Bushfire

Bushfire at FPAA

Skills development

FPA Australia is committed to improving the quality of bushfire design and planning, particularly through the training and accreditation of practitioners.

We offer three different types of training for bushfire services:

the Bushfire Attack Level (BAL) Assessor Short Course, which is customised to each jurisdiction’s relevant building, planning, and development regulations and provisions;
the Building and Planning in Bushfire Prone Areas Awareness Course that is currently specific to Western Australia, but may be extended to other jurisdictions; and
the Diploma of Bushfire Protection Assessment, which is intended to address workforce challenges and skills shortages in bushfire planning and design.

In this way we seek to build capacity and capability, and support and strengthen the bushfire sector, to protect regional and rural communities.

Technical advice

FPA Australia is a key source of information for the bushfire community. We collaborate with partners in AFAC and Natural Hazards Research Australia to develop materials that can help practitioners to learn and develop their expertise.

In addition, our team answers queries from the sector to clarify responsibilities and improve the process for bushfire protection and increase the safety of the community.

Accreditation and licensing

The Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) accreditation scheme recognises the skills, experience, and training held by practitioners at different levels and accredits them to undertake bushfire assessment, planning, design, and advice services.

The scheme provides an enhanced level of confidence for government and the community that practitioners providing bushfire planning and design services are accredited by a suitably robust scheme.

BPAD is recognised in New South Wales and Western Australia, and has voluntarily accredited practitioners in Victoria, and lets clients know that the people advising them about their homes are appropriately qualified to do so.

Representation and advocacy

As the ‘voice’ of our members, we speak with governments and other stakeholders regularly on bushfire-related issues.

Our network of contacts in state and territory agencies gives us access to decision-makers and enables us to provide the perspective of our industry to those who regulate us.

Services to members

Our members are very important to us, and we are focused on delivering real value to their memberships.

We work across the activities of FPA Australia to make sure that bushfire practitioners are acknowledged and supported in all areas.

This focus is not only at the national level, but also making sure that bushfire remains an important topic of conversation for FPA Australia committees and staff locally too.

FIREMAPS

Practitioners in the bushfire planning, development, and building industry can create tailored maps with FireMaps. Its features and functionality allow for the quick and easy production of accurate, high-quality maps for use in bushfire planning and design. The tools create maps for the ACT, Victoria, NSW, and WA, and we are looking to add Queensland to the suite as well.

Learn more

FLAMESOL

This suite of bushfire tools and calculators allows practitioners to assess multiple design options by modifying basic and advanced inputs within complex bushfire models.
Our starter and standard packages offer different combinations of:
the Method 1 Bushfire Attack Level lookup tool;
the Method 2 Bushfire Attack Level calculator (BALc);
the Minimum Distance calculator (MDc); and
the Radiant Heat Barrier calculator (RHBc).
Sign up today for access to these purpose-built online tools.