Occurrence books for all!

[gj41]

Well now we've reached the ultimate in paperwork - occurrence books for ALL CFS personnel, Here we are running critically short of firefighters (where have they gone - all running from paperwork probably) and now here we are filling out personal occurrence books. May be OK for IMT personnel, but a bit difficult on the fireground where the OC of an appliance, which will probably be short-crewed due to the afore-mentioned personnel shortage, may well be actively involved in combatting an incident in addition to holding GRN radio in one hand and VHF radio in the other hand. Makes you wonder what the OC is going to write with.
If he or she does not fill out the occurrence book, will he be charged with breaching FESA regulations, as has already been threatened against volunteers who have stated that they are unable to keep a log as well as run an incident?
You really have to wonder if someone gets paid for ideas like this. If so, it's time to leave - both the ideas person and a lot of volunteers.

[mack]

where did you get this from mate?


are you talking about red occurence books being issued to all? or just the little notebooks?

[RescueHazmat]

If this is true.. - I have no problem with doing the appropriate paperwork after the incident, or the neccessary stuff during (eg, noting Red Flags etc).. But in alot of the *initial* arrival cases, it is never possible to have the pad in one hand, and run the first hour of the job with the other..  - Like you said, different if involved in IMT, and in a planning/logistics or IC role where your not on the frontline.. But I agree, sometimes it really makes you wonder who makes some decisions.


Mack, the red occurance books you mentioned, are *all* vollies meant to get these?

[mack]

Mack, the red occurance books you mentioned, are *all* vollies meant to get these?

i dont think any are... maybe IMTs and station logs. im interrested to hear which kind of books we are talking about.

[RescueHazmat]

Likewise.. - Would be interested to know the source of he info above..

[Crank]

Seen something in the latest vollie mag.  only glanced at it so not sure what the full story is.

[mack]

Seen something in the latest vollie mag.  only glanced at it so not sure what the full story is.

hmmm just had a gander at that.... the impression i get from that is for it to be used as a station log book...

[uniden]

gj41 you need to get your facts straight. No one is suggesting that personnel at a job need to write down everything you do as you do it that is ridiculous.

[gj41]

The Volunteer Dec 2007 p 15 - "All CFS personnel are required to use a CFS Occurrence Book to record important issues, discussion and decisions during incidents".
Just to add insult to injury "Books are available to purchase via Regional Offices."
From the photo, looks like they have a hard cover too. Ouch - that's going to hurt if they .......

[SA FIREFIGHTER]

You should always make your own notes at incidents, no matter how miner, Trust me should it turn to sh!t , Don't always rely on radio operator or the person in charge cos they will be too busy to remember later or even recorded it..... If you gave wallet to Police Officer Bobby at 14.20, make a note .Date ,time, Incident no, Name, Location, any Details... Remember someone at the scene last seen you with that wallet !!

[rescue5271]

What a filtered joke,these books cost CFS $50 each and they want us to buy them Yes people you have to buy them from the regional office at a cost...I spoke to the VFBA rep here and he did not know about these books till i spoke to him about them...I agree these books are great for IMT but for every day firefighting come on now where are turning into the good old USA......They want us to have tem well give them to us free do the paid staff have to pay for them??( I am not having ago at staff)

[mack]

lol you guys are ridiculous.... 

[Zippy]

I believe these occurance books might not been intended for each individual member of the CFS, rather just a single one for appliances.  My thoughts on this is that this is a gap-bridging method to record information during the time no one is on the radio on ur Incident talkgroup.  simply because of no resource tracking occuring at Region talkgroup level.

in short terms...this highlights we're gonna be on our own in appliances sometimes, with urgent messages having to be sent on region talkgroups anyway. To my understanding this is how MFS operate anyway...with 150 being used for urgent messages during incidents and/or allocated talkgroups.

[chook]

We have occurrence books - they are the station log thats it. We all carry note books for the "gave wallet to PC Blah, found body located at****told the team leader & we did ***"
Our occurrence books are Orange hard cover, note books - well you guess it orange.
cheers

[6739264]

Whats wrong with having a Station Occurrence book, and personal notebooks?

[mack]

Whats wrong with having a Station Occurrence book, and personal notebooks?

exactly...

[chook]

Exactly - we don't have problems with it
it sounds like someone has got the wrong end of the stick.

[Zippy]

The gap is when there is no Station/Group Base open.

[mack]

The gap is when there is no Station/Group Base open.

that is where the personal notebook would come in Zippy, or if its important, adelaide fire on the regional.

[6739264]

There is no gap.

Initial incident details go in the station occurrence book, then whoever is doing comms *should* be taking notes, while on the incident ground any details you find personally important go in the notebook...

[rescue5271]

My understanding of these book's is to record what you as a firefighter/officer do/see/say at a Job I am sure in time we will have some form of memo saying what these books are for.Each station should have a radio log/occurrence book and most firefighters have the little note book that is given to members.More paperwork next i guess we will see video recorders in appliances ........

[alphaone]

I believe these occurance books might not been intended for each individual member of the CFS, rather just a single one for appliances.  My thoughts on this is that this is a gap-bridging method to record information during the time no one is on the radio on ur Incident talkgroup.  simply because of no resource tracking occuring at Region talkgroup level.

in short terms...this highlights we're gonna be on our own in appliances sometimes, with urgent messages having to be sent on region talkgroups anyway. To my understanding this is how MFS operate anyway...with 150 being used for urgent messages during incidents and/or allocated talkgroups.

You should always endever to have someone in your radio room doing comms from the inital point of the incident to log everything that is pertinent and also to answer the phone when senior members of the brigade, ie. lieutenants, captain, or senior ff's may ring in to get an update on their way to the station. Even if that means rolling with four on the truck and leaving the fifth member back at the station, or rolling with five and leaving the sixth behind. You should always have someone there to record stuff, cause, heaven forbid, if the appliance is involved in an accident on the way to a job, you will want it loged in the station book, and who ever is at the station can organise more crew, AND respond the next appropriate brigade.

[pumprescue]

I will be making sure I have my trucks manned before I worry about leaving a radio operator behind, after all, we are a fire service not a Ham radio operation. Then, and only then will I even look at leaving a radio operator, I would rather have all my trucks out to a job than leave one behind. I wish we were like the CFA, they don't even have a radio in the station, its all done through VICFIRE. Nothing annoys me more than Group Officers and Captains that get hung up on "you MUST man the radio" even if it means the 2nd appliance can't respond "sorry mr coroner, but we couldn't respond the 2nd pump that was 50 mtrs up the road as the captain said we MUST man the radio" give me a break !!

All this would be coming about due to the Wangary enquiry, there was to much he said she said, and nothing to back it up. We carry a copy of the new book on our trucks, and we write details in the book we deem important for future referance, we may never use it, but its there, and we may not write in it there and then, but it gets written in and time and date is entered and you sign it. I think someone has got the wrong end of the stick about each person having one, can you imagine, "boots, pants, jacket, helmet, gloves, oh, and occurance book" haha, thats funny.

[Robert-Robert34]

My understanding of these book's is to record what you as a firefighter/officer do/see/say at a Job I am sure in time we will have some form of memo saying what these books are for.Each station should have a radio log]occurrence book and most firefighters have the little note book that is given to members.More paperwork next i guess we will see video recorders in appliances ........

If each station must have a radio log/occurence book it should also have a base radio as well

[mengcfs]

Occurance books have been around forever. There is no change to the use of them, just change to the style/layout of the book(as stated in the latest edition of the Volunteer). Every firefighter should have minimum a small pocket note book. More formally for Officers and paid staff an occurance book is used. The book is not to log incident details but more so if a problem arises at an incident is is written in the occurance book after. This should also be logged in the station occurance book with details of the initial job responded to and any additional info.