I'll never forget the footage of a fire inside an aged care facility, in an area where some of the highest care was required. Fortunately, everyone got out, but it was too close for comfort. I was involved, in my former role as an inspector, in responding to an aged care facility fire in Victoria. I will not identify the facility, the organisations involved or the individuals connected to the matter, because the lesson is broader than one incident and the people involved are

On 18 Jan 26, two aerial firefighting aircraft operating west of Mount Hotham, Victoria came significantly closer than intended during active fire suppression operations. The Australian Transport Safety Bureau has now released its findings into the occurrence involving Bell 212 helicopter Helitak 368 and fixed wing fire bomber Bomber 359, identifying breakdowns in communication, situational awareness and supervisory coordination as central contributing factors. The incident d

When systems break down in the field, the consequences are rarely abstract. They are human, immediate, and irreversible. Two recent publications, the coronial findings into the death of backcountry skier Andrew Seton and the 2024–25 Major Incidents Report, reinforce the same blunt truth. Time, communication, and decision clarity determine outcomes. I have seen this reality firsthand. As a former member of Bush Search and Rescue Victoria (BSAR), regularly called out to assi