Police Assistance Line (PAL) Reporting

Scope

This Operational Guideline outlines the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) requirements for reporting or referring a matter to the NSW Police Force (NSWPF) using the Police Assistance Line (PAL).

Fundamental Protocols underpin the actions of all RFS members and must be adhered to at all times. They outline the Principles of being an RFS member and provide guidance on conduct to support the safety and wellbeing of members.

Guiding Principles

• The RFS and NSWPF have an agreement under which fires can be reported to the PAL using the ‘RFS Bush Fire Reporting Form’ (PAL Form).
• Reporting to NSWPF via PAL must be completed in the following circumstances, as per the ICON Cause Management and Determination Guide:
  • All bush/grass/forest fires where NSWPF have not attended or are not required to attend, and the ICON Cause Management and Determination Guide requires a PAL form.
  • All fires where a RFS Legal Process is required, and NSWPF involvement/action is not necessary.
  • All incidents that have a RFS Authorised Fire Investigator (AFI) allocated and NSWPF have not attended.
  • When requested by the Commissioner or delegate, or by the NSWPF.

Criteria for Bush/Grass/Forest Fires (where a PAL report is most appropriate rather than NSWPF attendance)

• Where no person(s) is deceased or has been injured;
• Fires which have burnt out or been completely extinguished;
• Damage to property is limited to superficial damage or minor scorching;
• No stock or crop losses;
• No physical or suspicious evidence was left behind;
• No person has been detained or suspected of lighting a suspicious fire; and
• No vehicles sighted relating to the lighting of a suspicious fire.

Criteria for Legal Process

• All escaped private Hazard Reductions (HRs);
• All escaped permit burns;
• All escaped pile burns;
• All illegal fires/burning by a landowner/occupier anytime of the year on their land; and
• All breaches of the Rural Fires Act 1997 or Rural Fires Regulation 2022 by a landowner/occupier anytime of the year.

Special Considerations

• PAL is operated by the NSWPF and is staffed 24hrs a day, seven days a week.
• The PAL Form is a NSWPF form and is for completion by RFS District Offices only.
• Each PAL Form is unique to each RFS District and contains pre-filled fields, such as the CNI number.
• Pre-filled details in the individually supplied RFS District reporting are not to be changed.
• All areas in red must be completed, date of birth is not compulsory but is preferred.
• The ‘Any Further Information’ section of the PAL Form should contain specific details of the incident, any related incidents, and the breaches of the Act and Regulation for Legal Process matters.
• The HR section must contain the landowner/occupier details and that the RFS has issued either a Penalty Notice, a Caution Letter, a Community Engagement Package, or applied Exceptional Circumstances.
• PAL Form must be completed by a RFS Staff member and can be submitted at any time.
• PAL Form must be emailed to PAL via email: 131444fire@police.nsw.gov.au, copying in Fire Investigation fire.investigation@rfs.nsw.gov.au.
• On receipt of the form, PAL will input onto the NSWPF system, and an event number will be created.
• Event number will be emailed back as reply all to the email of person reporting.
• PAL Form saved in RFS Content Manager (HPE).
• Event number and HPE record number to be added to the incident log in ICON.
• If an event number has been obtained and further information becomes available, another PAL form can be submitted with the new information by referencing the event number.

Related Information

• ICON Cause Management and Determination Guide
• RFS Bush Fire Reporting Form (PAL Form)
• RFS Policy 6.1.2 Illegal and Careless Fires and Enforcement