CFS job advert

[bajdas]

Noticed in today's Advertiser (14/06/2008 on page 19 of Career liftout) that CFS have an job opportunity "State Training Officer - Rural Firefighting". See www.vacancies.sa.gov.au

Would many be applying for this job do you think ??

[Zippy]

they must be building a team of rural STO's, sounds like it

[bittenyakka]

I would guess that it is that the current STO system is working well so they have decided to get some more but that is just a guess

[6739264]

Grouse, more focus away from Urban firefighting.

3 cheers for the SA Bushfire Service.

[Zippy]

Now that would be the day where everyone drops there jaws:  "Urban Firefighting STO"

[6739264]

I'll settle for "Person with common sense and intelligence"

If I see that in the CFS, then consider my jaw dropped.

[chook]

At least you guys have got money for more STO's so consider yourselves lucky (hopefully you will get someone with common sense numbers).
We lost ours!
Cheers

[6739264]

Bah, don't worry chook, TAFESA still do chainsaw operators courses! All is not lost

[chook]

I'm not worried at all Numbers - in two months I will be hanging the orange overalls up for good(or maybe swapping them for white ones ).
What you guys should be concerned about are the latest thoughts expressed in the latest Comment (SAFECOM Newsletter).
They are currently working on RCR training, however once that is fixed what's next?
Possile future - Emergency Services 2012
RCR - Trained by SAMFS
Structural Fire - Trained by SAMFS
Specialist rescue - Trained by SAMFS except for rescue types that SAMFS  members don't normally do Trained by SASES
HAZMAT - trained by SAMFS
Wild fire/rural type fires - Trained by CFS
Flood Storm - Trained by SASES
Need I go on?
As I said above personally I don't really care as I won't be living here, so the above has no real impact.
Remember this also currently there is about 90 rescue teams looking after 250,000 people outside of the greater Metro Adelaide area & about 16 "heavy" resources for 1.2 million people!
And how many of those teams are competent/current (as far as training goes).
From a pure economic point of view this is not sustainable in its current form (check out whats happening with our hospitals for example).
So while the two vollie services are busy waisting time talking about crap (Who got paged to what etc), David Place & SAFECOM are quietly engineering a new era in emergency service provision. So you can sling the old sarcastic comments about SES & Chainsaws Numbers, but remember this - parts of the state currently are struggling to provide fire/ rescue response & there are huge black holes where there isn't adequate response at all, so if we don't have the STO's to supervise the training until SAFECOM soughts it out - whats going to happen to our customers?
The above are personal observations only.
cheers

[Cameron Yelland]

I would guess that it is that the current STO system is working well so they have decided to get some more but that is just a guess

One of the original 4 has left...the job is merely filling in his position.  So there is still only 4 STO's

[rescue5271]

Has he left or is he on sick leave??? Nice job for anyone that is willing to travel and see the state...

[SA Firey]

Noticed in today's Advertiser (14/06/2008 on page 19 of Career liftout) that CFS have an job opportunity "State Training Officer - Rural Firefighting". See www.vacancies.sa.gov.au

Would many be applying for this job do you think ??

You forgot that they are advertising for a Regional Commander for Region 3 also

[rescue5271]

Yes they are Jeff but the money is not that good here in SA when you look at what they get interstate..

[6739264]

I'm not worried at all Numbers - in two months I will be hanging the orange overalls up for good(or maybe swapping them for white ones ).
What you guys should be concerned about are the latest thoughts expressed in the latest Comment (SAFECOM Newsletter).
They are currently working on RCR training, however once that is fixed what's next?
Possile future - Emergency Services 2012
RCR - Trained by SAMFS
Structural Fire - Trained by SAMFS
Specialist rescue - Trained by SAMFS except for rescue types that SAMFS  members don't normally do Trained by SASES
HAZMAT - trained by SAMFS
Wild fire/rural type fires - Trained by CFS
Flood Storm - Trained by SASES
Need I go on?

You? VRA? Good god man! Watchout, the VRA are folding like paper in an origami school.

I don't see an issue with the above training regime. The services that do 'X' skill the most, train it. Hell the three services will have the same name so it wont matter in all reality.

[bajdas]

I'm not worried at all Numbers - in two months I will be hanging the orange overalls up for good(or maybe swapping them for white ones ).
What you guys should be concerned about are the latest thoughts expressed in the latest Comment (SAFECOM Newsletter).
They are currently working on RCR training, however once that is fixed what's next?
Possile future - Emergency Services 2012
RCR - Trained by SAMFS
Structural Fire - Trained by SAMFS
Specialist rescue - Trained by SAMFS except for rescue types that SAMFS  members don't normally do Trained by SASES
HAZMAT - trained by SAMFS
Wild fire/rural type fires - Trained by CFS
Flood Storm - Trained by SASES
Need I go on?

...
I don't see an issue with the above training regime. The services that do 'X' skill the most, train it. filtered the three services will have the same name so it wont matter in all reality.

It will be interesting the debates that will be happening on which organisation has the most expertise to control the delivery of Road Crash, HAZMAT, etc that are currently delivered by multiple agencies.

Someone is going to lose so they will be upset...some staff title changes have already happened so they are seperate to training.

I wonder if cost will be factored if MFS paid staff do majority... 

[chook]

I did say maybe
And yes you are right it doesn't matter in theory - but how is it going to be delivered in practice?
Will say SAMFS accept vollie trainers?
Would SAMFS be happy to be trained by vollies?
And there won't be one service that has been made very clear!
Andrew what titles have changed?
Out of interest SES have sent out a survey to accredited trainers about how we view the current system (mainly to do with career development)as you can guess I submitted my views in a rather candid manner
So back on topic for those of you who are remaining in one of the 3 services, my suggestion is to start to look at how training is going to be delivered in the future & to make sure it will actually work not just be a desk top exercise in micro managing by SAFECOM. Remember there is more than the greater metro area to think about - or is there?
cheers

[bittenyakka]

Err would vollies be happy to train paid MFS? I can't see that working

a) vollies tend to run courses on weekends so that they can make it, will MFS be willing to go to training sessions on the weekend (assuming that it isn;t within a shift?)

b) one reason people "give" their time to run and lead courses is because they understand that the students are giving up time for the community to and when they are paid it is very diffrent.

[chook]

Exactly - my understanding is the trainers will in some areas still be vollies, so will they have to attend training "workshops"/courses during the week?
I agree with all of your comments mate, as I said this is something that all vollies need to keep a close eye on & make sure that any changes fit their respective organisations & its members.
Otherwise you will have a system that won't work and it will cost too much to undo (in money & reputation). Our respective services need to remember that people are our most important asset - once trained & competent that is & anything that adversly impacts volunteers will impact the communitees we all serve. Anyway I think I have said enough (some would say more than enough  )
cheers

[6739264]

Wouldn't the easiest way to avoid this be to have all of us under the one organisation, yet run all course on weekends? Or, as they do now, have a selection of some during midweek periods. Having the three services together will increase the pool of trainers avaiable to teach courses.

[firefighter_sa]

Hi there

but the money is not that good here in SA when you look at what they get interstate..

Its been mentioned further up in the post - lack of $$$$'s....

I see the teachers are on strike tomorrow (Tuesday)and with the figures the quoted in the paper last week - and the CFS pays more than 10k less.....

Your right the CFS Staff would be the most poorly paid fire service in Australia - and credit is due to some of the staff, they work long & hard for peanuts.....

My views

Wayne

[jaff]

Re strike action: It may just be my narrow take on the world ,but would you find it a quandry to be paid staff,if you were contemplating strike action ,for very real reasons  ,pay /hours when a lot of the work you do is somewhat duplicated, by volunteers, who you might feel disloyal too by asking for greater renumeration, when they get none and pay a large price, pay/family time for it .
Let me say right off that I feel that the staff of our emergency services SES,CFS are paid poorly, in a lot of cases its their love of the organisations/services that keeps them there, maybe Im completely wrong!

Cheers Jaff

[uniden]

There will be a stack of applications for the CFS job as there is a for all CFS positions. Not a bad gig if u can get it. Some of the CFA paid positions the salary includes super and you dont get a car so the guys/girls in SA are on a pretty good wicket if you ask me.

[chook]

1 I would like to know what is a good wicket?
2 I agree that some payed staff work their tails off for not much reward & yet others are just filling in the days.
And if you think that is harsh try the private sector.
cheers

[Alan J]

1 I would like to know what is a good wicket?
2 I agree that some payed staff work their tails off for not much reward & yet others are just filling in the days.
And if you think that is harsh try the private sector.
cheers

Been there. Done that. In some ways, life is easier in the private sector - just have to make a buck. In the public sector you also have to make the Minister look good.  That's easier to do with some ministers than others....