Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Earlier in the week, you certainly would have heard us
discussing the fact that the Northern Territory government and now
it's a former Nightcliffe police station. Well it's going to
become the new headquarters for the Northern Territory Fire and
Emergency Services. So the twelve million dollar facility on Progress
Drive was initially promised by Labor as a twenty four
hour police station, but it opened in twenty twenty one
(00:21):
without holding sales and has never really operated as a
full police station. The Chief Minister, Lea Finocchio said the
site is going to be upgraded. It's going to have
backup water and power and well all the systems needed
to support emergency operations. But what's it going to mean
for our territory firefighters. We'll joining us on the show
(00:41):
is Andrew Wharton, the Commissioner of NT Fire and Emergency Services.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Good morning Andy, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Lovely to have you on the show. Now, how are
you feeling about this move?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh, we're excited. It's fantastic. You know, we've been in
National Australia Bank House. We've been at Mantra for a bit.
We were a standline agent. See in March twenty twenty four,
so a couple of years down the track. We think
it's a really good result and we're very excited. It's
going to be great to be planted in the middle
of a community and to be part of the community
(01:12):
as well. So the community of Nightcliff's going to see
lots of emergency service workers walking around buying their lunch
and talking to the community and giving the opportunity to
help build community resilience from Nightcliffe.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And I know, like a small portion of people have
been a bit worried, are we going to hear sirens
going all the time? That's not going to be the case.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Is that no. No, I can categorically assure you. So
there'll be no fire appliances operating out of that building.
It's large largely our corporate support, so all of that
that critical infrastructure and capability that supports our front line.
It's the executive, it's the Northern Territory Emergency Service, and
it's in some future intelligence type functions as well. So
(01:52):
it's very much office space. Still you'll still see en
test vehicles in and out of the place, but lights, sirens, no,
So where are.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
All of you guys? So some of you are in
the NAB the NAB building. Where's everybody based? Is it
sort of a bit of a you know everybody or
different people everywhere?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah. At the moment, the majority are on the fifth
floor of National Australian Gankhouse, So largely that's what we'll
transfer out to Nightcliffe. But you know, the great thing
about Nightcliffe is we're going to be able to configure
it so that we can actually run some of our
operations out of there. Okay, you know at the moment
we're using a conference room and we need to on
the fifth floor. So this will be this will be
much more custom built, it will be much more accessible,
(02:35):
and it'll be great. We're really excited.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, tell us about what some of those scenarios might be.
You know, would it be when there's like when there
are bush fires or when there's fires, when you're dealing
with you know, big sort of big emergencies.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, so you know, the big emergencies. Obviously, that's where
the Emergency Operations Center kicks in for our floods and cyclones. Yep,
we've got bushfires INT that's running permanently now during the
fire season. This this facility here is more around standing
up events like, for instance, Crackinite. We run an operation
center on Crackennite. That'd be a perfect candidate. We have
(03:08):
rescues that happen outside of the high risk weather season,
you know, vertical rescues and other operations. So it's always
good to have that ability to just stand up a
team in a room you need to.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
And in terms of you know, you're sort of touched
on this, what's going to be based there, it sounds
like it's a bit more of the administrative side of
things rather than you know, your appliances, your trucks, what
we might see at some of our other fire stations.
And it sounds like those other fire stations are absolutely
going to remain operational and as they.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Are unequivocally yes, yeah, absolutely, you know, it's I talk
about the corporate side of the house. There's so much
that goes on behind the scenes. You know, there's our logistics,
there's our finance, there's our HR functions and all the
other pieces of the puzzle. If they didn't exist, then
you know, we wouldn't have these operational stations. So really
important and just great to be together as one agency.
(04:00):
You know, a pretty young agency when you look at it.
We're probably we are the youngest agency in the territory,
a couple of years old.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Hey, I think someone's just asking a Oh, somebody's asking
about well, the fire Pinelands overnight. I might just ask
about that very quickly. I understand there was a fire.
I did hear this at some storage sheds in Pinelands.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yes, it was a storage facility, that's right. And actually
just just talking to one of our fires before coming
in here. They were on the job till the early
hours of this morning, you know, half past five. They
were still mopping up. And the very latest is there's
at least twenty storage facilities or containers that have been destroyed.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
And they're actually out there right now assessing some of
the damage.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Andy, do we know what caused this fire?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
No, not at this stage, but I understand that it's
obviously the subject of an investigation, and it's been declared
a crime scene as well. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Well, and I'm not surprised to hear that. So it's
storage sheds in Pinelands. It kicked off about eight o'clock
last night, did us, Yeah, that's right, and so it
sounds as so it's taken hours really to get under control.
What kind of you know, what kind of appliances and
how many staff were required.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh, look, it was a huge response, involving multiple responses
from multiple stations. I was also told this morning that
one of the one of the contributing factors to the
complexity of that fire was various sorts of chemicals and
other fuels that are around. So well, this is really
really challenging environment, right in an urban environment, to contain
something like that. The way that our fires did is
(05:26):
it's living testament to what these people do every single
day they roll out, they minimize damage the best they can,
and they keep people safe.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Tell me, I mean, are we talking like when I
think storage sheds, I think of you know, like the
ones that you obviously hire or that you buy and
your store all your stuff in there. So they're quite
narrow driveways and that kind of thing as well. For
the fires, I'm assuming to be able to get in,
to be able to sort of get to the source
of where that fire was.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, they are, that's exactly right. And you know, that's
that's what their training does. So they train in all
sorts of scenarios, and that's that's why we train that's
why they're upskilled the way they are.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, well, there are quite a few fire officers that
were required last night.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah. Look, I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but
i know it was multiple appliants as multiple teams right
through the night to the early house of this morning.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, and so five point thirty this morning it was
eventually still mopping up.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
That sounds like a massive job, and like you touched on,
really shows the importance of the work that our firefighters do.
And well, now our fire is going to have their
own home, well at least see you know the management
and administration side of things there at Nightcliffe, When will
you move in? It's not until next year, is that?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, the plans to start moving or be. I think
it's to be in there by May next year, So
that's the rough deadline. There's a bit of work that
has to be done to the actual facility to make
sure that it is fit for purpose, and obviously there's
logistics around moving the occupants into other accommodations. Yeah, there's
a bit of work to happen, and obviously at some
stage will rebrand it too.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
And it sounds, as you know from what you are
saying to me, I think this will be a good
thing for the community of Nightcliff as well, in the
sense that you're going to have staff out there, there's
going to be people utilizing those local businesses. It's not
going to be disruptive.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
No, not at all. In fact, quite the reverse. You know.
Part of our mandate is the Emergency Services Agency for
the Northern Territory is to build community resilience, right to
prepare people for the next high risk weather season, to
prepare people for the bushfire season that we're about to
enter into. And the best way to do that is
to be in the community. I think the station as
(07:30):
it exists actually got some sort of roller door on
the front. Yeah. Right, So that's the sort of thing
that we might look to open up, you know, half
a day a week and people can come along and
they can talk to us. And that's good. I've said.
I spoke to the staff a couple of days ago,
and one of the key messages was when we move
in there, we don't just want to be locked in
an ivory tower, like, we're here to serve the community
(07:50):
and so we want to be part of that community.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, that's good, That is good. News hey very quickly
before I let you go and we'll catch up with you.
I'm sure before territory day. But oh, any advice territory
and so I mean, be safe with your crackers and
don't do the wrong thing when that day arrives. But
are you anticipating it's going to be a busy one.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Oh yeah, Look, we say this every year, and every
year it is a busy one. I think if you
just if you remember one word in advance, it's got
to be safety, right, Safety for yourself, safety for your family,
safety for our first responders. You can still have fun.
Safety and fun can coexist. Yeah, but it's really got
to be a mindset.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Yeah, it has to be. Look, my family dubs me
safety Sam, so clearly I'm the one in the family
that's keeping an eye on everyone being safe.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
To use a quote from a former life safety never
takes a holiday.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
It's very true. Andrew Wharton, Commissioner of Anti Fire and
Emergency Services. Really good to catch up with you this morning,
and thanks so much for all the detail on that
fire last night as well.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Good on Nick.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Thank you
Earlier in the week, you certainly would have heard us
discussing the fact that the Northern Territory government and now
it's a former Nightcliffe police station. Well it's going to
become the new headquarters for the Northern Territory Fire and
Emergency Services. So the twelve million dollar facility on Progress
Drive was initially promised by Labor as a twenty four
hour police station, but it opened in twenty twenty one
(00:21):
without holding sales and has never really operated as a
full police station. The Chief Minister, Lea Finocchio said the
site is going to be upgraded. It's going to have
backup water and power and well all the systems needed
to support emergency operations. But what's it going to mean
for our territory firefighters. We'll joining us on the show
(00:41):
is Andrew Wharton, the Commissioner of NT Fire and Emergency Services.
Speaker 2 (00:46):
Good morning Andy, Good morning Katie.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
Lovely to have you on the show. Now, how are
you feeling about this move?
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Oh, we're excited. It's fantastic. You know, we've been in
National Australia Bank House. We've been at Mantra for a bit.
We were a standline agent. See in March twenty twenty four,
so a couple of years down the track. We think
it's a really good result and we're very excited. It's
going to be great to be planted in the middle
of a community and to be part of the community
(01:12):
as well. So the community of Nightcliff's going to see
lots of emergency service workers walking around buying their lunch
and talking to the community and giving the opportunity to
help build community resilience from Nightcliffe.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
And I know, like a small portion of people have
been a bit worried, are we going to hear sirens
going all the time? That's not going to be the case.
Speaker 2 (01:30):
Is that no. No, I can categorically assure you. So
there'll be no fire appliances operating out of that building.
It's large largely our corporate support, so all of that
that critical infrastructure and capability that supports our front line.
It's the executive, it's the Northern Territory Emergency Service, and
it's in some future intelligence type functions as well. So
(01:52):
it's very much office space. Still you'll still see en
test vehicles in and out of the place, but lights, sirens, no,
So where are.
Speaker 1 (02:02):
All of you guys? So some of you are in
the NAB the NAB building. Where's everybody based? Is it
sort of a bit of a you know everybody or
different people everywhere?
Speaker 2 (02:12):
Yeah. At the moment, the majority are on the fifth
floor of National Australian Gankhouse, So largely that's what we'll
transfer out to Nightcliffe. But you know, the great thing
about Nightcliffe is we're going to be able to configure
it so that we can actually run some of our
operations out of there. Okay, you know at the moment
we're using a conference room and we need to on
the fifth floor. So this will be this will be
much more custom built, it will be much more accessible,
(02:35):
and it'll be great. We're really excited.
Speaker 1 (02:37):
Yeah, tell us about what some of those scenarios might be.
You know, would it be when there's like when there
are bush fires or when there's fires, when you're dealing
with you know, big sort of big emergencies.
Speaker 2 (02:47):
Yeah, so you know, the big emergencies. Obviously, that's where
the Emergency Operations Center kicks in for our floods and cyclones. Yep,
we've got bushfires INT that's running permanently now during the
fire season. This this facility here is more around standing
up events like, for instance, Crackinite. We run an operation
center on Crackennite. That'd be a perfect candidate. We have
(03:08):
rescues that happen outside of the high risk weather season,
you know, vertical rescues and other operations. So it's always
good to have that ability to just stand up a
team in a room you need to.
Speaker 1 (03:19):
And in terms of you know, you're sort of touched
on this, what's going to be based there, it sounds
like it's a bit more of the administrative side of
things rather than you know, your appliances, your trucks, what
we might see at some of our other fire stations.
And it sounds like those other fire stations are absolutely
going to remain operational and as they.
Speaker 2 (03:37):
Are unequivocally yes, yeah, absolutely, you know, it's I talk
about the corporate side of the house. There's so much
that goes on behind the scenes. You know, there's our logistics,
there's our finance, there's our HR functions and all the
other pieces of the puzzle. If they didn't exist, then
you know, we wouldn't have these operational stations. So really
important and just great to be together as one agency.
(04:00):
You know, a pretty young agency when you look at it.
We're probably we are the youngest agency in the territory,
a couple of years old.
Speaker 1 (04:07):
Hey, I think someone's just asking a Oh, somebody's asking
about well, the fire Pinelands overnight. I might just ask
about that very quickly. I understand there was a fire.
I did hear this at some storage sheds in Pinelands.
Speaker 2 (04:21):
Yes, it was a storage facility, that's right. And actually
just just talking to one of our fires before coming
in here. They were on the job till the early
hours of this morning, you know, half past five. They
were still mopping up. And the very latest is there's
at least twenty storage facilities or containers that have been destroyed.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Wow.
Speaker 2 (04:38):
And they're actually out there right now assessing some of
the damage.
Speaker 1 (04:40):
Andy, do we know what caused this fire?
Speaker 2 (04:43):
No, not at this stage, but I understand that it's
obviously the subject of an investigation, and it's been declared
a crime scene as well. Yeah.
Speaker 1 (04:50):
Well, and I'm not surprised to hear that. So it's
storage sheds in Pinelands. It kicked off about eight o'clock
last night, did us, Yeah, that's right, and so it
sounds as so it's taken hours really to get under control.
What kind of you know, what kind of appliances and
how many staff were required.
Speaker 2 (05:05):
Oh, look, it was a huge response, involving multiple responses
from multiple stations. I was also told this morning that
one of the one of the contributing factors to the
complexity of that fire was various sorts of chemicals and
other fuels that are around. So well, this is really
really challenging environment, right in an urban environment, to contain
something like that. The way that our fires did is
(05:26):
it's living testament to what these people do every single
day they roll out, they minimize damage the best they can,
and they keep people safe.
Speaker 1 (05:37):
Tell me, I mean, are we talking like when I
think storage sheds, I think of you know, like the
ones that you obviously hire or that you buy and
your store all your stuff in there. So they're quite
narrow driveways and that kind of thing as well. For
the fires, I'm assuming to be able to get in,
to be able to sort of get to the source
of where that fire was.
Speaker 2 (05:55):
Yeah, they are, that's exactly right. And you know, that's
that's what their training does. So they train in all
sorts of scenarios, and that's that's why we train that's
why they're upskilled the way they are.
Speaker 1 (06:05):
Yeah, well, there are quite a few fire officers that
were required last night.
Speaker 2 (06:09):
Yeah. Look, I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but
i know it was multiple appliants as multiple teams right
through the night to the early house of this morning.
Speaker 1 (06:16):
Yeah, and so five point thirty this morning it was
eventually still mopping up.
Speaker 2 (06:19):
Wow.
Speaker 1 (06:20):
That sounds like a massive job, and like you touched on,
really shows the importance of the work that our firefighters do.
And well, now our fire is going to have their
own home, well at least see you know the management
and administration side of things there at Nightcliffe, When will
you move in? It's not until next year, is that?
Speaker 2 (06:37):
Yeah, the plans to start moving or be. I think
it's to be in there by May next year, So
that's the rough deadline. There's a bit of work that
has to be done to the actual facility to make
sure that it is fit for purpose, and obviously there's
logistics around moving the occupants into other accommodations. Yeah, there's
a bit of work to happen, and obviously at some
stage will rebrand it too.
Speaker 1 (06:56):
And it sounds, as you know from what you are
saying to me, I think this will be a good
thing for the community of Nightcliff as well, in the
sense that you're going to have staff out there, there's
going to be people utilizing those local businesses. It's not
going to be disruptive.
Speaker 2 (07:09):
No, not at all. In fact, quite the reverse. You know.
Part of our mandate is the Emergency Services Agency for
the Northern Territory is to build community resilience, right to
prepare people for the next high risk weather season, to
prepare people for the bushfire season that we're about to
enter into. And the best way to do that is
to be in the community. I think the station as
(07:30):
it exists actually got some sort of roller door on
the front. Yeah. Right, So that's the sort of thing
that we might look to open up, you know, half
a day a week and people can come along and
they can talk to us. And that's good. I've said.
I spoke to the staff a couple of days ago,
and one of the key messages was when we move
in there, we don't just want to be locked in
an ivory tower, like, we're here to serve the community
(07:50):
and so we want to be part of that community.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
Yeah, that's good, That is good. News hey very quickly
before I let you go and we'll catch up with you.
I'm sure before territory day. But oh, any advice territory
and so I mean, be safe with your crackers and
don't do the wrong thing when that day arrives. But
are you anticipating it's going to be a busy one.
Speaker 2 (08:09):
Oh yeah, Look, we say this every year, and every
year it is a busy one. I think if you
just if you remember one word in advance, it's got
to be safety, right, Safety for yourself, safety for your family,
safety for our first responders. You can still have fun.
Safety and fun can coexist. Yeah, but it's really got
to be a mindset.
Speaker 1 (08:28):
Yeah, it has to be. Look, my family dubs me
safety Sam, so clearly I'm the one in the family
that's keeping an eye on everyone being safe.
Speaker 2 (08:36):
To use a quote from a former life safety never
takes a holiday.
Speaker 1 (08:41):
It's very true. Andrew Wharton, Commissioner of Anti Fire and
Emergency Services. Really good to catch up with you this morning,
and thanks so much for all the detail on that
fire last night as well.
Speaker 2 (08:52):
Good on Nick.
Speaker 1 (08:52):
Thank you
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