfire brigades.
DBCA coordinates its fixed wing aerial resources with those managed by DFES (large and small helicopters) to ensure effective suppression operations.
Each year DBCA responds to more than 600 bushfires that occur on, or near, land managed by the Department.
DBCA’s aerial suppression aircraft are strategically located at Jandakot, Bunbury, Manjimup and Albany and access 40 forward operational bases throughout the south west land division between Kalbarri and Esperance. Waterbombers can only operate during daylight hours, but due to the location of operating bases can be redirected quickly to high priority fires at short notice.
In 2020, the Department of Justice formalised a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with DBCA and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) for the provision of prisoner support to emergency management activities across fire prevention, preparedness response and recovery activities.
As part of the MoU, Karnet prisoners approved for supervised community work have also been participating in other fire mitigation activities such as hydrant clearing and fuel reduction work.
