Ensuring Reliability During NSW Extreme & Catastrophic Fire Conditions

Date: 26 November 2025

Introduction

When New South Wales faced one of its most dangerous fire weather days of the season, emergency services needed technology they could trust. On Wednesday, 26 November 2025, during state-wide Extreme and Catastrophic fire danger conditions, the ACTIV availability and response system — built on the BART platform — proved its strength under extraordinary pressure.

The Challenge

Throughout the day, severe thunderstorms and rapidly escalating fire activity hit multiple regions at once. Incident activations surged well beyond normal operating levels as NSW RFS crews responded to:

  • Widespread fire ignitions
  • Storm damage
  • Power outages
  • Fast-changing operational environments

For emergency responders to work safely and effectively, the technology behind their communication systems needed to perform flawlessly.

The Solution: ACTIV’s Proven Infrastructure

Despite the unprecedented volume of activity, ACTIV delivered continuous, stable performance. Backed by a resilient cloud architecture, real-time load management, and optimised data pathways, ACTIV ensured every notification and activation reached responders when it mattered most.

Performance Highlights
Exceptional Server Stability

Even during peak load, the ACTIV servers maintained ample capacity:

  • 43% average Database CPU usage
  • 37% average Web CPU usage

This headroom allowed the system to absorb surges effortlessly, with no slowdowns or service interruptions.

High-Volume Notification Delivery

On a single day, ACTIV successfully processed:

  • 200,000+ application push notifications
  • 250,000+ total notifications

Every alert was delivered in real time, enabling frontline crews to mobilise quickly and coordinate effectively during rapidly evolving conditions.

The Outcome

As emergency incidents spiked across the state, ACTIV remained a stable, reliable lifeline for responders. Firefighters received timely notifications, district officers maintained situational awareness, and brigades were able to respond confidently knowing their communication system was performing at its best.

No outages. No delays. No disruptions.
Just dependable performance when it mattered most.

Why It Matters

In high-risk environments, reliability isn’t a feature — it’s essential. This event demonstrates the ACTIV system’s ability to stay strong under pressure, scale without compromise, and deliver the real-time communication tools that emergency services rely on to protect communities.

BART isn’t just a system.
It’s a trusted partner in critical moments.