The Queenstown Lakes District Council, the New Zealand Transport Agency and Otago Regional Council are committed to working together in partnership to provide you with an enduring, safe and affordable transport system, which also provides you with transport choice.

There's a lot to think about and this page brings our work together in one place so you can participate in the process and monitor how we are integrating and managing our transport investigations.

Communications is the cornerstone of a successful L.C.E.S. strategy. It means having the proper methods of communication in place before engaging.

However, with the use of chainsaws and incendiary devices you could usually cut and burn out an area big enough to survive a burn-over if you were lucky.

For this, they will also need a good radio to maintain communications with both the incident commander, the crews engaged, and other essential resources.

In addition to these basic pieces of equipment, a lookout will want a full belt-weather kit to take weather observations and a compass with a mirror to maintain situational awareness.

This means that every firefighter at the Squad Leader level and above has wildland fire radios. It means knowing radio dead zones and having mitigation methods in place. This includes using mirror flashes as a backup and cellphones as needed.

In addition to a radio and a pair of binoculars, a lookout will need a few other pieces of equipment. One is their standard fully outfitted fire pack and fire shelter.

Anything more could hinder air operations by exceeding the maximum allowable payload in the event of ingress or egress with a helicopter.

Make sure to always have these vital pieces of equipment as well as a fire shelter with you at all times. Never engage a fire without proper safety zones and if you do, be aware of the danger you are in.

L.C.E.S. stands for Lookouts, Communications, Escape Routes, and Safety Zones. Let’s take a closer look at the L.C.E.S. strategy and what equipment you need to implement it successfully.

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When I was a Squad Leader I made sure that all of the members of my Squad had a few basic pieces of standard-issue equipment. The first is a solid pair of fire boots. These boots need to be up to NWCG standards.

After outfitting their Line Gear, each firefighter would also be given a Red Bag. This is also known as their two-week bag and it needs to have everything they require for a two-week assignment in the dirt.

Never rely on cellphones as most wildland fires are in remote backcountry areas with limited cell reception. When you have the luxury of being near a vehicle, you can use the mobile radio for increased radio reception.

The journeys that you make every day in and around the Queenstown Lakes District should be safe, easy, support your business and help you get the most out of life.

If you have any questions about the Way to Go group or the investigations underway, please email us at letstalk@qldc.govt.nz

Giving your people the right equipment can give them the edge they need to complete their dangerous assignment. Wildland firefighting is tough enough on its own, let alone if you are supplied with poor equipment.

After all, the way for LCES was paid for in blood by all those who lost their lives to teach us lessons about firefighting the hard way.

The lookout should be thinking about the big picture of fire engagement. They need to make sure everyone is where they are supposed to be and free from hazards. They are the eyes and ears of the firefighters on the ground.

The most vital piece of equipment for establishing escape routes is flagging and glow-sticks (for night operations). Flagging a trail through the brush is your best bet. That way you won’t miss it during the heat of the moment.

In 2020 there were almost 60,000 wildland fires that were responsible for destroying over 10 million acres of America’s forests and rangelands. Wildland firefighting is a dangerous and deadly profession not for the faint of heart.

This is your fallback point in the event of a blowup. Never engage a fire without a proper safety zone. I had the luxury of working in a forest where finding a safety zone up to the official standards was near impossible.

To complete these two objectives the lookout will need a variety of different pieces of equipment. The first is a good pair of binoculars that they can see changes in fire behavior with.

Every professional wildland firefighter knows the basics of L.C.E.S. While this acronym and strategy are a bit dated and debated by wildland firefighters in the field, it still holds water.

Your input will help to plan safe, accessible and connected transport solutions for everyone.  We'll keep you in the loop and ask for your views regularly as our investigations progress.

At this point, I would issue each of my Squad Members a fire-pack (called Line Gear) and they would fill it with important equipment. Our load-out is as follows:

A lookout should be on a mountain top, ridge-line, or vantage point where they can see the entirety of the fire. From their vantage point, they should also be able to see all resources engaging the fire.

Firefighters would pay for their boots but would be reimbursed by a boot stipend. Next, we would issue them fire-resistant long-sleeve Nomex shirts and pants. Each firefighter would also be given a helmet, tool, and fire shelter.

If you are part of the wildland fire movement you need all the top-of-the-line equipment you can get your hands on. As any good wildland firefighter knows, having the right fire radios can make the difference between tactical success, and heavy human losses.

This means knowing how you will safely disengage and egress from a fire in the event of a blow-up. Solid escape routes are hard to find but they usually involve traveling through burned-out areas or falling back with vehicles.

Our partnership is known as Way to Go and recognises all three agencies have an important role to play in driving change.