Farm/private units

[littlejohn]

The release last year of the SAFF/CFS farm fire unit guidelines were intended (?) to encourage better cooperation between CFS & farm units, and go some way to countering the SHQ order some years ago that there was to be no contact by CFS with these units (or so my GO tells me). Plus covering a few other issues such as safety etc etc.

Has anyone experienced a change in cooperation or tactics etc which work (or not!), or has it been business as usual (a continuation of your brigade/group's previous attitude to this, whatever that was!)?

(and by no means do I want to go down the path of the last private unit thread, so please stay away from that if possible!)

[mengcfs]

As with anything to do with farm/private units, i guess it is what works best for your area.
We held an info/brainstorming session in relation to the joint guidelines between CFS and farm/private units and the night proved to be most successful. Ideas were thrown around from both CFS and farmers and put on the board. At the end of the night a list of 'To do's' were produced so we can help each other.
Not nearly a few days later we attended a fire on a farm and low and behold all the ideas were put into action already. This included farmers who didn't have one, put in a UHF, farmers to put a pre determined ID on their tanks, CFS to issue T cards to farmers so we can keep track of them, and CFS trucks to make contact with farm units on scene to make a sort of strike team (1 CFS truck:2-3 private units).  All seems to be working well.
OK fingers sore now. The end.

[Pipster]

My area doesn't really have farm units, but I was working on an IMT in Coonalpyn, and the numerous farm units were calling in on the phone to the base, advising that they were out there, who was on their vehicle, and where they were - only thing is that we didn't have an IMT form to put it all down on!!

I was speaking to a few other people from a different area who have a different sort of system, in that farm units turn up at a call, and "attach" themselves to the appliance from their own area, and follow it around - they guys from that area seemed happy with the way that was working....

Pip

[5271rescue]

In our area we new get the private units to fill in a T CARD and we log them into the system that way. Private units must first report to the command car or to the first CFS appliance that arrives on the scene. They also call us at base and see if and where they are needed.

[JC]

From my experience while working at national sparks , farm units tend to just attach themselves to the trucks working in there area or sector, most are very handy as the local knowledge is good to have re. water/wind/tracks etc, but some wont give you the time of day and get quite annoyed when you come on to there property to try and help them.

[5271rescue]

little john it has not been released to the private units in this area yet as no one has but their hand up to do it????

[CaptCom]

We are trialling a magnet system which requires a registration of name and rego when the magnet is given out. The magnets are large white lettering on red to be displayed on the doors.

some other groups have successfully assigned a firey to go with the farm units (in a ute) and coordinate them...effectively giving them the focus on their activities and not the appliance.

We have not been able to get past the first step successfully ie getting them to use the magnets and then the rest eg call in and register and then be tasked...unfortunately, too often we see groups of farmer units sitting watching us do all the work.

It probably just needs a couple of farm units to lead the way... :evil:

[loopylou]

our group has issued all the farmers in the area a card that slips onto their sunvisor which is flipped down to show that they are logged on.

[wilma]

Pip Most brigades in are area have a log in sheet in the truck so that the privet unit calls on UHF25 says the name its marked off and put with the incident report as a lodged item

[Pipster]

Perhaps the IMT's need such a form....in some areas, they log in per phone with the Group base......   :-)

But at least somewhere, people are thinking along the right lines!!!   :-D

[littlejohn]

5271 rescue – what exactly do you mean 'it has not been released'?
The guidelines were released a while, & all SAFF  members received notification (but not a copy). Do you mean something else?

loopylou – do you mean the cards are issued to farmers, say at the start of the fire season (so maybe they have to sign up, so to speak) and the cards are kept by the farmer for the duration of the fire season?
Or do they log in at an incident?


Cooperation in this group seems the be rather non-existent. Despite the apparent directive some years ago, I can't help but feel more doesn't happen because it's of no interest to the GO & DGOs. 

Some good ideas here though. Thanks folks. Do keep posting if your group is doing something that does/does not work.

[wilma]

in a lot of areas this proses of farm units logging on has been in place for nearly 15 years or so I know are brigade holds a meeting with all the farm units before each season an changes are made when ever required

[5271rescue]

little john,SAFF has not  done any talks  with farmers as yet in our area and from what I was informned its still to be done  but no one is putting up their hand to get out there and talk to the farmers

[wilma]

5271rescue OK it really dose work well have used it in the harrogate are numerous times this year

[5271rescue]

I dont have a problem with private units as in most cases they out number CFS appliances on the fire ground and we need them just as much as they need us...

[wilma]

they are a must have for us as they quite often are telling us where the bombers should drop before we even get the more often than not they contain it faster with 5 of them and 4 of ours

[littlejohn]

Considering SAFF's poor/dwindling support in the region, I don't expect them to push it any harder than they have. Indeed, if they were going to, it would have happened by now.

[mengcfs]

We had President of the SAFF Jeff Klitscher at our Group's farm er meeting. He spoke very well on the collaboration between the CFS and SAFF.  I think his talk, along with the booklets that have been produced everyone got something out of it. This was evident in the brainstroming of what ideas could be used between farmers and CFS appliances. I am sure if you gave Jeff a call he would be more than happy to assist any Brigade or Group.

[loopylou]

5271 rescue – what exactly do you mean 'it has not been released'?
The guidelines were released a while, & all SAFF  members received notification (but not a copy). Do you mean something else?

loopylou – do you mean the cards are issued to farmers, say at the start of the fire season (so maybe they have to sign up, so to speak) and the cards are kept by the farmer for the duration of the fire season?
Or do they log in at an incident?


Cooperation in this group seems the be rather non-existent. Despite the apparent directive some years ago, I can't help but feel more doesn't happen because it's of no interest to the GO & DGOs. 

Some good ideas here though. Thanks folks. Do keep posting if your group is doing something that does/does not work.

A list of all the farm assets was compiled end of last year and all these units should have been issued a card to be kept in the unit from now until they rust into nothing. (which some are almost at now - hehe)

[CaptCom]

I'd have to say that the NEW booklets re farm fire fighting units are a waste of money...they are similar to our SOP's and Operational guidelines booklets...not something the farmers or any of us can read and understand quickly....we gave this feedback to the CO last week...

why can't they just use the KISS principle on this issue?  :?

[5271rescue]

Did you know that what is in the book is only half of the information,one of our local private units followed the website link and found around 50 pages that where not put into the book....

[CaptCom]

and they wonder why we have trouble getting them to do what we want...it surely can't be that hard to produce an A5 card back and front with what we need or even smaller that can sit in their sun visor or like??  :?

[SA Firey]

As I have found in the past if you try to inflict too much red tape on the farmers they will just not participate, however those that do know the drill and work well together with CFS units are a valuable resource.