French connections

Bilateral bushfire research and development has been strengthened with the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Bushfire CRC and Pôle Risques, a French risk management organisation.

Hosted in Australia by the Bushfire CRC, the Director of Pôle Risques Richard Biagioni signed the MOU with Gary Morgan, Bushfire CRC CEO, in the presence of the French Ambassador to Australia Stéphane Romalet in Canberra on 22 October.

Mr Biagioni led a delegation of French bushfire researchers in their week long trip to Australia, where they toured the areas impacted by the Canberra bushfire in 2003 with then ACT Emergency Services Commissioner Mark Crosweller and Bushfire CRC lead end user Neil Cooper, attended the Bushfire CRC Research Advisory Forum, met with the NSW Rural Fire Service and NSW Fire and Rescue Service and participated in the International Association of Wildland Fire’s Safety Summit.