A nasty little exercise which gives everyone a bit of exercise, and can be run by 2 or 3 people with minimal planning or notice - maybe just a couple of phone calls to get permission to access property.
Take 2 rolls of red/white marking tape to a random bush fire risk location.
Walk them out fully from a common "ignition point", about 20 degrees apart.
These are your fire "edges".
"Respond" the brigade.
On arrival, the two tape-holders start walking, towing the tape.
Steadily in grass-land, more slowly in scrub, depending upon the conditions you want to simulate.
Make sure there are fences en-route.
Also structures which may need to be defended.
Gives everyone a work-out,
- IC who has to plan, request, assign & re-prioritise resources to achieve RECeo,
- crew leaders who have to figure out how best to use their appliance & people
- hose-draggers who need to keep adding lengths fast enough to run down the "head".
Almost infinite variations possible.
If it starts looking too easy, chuck in a spot fire, or have a pump or BWC break-down, or a blown hose, or a wind change, etc.
Can be run several weeks running without losing interest, rotating people through the various roles, especially leadership of crews & IC.
