Lack of information in text failed to keep Erik Liepin in loop before blaze razed property
A WOMAN whose partner lost his NSW property to bushfire has attacked the Rural Fire Service's new emergency warning text message system for failing to provide enough details about the approaching blaze.
Queanbeyan woman Sally Jackson's partner Erik Liepin's dreams of an early retirement were quashed when the makings of his "eco-home" were turned to dust by a fire that tore through the small village of Michelago, south of Canberra, on Thursday.
The Michelago blaze was one of three major bushfires in the state's south which have claimed 13 homes and injured seven people, including three firefighters.
Ms Jackson and Mr Liepin received an emergency text message from the RFS at about 6pm on Thursday, saying: "Immediate threat to Tinderry Rd, Jerangle Rd, Calabash Rd. Seek shelter, protect yourself from the fire, listen to local radio."
But Ms Jackson, who was in Queanbeyan when she received the text, said the information was not specific enough.
"The text message doesn't really tell you anything, because the area they are talking about is really huge," she said. "I spent all night trying to find out information about it and it was next to impossible. The 1800 phone numbers they give you are just recorded messages of the same information on the website and I just found it totally frustrating.
"I understand in an emergency everyone is stretched to the limit but this new system was supposed to keep you in the loop."
RFS assistant commissioner Rob Rogers said as the fire situation was changing quickly, it was difficult to give precise locations.
He also said the text messages were limited to 160 characters, so using specific addresses or even GPS co-ordinates would mean less information in the messages. "Specific addresses could change minute by minute, making GPS or map co-ordinates inaccurate. Also, GPS co-ordinates may not be clear to many people."
In September the federal government awarded $15 million to Telstra to build a national emergency warning system to send text and voice messages to the mobile phones and landlines of residents threatened by bushfires.
The system was officially used for the first time on Thursday in Michelago, Tooma and Gerogery.
source
Queanbeyan woman Sally Jackson's partner Erik Liepin's dreams of an early retirement were quashed when the makings of his "eco-home" were turned to dust by a fire that tore through the small village of Michelago, south of Canberra, on Thursday.
The Michelago blaze was one of three major bushfires in the state's south which have claimed 13 homes and injured seven people, including three firefighters.
Ms Jackson and Mr Liepin received an emergency text message from the RFS at about 6pm on Thursday, saying: "Immediate threat to Tinderry Rd, Jerangle Rd, Calabash Rd. Seek shelter, protect yourself from the fire, listen to local radio."
But Ms Jackson, who was in Queanbeyan when she received the text, said the information was not specific enough.
"The text message doesn't really tell you anything, because the area they are talking about is really huge," she said. "I spent all night trying to find out information about it and it was next to impossible. The 1800 phone numbers they give you are just recorded messages of the same information on the website and I just found it totally frustrating.
"I understand in an emergency everyone is stretched to the limit but this new system was supposed to keep you in the loop."
RFS assistant commissioner Rob Rogers said as the fire situation was changing quickly, it was difficult to give precise locations.
He also said the text messages were limited to 160 characters, so using specific addresses or even GPS co-ordinates would mean less information in the messages. "Specific addresses could change minute by minute, making GPS or map co-ordinates inaccurate. Also, GPS co-ordinates may not be clear to many people."
In September the federal government awarded $15 million to Telstra to build a national emergency warning system to send text and voice messages to the mobile phones and landlines of residents threatened by bushfires.
The system was officially used for the first time on Thursday in Michelago, Tooma and Gerogery.
source
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