Fire bunkers to save lives - Colin Abbott

Colin Hugh Abbott Thank you Kim and Jeff. That was very good of you both. Anyone who wants to come and take a look at the Jarrahdale Fire Bunker is VERY WELCOME. A reminder on a few points:(a) this is a last resort concept. I believe evacuation is best. (b) NO council permission is required to install such a facility. (c) I am not making any money or commission on this project. I just sincerely believe that this facility can save lives. Best wishes to all of you at the Jarrahdale Community Association. Well done!

Colin Hugh Abbott Yes ... very interesting, Julia. Thank you for mentioning Ken's excellent idea. Cheers!

Julia S (Community Manager) You're welcome :)

Julia S (Community Manager) Hi Colin, the PlanBig team have just tweeted and given a Facebook update about your plan. You can see them here http://www.facebook.com/PlanBig and here http://twitter.com/planbig

Colin Hugh Abbott Thank you PlanBig. Did you know that I've been tweeting for quite a while now under the name Colin Hugh Abbott. I'll look up PlanBig ... and follow you. Cheers!

Julia S (Community Manager) We're already following you, Colin! :)

Colin Hugh Abbott Good on ya, Julia ... hang on ... it's not ... no it can't be ... you're not Julia Gillard .... are ya? Nah ... suppose not ... Cheers anyway!

Julia S (Community Manager) Hahaha could be, Colin! We're moving Australia forward...

Colin Hugh Abbott Moving Australia forward, Julia S ... you are indeed! Well done. Best wishes, Colin Hugh Abbott.

Julia S (Community Manager) Thanks Colin! :D

Colin Hugh Abbott Thank you, Kim. That sounds like a very good idea. Another few days or so ... and you should be a Shire Councillor (July 22nd?). I sincerely hope so. Good luck!

Colin Hugh Abbott Kim, thank you for your kind words of encouragement. Alannah MacTiernan has just left after viewing the bunker. She seemed very impressed and said that she'll be very happy to promote the idea. She said "You hop in there, Colin, and we'll take a photograph" ... so I did! Cheers!

Colin Hugh Abbott Merri Harris seemed to be impressed with the idea too. And the young fellow who took the photos (Alannah's relative?) wants to bring his Dad up here to have a look at it. Merri does a great job as one of our Shire Councillors. Good on ya, Merri!

Colin Hugh Abbott Actually, I used concrete blocks to seal off my Jarrahdale Fire Bunker. These (Breeze?) blocks had been lying around the property for years ... I didn't know what to do with them ... so that's what I used. They cost me absolutely nothing.

Colin Hugh Abbott What concerns me is that these Royal Commissions and Investigative Committees recommend facilities such as this Jarrahdale Fire Bunker .... and then people either ignore, or take no action on these recommendations ... until it's too late ... and another dreadful series of bushfires occurs. "The way to be nothing is to do nothing".

Colin Hugh Abbott My Concrete Culvert Fire Bunker at Jarrahdale is a "last resort" situation. I believe it is best to evacuate in the first instance. But, if trapped, then I truly believe this mechanism can save lives. DO NOT jump into your car at the very last moment.

Colin Hugh Abbott I covered my fire bunker at Jarrahdale with coffee rocks for aesthetic reasons. The rocks were available and, as a retired person, I had the time to do it. I want to make it clear that covering the bunker with rocks is NOT necessary or essential. What IS ESSENTIAL is to seal off ONE END of the bunker with bricks. This prevents the bunker (culvert/s) from becoming a funnel for the flames.

Colin Hugh Abbott Because I'd got the time, the space, and was fit enough to do the work, I decided to install two culverts (each is 2.4 metres long). One fits into the other. Thus the overall length of my concrete culvert fire bunker is approximately 5 metres. The inside measurement is 1200mm (1.2 metres).

Julia S (Community Manager) You are doing really well to already have photos and updates on your plan. The next steps are to tell your family and friends about it to gain their support. You can copy and paste this URL in an email and ask that your family and friends make comments. The more activity on your plan from a range of people, the more likely it is to be noticed by the wider community www.planbig.com.au/Fire-bunkers-to-save-lives-Colin-Abbott . Another great idea is to check out and comment on some of the other plans on PlanBig that may be able to help and support you. I recommend that you check out: www.planbig.com.au/New-HQ-for-Ku-ring-gai-SES-and-Bush-Fire-Brigade , www.planbig.com.au/SJ-Links-to-Useful-Stuff-for-Youth , www.planbig.com.au/Serpentine-Jarrahdale-350-Climate-Action , www.planbig.com.au/Forest-Green-Reserve-Jarrahdale-WA and www.planbig.com.au/Accessing-Grants-for-Community-Groups .

Colin Hugh Abbott Julia - you are terrific - I hope the big boss sees this! Well done!

Julia S (Community Manager) Awesome, thanks Colin :)

Jeanette Miller Hi Colin, I've seen it :-). I'm glad that Julia has helped you to get everything sorted. Best wishes with your plan!

Colin Hugh Abbott Thanks Jeanette. Good on you!

Colin Hugh Abbott Alannah MacTiernan took a look at the Jarrahdale Fire Bunker, a few days ago. She was impressed and told me she'd be happy to promote this simple and relatively inexpensive, do-it-yourself LIFE SAVING idea.

Colin Hugh Abbott I've received a phone call from Alannah MacTiernan. She has been speaking with the one-time Deputy Speaker of The House of Representatives, Dr. Ron Edwards. It was Ron, whose letter to The Australian, "sparked" this idea. Some photos were taken when she came to view the Jarrahdale Fire Bunker and, apparently, one of these photos is going to appear on the front cover of her next newsletter. The lady in Alannah's electoral office said "Colin, you're going to be a famous cover boy!" ... Hey! I must tell the wife!

Colin Hugh Abbott In case any of you don't know, Alannah MacTiernan was a long time Western Australian Parliamentarian and Minister. Alannah is standing for the Federal seat of Canning. Good luck, Alannah.

Colin Hugh Abbott Another good factor about my Jarrahdale Fire Bunker is that it is wheel chair accessible. A person in a wheel chair can get to the "door" of my fire bunker and pull or roll himself into the bunker and safety. There are no steps or ladders to negotiate.

Colin Hugh Abbott You can even save your dog, cat, or other pets by putting them into the Jarrahdale Bunker, and then getting in yourself.

Colin Hugh Abbott I bought a fire-resistant sheet of FYRCHEK from the Gyprock company. It was roughly 2500mm x 1500mm and only cost me about $35. With a hacksaw, I then cut out a rough circular "door" to fit into the collar (open end) of the Jarrahdale Fire Bunker. I'm told that you can hold a lighted blow-torch to this material for one hour before it will catch fire. One simply lifts it in and out of the open collar of the bunker.

Colin Hugh Abbott If you click on the "Pics, Videos and Docs" (above), you can see a photo of me lifting the fire-resistant "door" into position. It is not too heavy.

Julia S (Community Manager) This is great news Colin - congratulations!

Colin Hugh Abbott I have decided to refer to my bunker as the "Jarrhdale Fire Bunker".

Colin Hugh Abbott The kangaroos you see hanging around the Jarrahdale Fire Bunker are probably more interested in the possibility of some food rather than any particular interest in the scheme of things. Unfortunately, the kangaroos are inclined to eat out pot plants, which really annoys my wife, who goes to a lot of trouble to keep them fed and watered ... the pot plants ... that is.

Colin Hugh Abbott If threatened by fire, DO NOT crawl into a metal pipe - you'll be cooked! The reinforced concrete culverts (from Humes of Welshpool) are thick enough to protect you from the radiated heat, which is the real killer. Always have PURE WOOLEN blankets available, and in the bunker. Place these over your head and breathe through them - this protects you from smoke inhalation. It is probably a good idea to soak the pure woollen blankets in water. Always leave bottles of water in your Jarrahdale Fire Bunker.

Colin Hugh Abbott The whole facility cost me less than $2,000 to complete. If a person were to use just one culvert, and do the job themselves, it could feasibly be done for less than $1,000. That's not a lot of money to save lives ... is it?

Colin Hugh Abbott One culvert, sealed off at one end, would probably be sufficient to save the lives of a man and his wife. If, like the wonderful Kim Petersen of Jarrahdale, you've got a husband and five children, then it would probably be a good idea to use two culverts (pipes). Good on ya, Kim! Good luck with your Forrest Reserve Park Plan. Councillor Kim Petersen?

Colin Hugh Abbott A few weeks ago, about twenty year 11 students came to have a look at the Jarrahdale Fire Bunker. They were working on a school project and had noticed my bunker on the internet. At one stage, eight of them got into the bunker and sat there with ease. I reckon, at a squeeze, we could have got them all in.

Colin Hugh Abbott Yesterday evening (July29th) I got a phone call from The West Australian newspaper's journalist. She had heard about my Jarrahdale Fire Bunker and wanted information on it. I mentioned PlanBig (maybe that's where she'd heard about it) and had a good ten minute talk with her. Apparently, they're going to phone me again sometime soon. Great!

Julia S (Community Manager) Congratulations, Colin. That's fantastic - and thank-you so much for your support as well. Keep up the great work!

Colin Hugh Abbott Jarrahdale Fire Bunker: simple, inexpensive, last resort, do-it-yourself, life-saving facility. No council permission to install. If you live in a fire-prone area and you are trapped in a bushfire, this simple facility could save your life. Doubles up as a cyclone shelter. Could even save you during an earthquake! Please give it some consideration.

Colin Hugh Abbott I would like to see the Serpentine Jarrahdale Shire Council install a Jarrahdale Fire Bunker in a strategic public space so that anyone who wanted to inspect the facility could do so. It would cost the council approximately $1,000 to set up such a life saving facility. That's a pittance considering that it could save many people's lives.

Colin Hugh Abbott I want to remind people that NO council permission is required to install a Jarrahdale Fire Bunker.

Colin Hugh Abbott I have had correspondence with a Fire Blanket manufacturing company and they advise people NOT to soak the Pure Woollen Blankets in water. The reasons, as advised by Creswick Woollen Mills, are as follows: 1: The blankets will become too heavy and cumbersome. 2: Water will turn into steam if it exposed to extreme heat and this would be a safety hazard.

Julia S (Community Manager) Thanks for posting this, Colin, it's good advice and very practical.

Colin Hugh Abbott Thanks Julia. This was, indeed, important advice, because, for some time now, I've been suggesting that it might be a good idea to soak the blankets with water. Incidentally, one can purchase PURE WOOLLEN blankets from Op Shops for as little as five or six dollars each. If you live in a fire-prone area, it is a good idea to have a pure woollen blanket in your car at all times. If you are caught, in your car, in a bushfire, close the windows, get down as low as you can, and cover yourself with a fire blanket or a pure woollen blanket.

Colin Hugh Abbott Creswick Woollen MIlls, who manufacture Fire Blankets advise that it is probably counter-productive to soak the blankets in water because (a) it makes the blankets too heavy to manage and (b) extreme heat can turn the water into steam.

Colin Hugh Abbott My wife and I keep handy, a couple of pure woollen blankets in the house so that, if we are forced to run to the fire bunker, in a fire situation, we can cover ourselves in the these blankets. By the way, if ever you experience an oven fire in the kitchen (maybe the chip pan goes up in flames), it is a good idea to throw a pure woollen blanket over the flames. This, in all probability, willl stem the flames. Of course, a legitimate fire blanket would be the best option. I believe Creswick have been making them for about half a century.

Colin Hugh Abbott Incidentally, I have purchased about half-a-dozen pure woollen blankets from various Op Shops for about five or six dollars each. Terrific value - a real life-saver!

Colin Hugh Abbott I'm also thinking of purchasing, and leaving in the bunker, half-a-dozen quality West Australian wines ... so we can celebrate our survival ... and raise a toast to all the lovely people at PlanBig! Cheers!

Colin Hugh Abbott As I've said before, I developed the Jarrahdale FIre Bunker after reading a letter to The Australian by Dr Ron Edwards, one-time Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives. Ron served on the Committee which investigated the dreadful Ash Wednesday bushfires. Here is what Ron had to say about the findings of the Committee: "We came to the conclusion that one of the best safety mechanisms that can be provided for householders in bushfire-prone areas is a simple one metre in diameter concrete pipe laid on its side and sealed off at one end into which householders can crawl to seek safety".

Colin Hugh Abbott Dr Ron Edwards went on to say: "My frustration is that we walked away from the (Ash Wednesday) Committee thinking that government agencies and local governments were going to do something about it and the surprise for me is that the idea was never taken up".

Colin Hugh Abbott Dr Ron Edwards was the federal Member for Stirling during the 1980s. He was Deputy Speaker of the House of representatives. Ron is a good man. He has given me considerable help and encouragement in regard to this simple, do-it-yourself life saving facility. Thank you Ron.

Colin Hugh Abbott Oh, by the way, the kangaroos haven't shown any great interest in the project ... so far ... but they do keep the grass down.