Feel the heat: Bushfire ‘war games’ aimed at preparing nation for worst-ever season
Bushfire war gaming is under way to ensure Australia is as prepared as it can be for summer as government and emergency agencies come together to try to head off the disaster threat.
The Sunshine Coast Council will use AI to prevent bushfires this summer. (AAP Image/Dan Himbrechts)
The National Bushfire Preparedness Summit will convene for its second day at Parliament House on Tuesday.
The day will involve scenarios that emergency services can expect to face this upcoming summer and “put everyone through their paces”, Emergency Management Minister Murray Watt said.
“We will put together a hypothetical situation that we might be facing this summer to make sure … everyone is ready for what might be happening,” he said.
“If we identify some gaps in that process, then at least we’ve got time to fix it.”
The possibility of cyclones, floods and heatwaves on top of bushfires also needed to be prepared for, National Emergency Management Agency head Brendan Moon said.
“We’re very much looking at multiple scenarios impacting different areas.”
The summit brings together 250 representatives from federal, state and territory governments, emergency services experts and not-for-profit organisations.
The event will attempt to unite disaster management agencies as parts of Australia prepare for their worst bushfire seasons since the Black Summer fires in 2019/20 that killed 34 people and destroyed more than 2000 homes.
The summit will also examine approaches for vulnerable people including those living with disabilities and those in Indigenous communities.
