Damning report on Tasmania’s bushfire crisis. The NSW horror …

An independent inquiry into Tasmania’s January bushfires has heavily criticised the emergency response to the devastating fires, saying lives were probably put at risk.

It has found there was tension and confusion between the Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) and Tasmanian Police about who was in charge of the response.

Report author Malcolm Hyde has recommended the job description of a state controller be redefined to get rid of the ambiguity.

“Emergencies are not the occasion for disputes or uncertainty about who is in charge of command, control or coordination to occur,” the former South Australian police commissioner wrote.

He also found the emergency service agencies were poorly prepared for an emergency event and needed improvement.

The lack of a single communications network was found to have impacted the emergency response.

The inquiry also found the TFS did not sufficiently use new computerised modelling.

Mr Hyde says the TFS had predictive modelling showing the Forcett fire would flare up and head to Dunalley, but held off on sending out alerts to residents.

He says it probably put lives at risk.

Full story, ABC here

• Nick McKim: Tasmanian Bushfires Inquiry

• Read for yourself:

Links to the report …

http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/osem/2013_tasmanian_bushfires_inquiry_report

http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0018/208125/Bushfire_Inquiry_recommendations.pdf

http://www.dpac.tas.gov.au/divisions/osem/2013_tasmanian_bushfires_inquiry_report

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