Firefighters battling a blaze in Victoria's Grampians National Park faced frustrating communication challenges due to near-absent mobile phone coverage. Despite requests for an emergency boost, they struggled to stay connected, relying on fire radios and making long drives to areas with reception.
Firefighters battling a blaze in Victoria's Grampians National Park say mobile phone reception on the fireground was 'nearly non-existent'. Firefighters on the fireground requested an urgent boost to mobile phone services, but it never came. Westmere Fire Brigades Group officer Pat Millear, who was a sector commander on the fireground for two weeks, said firefighters would drive to areas with reception to make phone calls, be part of teleconferences and send messages.
Even though they used fire radios, the phone was still crucial for communication. Millear said they knew the spots with reception but it was frustrating when trying to get messages out. Telstra said it upgraded its mobile site at Willaura to deliver improved 4G performance, as well as 5G for the first time. Millear said firefighters thought there might have been options to temporarily boost coverage, such as portable towers. Country Fire Authority (CFA) west region deputy chief officer Brett Boatman said he reached out to Telstra, but it was technically difficult and wouldn't have been achieved in the timeframe. Telstra said power outages during the fires affected its mobile network in Willaura. A spokesperson for the federal Communications Minister Michelle Rowland said improving telecommunications resilience was a government priority. Firefighters hoped mobile phone coverage could be improved to make it easier to communicate with private units supporting them. Boatman said private units were able to communicate with the CFA using the radio network. The fire closed the popular tourist town for 18 days, costing businesses $1.9 million per day. More than 76,000 hectares of national park and agricultural land were burnt in the fire, which claimed four homes and 40 outbuildings. Preliminary data showed livestock losses including 775 sheep, one horse, one beef cattle, and 1,285 beehives. 'It was such a dry season last year and every blade of grass had to count,' Millear said. 'Now, a lot of people have lost 80 per cent of their pastures — some people lost a lot more than that. '2024 wasn't a great year, and we just need a big rain now, anytime soon, just to settle the dust and get on with farming.
FIRE COMMUNICATION MOBILE COVERAGE VICTORIA AUSTRALIA NATURAL DISASTERS TELECOMMUNICATIONS EMERGENCY RESPONSE
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