cfs volunteers

[dogfencerider]

Your right rescue5271 about the point of the summer issues that we could be facing and the need to be prepared. Didn't Euen have an idea and called it Sherpa. How much do we know about Sherpa besides the dot points that are available from VFBA website. Maybe we need to look at the flexibility of service and the types of service that are delivered from brigades and seas units.

Maybe the idea of the Salisbury reserve unit needs to be expanded upon. I think some brigade maybe more useful as brigades that gets deployed elsewhere. Where the dollar matter we need to look at the standards of fire cover and brigade classification along with membership types as some brigade might have members that can more dedicated than others. i.e. those that want to attend everything and those that want to be a part of the brigade look after the local properties.

I personally believe that it the type of service we wants needs to be debated here before we go down the paid or not paid line or is the VFBA a clawless tiger or not.

[bittenyakka]

well first we need to come up with "EXACTLY" what we want.

[Pipster]

How many incidents were attended last year pip? ..

I only have the figures for the 2005-06 year, and there were 13597 responses (which is different to the number of incidents)   Currently, I don't have the figures for the number of actual incidents attended.

Pip

[RescueHazmat]

What is classified under a "response" ?

[rescue5271]

It is great tahe Euan has come up with these ideas I along with 89 other members from teh southeast did a meeting here and he gave the talk the media took hold of it and that was that..We need to push for this to happen if the public in the big smike want to help then how much longer do we have to wait to see it up and running??? If we are going to publicly say that we are looking at a CFS resverve force then we better start getting it up and running or else it will only be a band aid on a ship that has a few holes... I know Euan is busy but time to get the ball rolling before we loose those ex members who are in the city and want to help...

[chook]

I have a feeling things are moving in a whole lot of areas. Have you guys seen the letter from the minister yet? If you haven't you will it was addressed directly to all unit managers/Deputy UM's & brigade captains (or maybe Group Officers)but was to be circulated to everyone. Basically it thanks all vollies for there efforts, mentions David Place's new position(nice to find that out in the media first),mentions the two year review, touchs on the up comming fire season, hints at some changes that will improve things for vollies & their employers which we will know about before the end of the year & finally (which I found a bit strange & when I told my guys they laughed) that even though there is a chain of command - you can always talk to her or her assistant directly. So taking all of that into account & the fact that this years SES UM's conference is a two day open forum (with trade show), instead of the usual stage managed affair (which we are being very strongly encouraged to attend). Plus some other meetings I've been to recently, hints at a major change coming. I'm not sure what that change/ changes will be but I reckon you will see your Adelaide based strike teams, but as you said they need to be happening soon. And this year for the first time the local CFS guys & us are already having discussions around what type of support we can provide (& no not catering ), which in the past didn't happen until we were needed (we provide boats, flotation pumps etc). So I guess its watch this space and hope that the wheels of bureaucracy don't turn too slow. Cheers

[Pipster]

Why are we getting all this in a letter from the Minister?  Surely, much of the info you allude to is Operational stuff, which the Minister should not be fiddling in on a daily basis......

Pip

[Pipster]

What is classified under a "response" ?

A response is counted when a brigade is called to an incident, and responds... it may include a stop call.

So for one incident there can be two or more responses (eg two or more brigades responded)

Pip

[RescueHazmat]

Roger, ta.

[chook]

Not sure, and you are right surely info should come down through the chain. Three points that concerned me was first that we find out about the the changes to the head of SAFECOM (who after all is/was our CEO)thru the media & then get told that the position is infact two positions - Why the change? & why was there two positions before? Second there is of course no details, just hints of change, Surely the head of SAFECOM & the CEO's should be talking about this stuff? Or is this because the review will highlight changes are needed & she is just for shadowing this? And third what was you can always talk to me stuff? Does she think shes not getting the full picture? Doesn't she think that the Associations represent the true feelings of the grass root vollies? Or is she just trying to be caring & sharing? When I got to that part of the letter with my guys, I told them it was their democratic right to talk to any elected official, however be very careful what you say as pollies have a horrible habit of turning stuff to suit their own agenda & you might not get the result you are looking forward (before I took over the unit we had a guy who wrote to the minister about his concerns & her reply was terse basically it was being dealt with by the service and she could not interfere - he didn't get what he wanted and is no longer in the unit) so writing to the minister may not be a good idea. So I don't know Pipster, it just weird that it came direct from her office to the unit mail box and not through State HQ & the regional office (Attorneys Generals envelope & all) & both my deputy & I got one so as I said its strange. Hopefully you guys will get to see it soon and I will look forward to your thoughts & comments cheers

[mack]

first that we find out about the the changes to the head of SAFECOM (who after all is/was our CEO)thru the media & then get told that the position is infact two positions - Why the change?

which two positions are we talking about?

commisioner... and?
or are we mainly talking SES stuff here...

[mack]

(stupid question i know)

[Darius]

you're quite right chook about being careful what you ask for (by the way, can you write in paragraphs? your contributions are very hard to read). It can pay off and has done in some cases I can think of but well frankly I wouldn't trust any pollie further than I can throw them.

I was having a chat to someone recently in a position to know such things and he said to me the minister is not necessarily getting involved in these lower level details that you wouldn't normally expect them to (I would expect the minister to set top level policy and funding etc decisions and leave the operational stuff to the CO and underlings) because she particularly wants to, but rather is covering her own arse against the opposition and media who try to catch her out.

[chook]

Sorry Darius,(wasn't meant to be that long ). And I think you have hit the nail on the Head.
The two positions were the Commisioner of Safecom & Chair of the board, not a major thing but when the act was written someone saw the need for two & now there isn't?
And I think you are right there has been a lot of bad publicity recently (Wangarry, Adelaide Hills SES, Seaford & CAD to name a few). As far as SESSA stuff goes we hadn't noticed David had gone .
Just when a pollie becomes all caring and sharing, her staff (our bosses) will try to please - which may be a good thing or maybe not. Just there feels like change is coming and quicker than some might think. cheers

[Zippy]

also something of real concern has been highlighted in the latest Hills Courier paper, regarding slow communications between the 3 comcens,  particularing SAAS talking to MFS. Eg.  SAAS get called at most 20mins before any fire or rescue is called.   

Also highlighting the *golden hour* with trauma patients in Road Crashes.

Ill post the articles soon when i have time to.

[AJ]

The letter talked about the appointment of David Place, Volunteer recognition, the coronial inquest and the review of the Act - Please Pip can you Explain how this is operational??? You really are very petty. When you dont get toild things you whinge and when  you do you whinge. Why cant you just be happy that for once someone is listening to us and communicating with us. There was NOTING operational in the letter. You might want to read a copy before you launch into your usual negative rubbish.

Why are we getting all this in a letter from the Minister?  Surely, much of the info you allude to is Operational stuff, which the Minister should not be fiddling in on a daily basis......

Pip

[Darius]

Ill post the articles soon when i have time to.

yes was a good article.  This is something that has been raised at regional level for yonks (in R1 at least) and is obviously being stalled somewhere higher than regional level.  Hopefully articles like this can cause the relevant public servants to extract their digits.

[Darius]

before you launch into your usual negative rubbish.

ah you again, so you're not just anti-VFBA but anti anything negative about the govt / minister.  I was in two minds whether you were a UFU-stooge or a ministers staff stooge, I think perhaps the latter (or maybe they are related).

[6739264]

So much UFU hate...

[AJ]

 I dont think it unreasonable for Pip to have read the letter before slagging it off. But then again, some people are so blinded by their bias that they would do so anyway. And I think its pathetic when CFS volunteers like myself get accused of being UFU hacks or government stooges every time we disagree with the tactics of people who just want to bag. Its pathetic.

before you launch into your usual negative rubbish.

ah you again, so you're not just anti-VFBA but anti anything negative about the govt / minister.  I was in two minds whether you were a UFU-stooge or a ministers staff stooge, I think perhaps the latter (or maybe they are related).

[Darius]

not cos of disagreeing but cos your only posts are like your one above in reply to Pip and cos of your VFBA antics on the sacfs yahoo group.

[Darius]

So much UFU hate...

not from me (I would like to see the VFBA get more like them in some ways).

[6739264]

So much UFU hate...

not from me (I would like to see the VFBA get more like them in some ways).

Especially in the 'Actually doing something' department.

[Pipster]

The letter talked about the appointment of David Place, Volunteer recognition, the coronial inquest and the review of the Act - Please Pip can you Explain how this is operational??? You really are very petty. When you dont get toild things you whinge and when  you do you whinge. Why cant you just be happy that for once someone is listening to us and communicating with us. There was NOTING operational in the letter. You might want to read a copy before you launch into your usual negative rubbish.

Why are we getting all this in a letter from the Minister?  Surely, much of the info you allude to is Operational stuff, which the Minister should not be fiddling in on a daily basis......

Pip

I was going on the information posted by someone else...which alluded to things that I would see as Operational.

As yet, I have not received a copy of the letter - even though I am in a position, that according to others, was meant to receive this letter.   

As far as I can see, info about the "Black Tuesday" Coronial will impact on the Operational side of things....and shouldn't be in the direct realm of a Minister (ever heard of separation of powers?)

A review of the Act can also impact greatly on Operational areas, depending upon what direction the review heads.  However, this may actually be something the Minister should actually be involved with....but I suspect there are other issues that are better dealt with through an Operational chain of command.

I am sorry that you feel it necessary to bag others on this forum for their views, if they differ from your own - rather than being able to discuss the differences in a sensible grown up way.

Pip

[chook]

Sorry Pip if I confused you (as someone pointed out I should use paragraphs).
The letter as is as described, at around the same time our service is (for the first time in years) having an open forum for unit managers. (change?)

To explain our service structure is very different to CFS, Unit Managers (controllers)are the senior vollies in the service. They have full control of their budgets, equipment & people.
Over the past few years payed staff have tried to bring some of this power back to them (regional commanders), currently though it hasn't worked. This change has caused a lot of pain in our service, especially among the old controllers who basically constructed the service in the first place. (change?)

At the same time training has changed, this has also caused pain. We (the vollies) would like to modify the training so we can get people on to trucks quicker, however when I have spoken to state trainers about this they say wait until the Wangarry fire inquiry is finished. (change?)

I think anyone who is in CFS/SES can see that the services are changing, new equipment, new ideas, more tasks, a less self reliant community & less people volunteering.
The challenges for us all are how are How are we going to provide a service that the community demands? After all they have paid for it. I think that this is where the minister is coming from (and as was said previously political). So I believe there is change coming & it may involve what this post was talking about (renumeration for service), but the danger is once you accept money for services rendered (in what ever form it is) then there are certain expectations (ask the retained guys).
 
And any change will be a bit of carrot and a bit of stick, if either of the associations try to take the carrot without the stick-lookout you will get hammered. So again Pip sorry for the confusion I was just trying to point out change is coming, so get ready! (I'm not a member of any union or political party just care for my community-cheers)