Barongarook CFA

19/08/2026

For those who aren’t aware, the Australian Fire Authorities Council (AFAC) releases quarterly bushfire risk forecasts for Australia, which can be well worth reading. For us here in South West Victoria, the current predictions are for an earlier than normal start to our local fire risk. We will be talking more soon about how you can prepare for the fire season ahead.

AFAC has released Australia’s national bushfire outlook for spring with fire authorities predicting a heightened risk of fire across northern and southeastern NSW, south-east Queensland, northeastern Tasmania, parts of WA, SA and Victoria, and large parts of the NT.

16/08/2026

After some pretty bleak weather recently we saw some well deserved sunshine for members to have a get together BBQ catch up and chat ahead of the upcoming summer season.

15/08/2026

People who are over 65 or who have a disability are more likely to be affected by disasters, including home fires and bushfires.
In Australia, 62% of the people who died in home fires between 2003 and 2017 had a disability.
CFA (Country Fire Authority) and FRV (Fire Rescue Victoria) are working together to reduce these unacceptable statistics.

If you work in the Aged Care and/or Disability Care Sector, this page is your hub to find what you are looking for.https://engage.cfa.vic.gov.au/projects/fire-safety-for-the-care-sector
Here you can find surveys, projects, resources, links, and information designed to empower service providers and support workers in enhancing home fire and bushfire safety for the people they care for.

For more information for yourself and the people you are for, visit, https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/plan-prepare/your-local-area-info-and-advice/e-learning

CFA has a number of online fire safety modules to help you be safer in the home and during the bushfire period.

27/07/2026

Good evening all, an update to this afternoons AusAlert message, I do hope you all received it but if you didn’t please read this from the relevant Gov department.
Cheers Steve

REASONS FOR NO ALERT.

The system works a bit differently to a normal text message. Instead of sending a message to individual phone numbers, it uses nearby 4G and 5G mobile towers to broadcast an alert to compatible phones in a particular area. The idea is that, during a real emergency, authorities will be able to warn a large number of people quickly, even if they do not have a particular app installed.

There are a few reasons why some people may not have received the test message. Their phone may not have been compatible, the software may not have been up to date, the phone could have been switched off or in aeroplane mode, or it may not have been properly connected to a mobile tower when the alert was sent.

It is also possible for two people standing in the same place to have different experiences. They might be using different phone models, different mobile providers or be connected to different towers. One phone might receive the alert straight away, another might receive it later, and another might not receive it at all.

That is exactly why they carried out a national test before relying on the system during a real emergency. It gives the government, emergency agencies, telecommunications companies and phone manufacturers a chance to see what worked, where there were gaps and what needs to be improved.

They will now go through the results, including which towers successfully sent the alert, which devices received it and the feedback from people who experienced problems. We should receive a more detailed report once that work has been completed.

Not receiving the test does not automatically mean your phone will never receive an emergency alert, but it is worth checking that your phone’s software is up to date and that emergency alerts are enabled in your settings.

People can also provide feedback here: https://www.ausalert.gov.au/feedback and they should also reach out their Federal MP who can look at individual spots that may have had issues.

AusAlert national test: a Critical Alert will be sent to compatible devices at around 2 pm AEST today, Monday 27 July 2026

26/07/2026

The countdown is on, tomorrow at 2:00pm or 1400hrs in firefighter parlance hopefully your phone will send you a message, we know we have some phone black spots in our response area so please give us a thumbs down if you do not receive it.
Cheers Steve

24/07/2026

Just a reminder of the upcoming AusAlert test this coming Monday the 27th, if you don’t receive it please drop us a thumbs down 👎 so we are aware of it.
Cheers Steve
Captain Barongarook West CFA

If you haven't heard of AusAlert yet, it is a new national warning system that the Australian Government is introducing to keep us informed and better prepared for local and national emergencies.

This post is a friendly reminder that on Monday July 27, there will be a national test on all compatible devices including smartphones, smartwatches and tablet devices.

In Queensland the alert will go off at 2:00pm.

The alert will appear like a text message on your device and it will make a loud siren sound. Your device will also vibrate which will go off for around 10 seconds.

This is only a TEST, so stay calm, read the alert and close the message.

If you know you will be around babies, children or Elders on July 27th and you DO NOT want to receive this test, all you have to do is simply turn your device OFF or switch your device to aeroplane mode. Make sure to do this at least ONE hour before the test time.

If you or someone you know is in a domestic violence situation and they may have a second phone that is hidden, make sure to warn them about the test and tell them to switch their device off.

For more information about the system and to find out if your device is compatible for AusAlert, head to

On Monday 27 July 2026, a test Critical Alert will be sent to all compatible mobile devices in Australia.The alert will override 'silent' and 'do not disturb' device settings. It will appear like a system notification on screens and make a loud siren sound for 10 seconds.

07/07/2026

Good morning all, with the current Telstra outage please remember that by dialling Triple 000 in an emergency you will be connected to other networks regardless of your carrier.
Thanks Steve

21/06/2026

FOR YOUR INFORMATION

📢 National AusAlert Test – Monday 27 July 2026

A test Critical AusAlert will be sent to mobile devices across Australia on Monday 27 July. This includes most phones, plus some smart watches and tablets.

🕒 Test Time by State/Territory
- ACT, NSW, Qld, Tas, Vic – 2:00 pm (AEST)
- NT, SA (incl. Broken Hill) – 1:30 pm (ACST)
- WA – 12:00 pm (AWST)

📱 What to Expect
Your device will vibrate and play a loud, siren‑like sound for around 10 seconds. A message will appear on your screen clearly stating it is a test.

✔️ If You Receive the Test Alert
You don’t need to do anything.
In a real emergency, AusAlert will tell you what’s happening, where, how serious it is, and what to do next.

❗ If You Don’t Receive It
No action needed. Your device may not be compatible or connected at the time.
To stay AusAlert‑ready, keep your device updated and restart after software updates.

🙌 If You Don’t Want to Receive the Test
Because it’s a Critical Alert, it can’t be turned off in settings.
If the alert may cause distress or disruption, switch your device off or to aeroplane mode for at least one hour from your state’s test time.

21/05/2026

Vale Peter Bennett

Good evening all, it is with great sadness that Barongarook West RFB announce the passing of life member Peter Bennett, Peter passed away last week after spending his final years in care, the brigade will be doing a guard of honour to pay our respects to Peter and his family who were also members of the brigade, any past brigade members or CFA associates are welcome to join the guard. Details found in the attached link.

Steven Brooke Captain Barongarook West RFB

Loved husband of Shirley (dec) for 50 years. Loved and respected father and father-in-law of Andrew, Eric and Kellie, and Lorraine. Much loved Grandpa of Hayden, Symantha and Amelie.

30/04/2026

Good morning all, the burn that we conducted at Wares road has been completed with approximately 80% burn coverage which in the conditions is a great result, the area will be patrolled over the next few days and with rain coming in the next week it will be completely extinguished with no risk of flare ups. Thank you to the residents for your support during this process and we look forward to getting more done when the conditions suit.
Cheers from the Barongarook West and Kawarren CFA brigades.