Deployments

MAPS members are continuing to support the ACT Emergency Services Agency SES throughout 2020 with Search and Rescue mapping.

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Members assisted in a variety of roles such as 

• using MapDesk for incident management plans

• mapping from line scan data

• processing videos and files from the ACT Firebird 100 Specialist Intelligence Gathering (SIG) helicopter 

• producing asset protection plans where required

• working with ACT Government staff producing preparedness maps of the critical assets.

MAPS members supported the ACT Emergency Services Agency Incident Management Teams throughout December 2019 and January and February 2020.

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Members assisted in a variety of roles such as 

• using MapDesk for incident management plans

• mapping from line scan data

• processing videos and files from the ACT Firebird 100 Specialist Intelligence Gathering (SIG) helicopter 

• producing asset protection plans where required

• working with ACT Government staff producing preparedness maps of the critical assets.

MAPS members have been deployed to the devasting fires in NSW from Sept 2019 through to January 2020. 

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Members deployed interstate to:

• Glen Innes

• Ulmurra

• RFS Headquarters, Homebush

• Queanbeyan

• Nowra

• Cooma

• Bega.

MAPS members have been deployed to assist our interstate colleagues with the Tasmanian and Victorian fires in the summer of 2018-19.

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One member deployed to Tasmania for two deployments to assist in January.

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Two members also deployed to Victoria to assist in March.

Members have been deployed to six Search and Rescues (SAR) in the ACT and the surrounding area throughout the year. 

Members were deployed to three Search and Rescues (SAR) in the ACT and the surrounding area throughout the year, including on Christmas Day.

Another early fire. This in the ACT at Pierces Creek.

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Six MAPS members were deployed over 3 days to assist.

Carwoola Fire (Qbyn) NSW - Feb 2017

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MAPS member were deployed to assist with the mapping for the Carwoola fire in nearby NSW.

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In February 2017, a grassfire in Carwoola, New South Wales (near Canberra) destroyed 11 homes; another 12 homes were damaged. 

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Search and Rescues 2017

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Members were deployed to six Search and Rescues (SAR) in the ACT and the surrounding area. 

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Coonabarabran, NSW 2017

On Sunday Feb 12 ESA received a request for MAPS personnel to assist with the Sir Ivan Fire in Coonabarabran. A section 44 had been declared and they required mapping resources.

Members were deployed to two Search and Rescues (SAR) in the ACT and one fire throughout the year,.

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The Boro fire had five members deploying whilst  SAR's had seven volunteers deployed.

Mt Clear fire 16-21 Dec 2015

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The Mt Clear Fire was located in the Booth Range Namadgi National Park and started on Wednesday night (16th) from a lightning strike.  MAPS involvement was from Thursday 17th through to Sunday evening on the 20th.

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Four MAPS members were deployed to ESA headquarters for this incident.

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ACT RFS Open Day 2015

ACT RFS held its annual Open Day at the Hume Base on Sunday 25 October 2015.    Four MAPS volunteers staffed the RFS Community Engagement exhibit throughout the day.  This exhibit, located at the public entrance to the display, featured two large-screen touch panels displaying ESA's Internet-published interactive street map of Canberra overlayed with Bushfire Prone Areas.

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ACT ESA IMX October 2015

ACT Emergency Services Agency conducted a three-day Incident Management Exercise (IMX) on 13-15 October 2015 at its Fairbairn headquarters location.   The IMX simulated lightening-triggered bushfires in the Brindabella Ranges threatening Canberra .

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NSW RFS Southern Region IMX July 2015

NSW RFS conducted a three-day Incident Management Exercise (IMX) on 21-23 July 2015 at two locations: Queanbeyan Fire Control Centre and Braidwood Administration Office.  The IMX required responses to three simulated bushfire incidents -- Goorock Range, near Captains Flat;  Macfarlanes, west of Harolds Cross and Old Timberlight, north-east of Nerriga  -- each running  for the entire three days.

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NSW SAREX 2015

A multi-agency Search and Rescue Exercises (SAREX 2015) was held in the Deua National Park on the Far South Coast of NSW from Friday 12 to Sunday 14 June 2015.

During 2010 the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) predicted that the coming wet season for Queensland was likely to have more cyclones and rain. In preparation for this, certain members of the Australian Red Cross in Qld (RCQ) started looking at ways to better involve mapping into their operations during emergencies.  RCQ created a project that involved volunteers from GISCorps and MAPS. 

During December 2010 the rain really started falling and on the 29th MAPS received a call for assistance...

During the 2009 Black Saturday Bushfires, Australia’s worst natural disaster, MAPS was deployed with Victoria Police for over 6 weeks. The MAPS deployment, initially to rural Victoria, then to Water Police headquarters in Melbourne, was the longest sustained deployment ever undertaken by ESA.

The MAPS volunteers worked 12 to 14 hour days, sometimes in crowded improvised work spaces, sometimes dealing with sensitive and confronting information but always professional and cheerful ...