Bushfire Emergency Plan for Aged Care Facilities in WA: What’s Required

Aged care facilities in Western Australia’s bushfire prone areas carry a level of risk most other buildings don’t. Residents are often not mobile, staffing levels vary sharply between day and night shifts, and evacuation, if it’s even possible, takes far longer than a standard emergency plan assumes. A generic evacuation procedure isn’t enough, and in many cases, it isn’t compliant either.

Here’s what a Bushfire Emergency Plan (BEP) actually involves, when WA regulations require one, and what to look for when engaging someone to prepare it.

What is a Bushfire Emergency Plan (BEP)?

A Bushfire Emergency Plan (BEP) is a site-specific document setting out how a facility will respond to an approaching bushfire. It covers trigger points for action (when to evacuate versus when to shelter in place), realistic evacuation timing based on the building and its residents, staff roles during an event, and an evacuation diagram showing exits, assembly areas, and access points.

A BEP is often prepared alongside a Bushfire Management Plan (BMP). The BMP addresses how the site physically reduces bushfire risk, through water supply, access, and vegetation management, while the BEP addresses occupant safety and emergency response. For aged care facilities, the two are usually developed together.

Do aged care facilities in WA need a BEP?

Yes. Under State Planning Policy 3.7 (SPP 3.7), new developments classified as Vulnerable Use require a Bushfire Emergency Plan. Aged care and other facilities housing occupants with limited mobility fall within this classification, alongside childcare centres, schools, tourist accommodation, and medical facilities.

A BEP prepared under SPP 3.7 can only be prepared and certified by an assessor accredited under the Bushfire Planning and Design (BPAD) scheme. A plan written internally by facility staff, without that accreditation, doesn’t meet the requirement, regardless of how thorough it looks on paper.

Why a generic evacuation plan falls short for aged care

Two things make aged care different from most other Vulnerable Use occupancies:

• Resident mobility. Many residents can’t self-evacuate and need staff assistance, wheelchairs, or hydraulic lifting equipment to move at all. Evacuating a facility of 30 or more residents can take far longer than the time available once a fire is close.
• Staffing variability. Night shifts, weekends, and public holidays often run with a fraction of daytime staffing. A plan that only works with a full weekday roster isn’t a working plan, it’s a best-case scenario.

A properly developed BEP models realistic evacuation timeframes against your actual staffing roster and resident acuity, not an idealised version of either.

Common gaps in existing aged care bushfire plans

Plans written without bushfire-specific expertise tend to share the same weaknesses:

• Unrealistic evacuation destinations. Naming the nearest recreation centre or oval as an evacuation point without confirming it’s actually safe, accessible, and reachable in the time available.
• No pre-arranged transport. Assuming buses, ambulances, or community transport will be available on the day, without a signed agreement in place before bushfire season starts.
• Untested timing assumptions. Evacuation drills run under ideal conditions that don’t reflect how an actual event, at night or on a public holiday, would unfold.

What’s included in a professional BEP

A Bushfire Emergency Plan prepared by a BPAD-accredited assessor typically includes:

1. Site and building assessment: construction type, fire separation between compartments, and vegetation and topography surrounding the site.
2. Evacuation timing modelling: how long it would realistically take to move residents, by mobility level and staffing scenario.
3. Trigger point definitions: clear, specific conditions for when to initiate evacuation versus shelter-in-place.
4. Transport and resourcing arrangements: confirmed agreements with transport providers, not assumptions.
5. Evacuation diagram: a site-specific diagram of exits, assembly areas, and access points.
6. Staff roles and communication protocols: clear responsibilities for each shift and staffing level, including reduced night-shift scenarios.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does every aged care facility in WA need a BEP?

Aged care facilities classified as Vulnerable Use under SPP 3.7 require a BEP, generally where the facility is within a designated bushfire prone area. Facility owners and operators should confirm their specific obligations against their planning approval and site location.

Who is allowed to write a Bushfire Emergency Plan?

Only an assessor accredited under the BPAD (Bushfire Planning and Design) scheme can prepare and certify a BEP that meets SPP 3.7 requirements.

What’s the difference between a BEP and a BMP?

A Bushfire Management Plan (BMP) addresses physical site risk reduction, water supply, access, and vegetation management. A Bushfire Emergency Plan (BEP) addresses occupant safety and emergency response procedures. Aged care facilities generally need both.

How long does it take to get a BEP prepared?

Timeframes depend on the size and complexity of the facility, but engaging an accredited assessor early, well before a development application deadline or bushfire season, gives the most flexibility.

Do existing aged care facilities need to update an old BEP?

Facilities operating under an outdated or non-accredited plan should have it reviewed, particularly if staffing, building layout, or surrounding vegetation has changed since it was last assessed.

Get a compliant BEP for your facility

EcoForm’s BPAD-accredited consultants prepare Bushfire Emergency Plans and Bushfire Management Plans for aged care facilities, schools, and childcare centres across WA, including remote and regional sites with genuinely limited evacuation options. Explore our bushfire consulting services or get in touch to talk through what’s involved for your facility.