The horrendous bush fires that are leaving a trail of destruction in their wake are a timely reminder for everyone of the importance of being fire safe.
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Defending your home from a bush fire can be challenging, so it's wise to be prepared and ready for an emergency situation if it does arise.
Remember, it's vital to Plan and Prepare, so have discussions with the whole household to work out a plan in the event of a bush fire as well as ways of making your home and property safer.
You can also stay up to date on bush fires in NSW with the official NSW Rural Fire Service Fires Near Me application which provides warnings and incident information.
This app provides information on incidents across NSW attended by the NSW RFS and other agencies.
Staying up to date is a key step in your bush fire survival plan - so ask yourself. How fireproof is your plan? Find out at www.myfireplan.com.au.
The NSW RFS recommends users of the app do not rely solely on the information provided in the app, and utilise other communications channels such as the public website (www.rfs.nsw.gov.au), the Bush Fire Information Line (1800 679 737) and local radio.
The NSWS RFS are constantly working on improvements to the Fires Near Me NSW app and will be adding more functionality on push notifications soon.
Forget trying for that false ID
WITH young high school students heading for schoolies celebrations, it's important to warn the revellers attempts to get a false ID could land them in gaol.
Historically around this time of year, there is an increase in the number of under age people applying for a licence, often using the details of older siblings or friends.
This is a risky strategy as there is a very sophisticated face matching system in place to help identify fraudulent applications.
In under a minute up to 35 million images can be checked by the system to verify identity.
Misrepresenting yourself when you apply for a licence or photo card has severe consequences including significant fines and the chance of a gaol sentence.
Technology improvements in recent years meant an increasing number of state and federal agencies were working together to identify criminal activity using the face matching system with a number of people being identified and prosecuted for criminal offences.
The offences may relate to visa offences, Centrelink, immigration, taxation and other financial fraud as well as avoiding licence suspensions and disqualifications.
The message is simple, it's just not worth risking a criminal record for a drink at a pub during schoolies week.
Bathurst MP Paul Toole with the Commissioner of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service Shane Fitzsimmons.