STARTING on September 1, a new Australian Fire Danger Rating System (AFDRS) program will be introduced for greater national consistency and to improve how fire danger is communicated to the public.

Ratings are used in many parts of the world and are especially important in the Australian context due to the prevalence of flammable vegetation and hot and dry conditions, and the National Council for Fire and Emergency Services said the move to a simpler system is backed by improvements in science, which will mean authorities can better predict areas of greater risk on days of fire danger.

Across the country, fire and emergency services are applying nationally consistent colours, signs and terminology.

In July 2014, senior officers and ministers agreed that the development of a new fire danger rating system was a national priority, and updated science including improved forecasting and improved fire behaviour models could be used, compared to the original system developed 60 years ago.

The AFDRS uses the latest scientific understanding about weather, fuel and how fire behaves in different types of vegetation, to improve the reliability of fire danger forecasts.

It provides more accurate fire danger predictions at a finer resolution than previously available.

It also provides richer data and decision-making tools to land and fire management agencies.

This will enable government agencies to prepare staff and resources for firefighting more effectively and to know when to be at a high state of readiness to fight fires.

Many in the community could recall fire danger rating information on roadside signs but were not able to describe accurately what fire danger is and did not understand what actions to take concerning fire danger rating levels.

It was also reported that people felt the fire danger rating system had too many levels and that some of the colours and names used for ratings were not ideal.

There will also be a new status introduced by the AFDRS: ‘off’ for those days where no proactive action is required by the community.

On these days, local seasonal laws and regulations will still be in force, but there is little or no risk of a fire that starts spreading in a dangerous or life-threatening way.

Hamilton District 5 assistant chief fire officer, Richard Bourke, said the changes to signage might take some time to address, but all fire rating signs in the area will conform to the new system.

“It will be the same four-colour signs,” he said.

Mr Bourke said the district’s sign locations might also change with the roll-out and there would be conversations amongst different CFA personnel to figure out who is responsible for the rating information on them being up to date.

“When the new signs are put in, they’re not necessarily going in where the current signs are,” he said.

He added the recommendation that households familiarise themselves with the AFDRS and “would have their fire plan developed” and written down before summer based on each level of rating – and then importantly, follow those fire plans.

“I really encourage people to have that conversation at family level - or whatever level they’ve got - and have that understanding,” Mr Bourke said.

“It’s very critical … everybody knows about it, and then they act on them when the time comes.”

He added that there was a wealth of resources on the CFA website at cfa.vic.gov.au to help people be prepared for bushfires.

More information about the AFDRS, including posters and brochures, can be found at afac.com.au/initiative/afdrs

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The design:

Social research informed the retention of the iconic ‘watermelon’ shape, but work has been done to draw more attention and trust to roadside signage.

The signs have been designed in a way that meets accessibility standards, using a common road-side signage font, which will be slightly adjusted for other mediums such as websites and social media.

The agreed elements of the sign are:

The rating names in a white font on a black ribbon

The size, location and shade of colour used for the wedges

The bar across the bottom left (under moderate) to indicate when there is no fire danger rating.

Optional elements

A timestamp has been recommended to instill confidence that the information is up to date and relevant, however these may not be practical for all signs, particularly those in remote areas.

Community messaging is considered best practice, but it is also acknowledged that it may not be a practical or affordable option for some jurisdictions across all their signs.

A style guide is being developed and will be provided to local implementation teams and stakeholders in the coming weeks.

High-level calls to action

The agreed high-level messaging is:

Moderate: Plan and prepare

High: Be ready to act

Extreme: Take action now to protect life and property

Catastrophic: For your survival, leave bushfire risk areas