New fire rating includes category catastrophic

13 October 2009

The new six-tiered fire rating system replaces the previous ‘stay or go’ policy which was heavily criticised after the Back Saturday fires.

Brumby announced a major shift in policy in how Victorian's will be alerted this summer when Bushfire threats arise. The new six-tiered rating system will be devised in collaboration with The Bureau of Meteorology, CountryFire Authority, Metropolitan Fire Brigade and the Department of Sustainabilityand Environment.

This new system replaces the previous 'stay or go' policy which was heavily criticised after the Back Saturday fires. The new message encourages people to leave their properties the night before or the morning of catastrophic fire danger days categorised as 'code red'. Code Red day would also carry a warning that: "People may die or beinjured; thousands of homes or businesses may be destroyed; and that even well-prepared, well-constructed homes may not be safe during a fire." More

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