Interstate deployments

[Bagyassfirey]

well the deployment leaving today was meant be 100 but got cut to 50 for some reason

[Zippy]

I believe they woulda planned Saturday on Thursday or Friday.   Gotta feeling they are talking about Tuesday.

[BlackDog]

People who worry about looking professional..... ain't.

[RescueHazmat]

Bill, maybe someone just doesn't want you to have it?.. Any member can have the uniform for brigade/official events.. I know a few members in my brigade who have.

[whiteknight]

well the deployment leaving today was meant be 100 but got cut to 50 for some reason

....like only 50 SACFS people were needed!

[Pixie]

People who worry about looking professional..... ain't.

sorry, but i quite disagree with your statement on numerous levels!

what is the problem with trying to look professional when you are part of a service which is quite often portrayed as "just volunteers", where quite often members show up at incidents in private vehicles wearing a mishmash of blue, bottle green, yellow, faded/dirty yellows, and PBI gold.and i am not even going to mention the various logo's! And to attempt to portray an image that in the SACFS we ARE volunteers PROFESSIONALLY protecting the community.

I take pride in the training i have done and in the fact that i am an active firefighter within the SACFS and am quite proud to wear their logo/star when i am representing them. and think it is a wonderful idea for members to be able to appear much more unified and professional. (and look like "real" firefighters in the public eye)

With views like yours, it is quite easy to see why we have brigades responding with 20yr old appliances, and inadequate equipment.

Bring on a common uniform for SACFS firefighters i say! Although make it navy blue, leave the bottle green for the paid staff...

[firegun]

i agree with you Pixie,
It is time we put on a professional front when we represent the CFS.
There was a pager message a few days ago about a brigade attending a meeting and the members were asked to wear their tshirts etc., thats what we need to do, put on a united front to the public.

If we are serious in having the public see us as professionals the least we need is a t/polo shirt that we can wear to meetings/ deployments etc.

Most brigade/ group budgets should be able to accommodate a plan to outfit ALL volunteers with these over a 2 or 3 year time frame. The style and colour well thats a whole different subject.

And when we send units on deployments, lets send our best, ie duel cabs with the "bells and whistles" not the 10+ year old units with crews having to spend many hours on the back while they are there.
I am sure there is by now enough in the state to send without depleting our responce to incidents within SA  :-D

[Zippy]

Remembering the verocity of the actual saturday nights fire's in victoria...it would be very worthwhile to send as many appliances that have the latest safety features to victoria.   Eg Halo systems.


Meanwhile here is the CFA Chief Officer's message to the rest of the CFA.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HH6rFt5KDQY

[Baxter]

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news  :cry: but

CFS: SIG INC: FYI: CONFIRMATION FROM VIC - NO FURTHER REQUEST FOR DEPLOYMENT TODAY. TELECONFERENCE NOT REQUIRED - DSC EDEN > 14/02/2009 16:21:48 PM

It looks like we can only discuss what could of been or may of been and provide our own analysis of Victorian fire including the CFS involvement

[chook]

I know you are speaking from a CFS point of view, missed out on helping your fellow fire fighters.
But this is very good news - its about time the Victorians took back their own state. It will help repair their very damaged Karma among the emergency services (those who have been involved in major traumatic events will know what I'm talking about!).
Now is far to early & the memories far to fresh to have a proper debate about what should of, what shouldn't have happened. And the why's & why nots of the whole response.
Just remember this - the last major fire disaster of this scale, the Victorians lost fire fighters as well as civilians. This time it didn't happen. So well done to the CFA,MMFB,VicSES & the other services involved, a very couragous effort against impossible odds!
By the way NSW crews are returning from Beechworth I think today & the Tasmanians tomorrow, and members of my dads family made it through :-) As I said previously hopefully lessons will be learnt & we never have to witness such a horrific event again.
cheers

[Baxter]

Good to hear that you dad's family made it through I am still awaiting to hear from school friends that I new when I went to College in Vic.

I was in Victoria at the time of those fires it proved to be good learning experience for me at young age

[chook]

Hopefully you will get some good news soon mate

[BlackDog]

sorry, but i quite disagree with your statement on numerous levels!

Pixie.

Professionalism is being concerned primarily about results.

Amateurs can afford to come back next weekend, and argue that it's all about how you feel and how you "play the game".

Pros know that if you don't get it right, you don't pout food on the table. Or, in our case, people die and property is destroyed.

We have limited resources and limted budgets.
This means that every $$ put into a less-productive area is a $$ taken from a more profitable area..... and our "profit" is life and property.

If you're professional in your attitude, you'll judge all expenditure by that criteria. What does it contribute to "life and property".

That's the bottom line....

Dog.

[Alan J]

I take pride in the training i have done and in the fact that i am an active firefighter within the SACFS and am quite proud to wear their logo/star when i am representing them. and think it is a wonderful idea for members to be able to appear much more unified and professional. (and look like "real" firefighters in t :wink:he public eye)

With views like yours, it is quite easy to see why we have brigades responding with 20yr old appliances, and inadequate equipment.

Bring on a common uniform for SACFS firefighters i say! Although make it navy blue, leave the bottle green for the paid staff...

G'day Pixie !!

As a proudly well-trained fire-fighter, I guess you weren't one of the crews "mopping
up" from the rear deck the other day then. Or blacking out under a burning tree sans
helmet. (shakes head sadly)   :lol:

Have to agree with the Dog on this one. There's a world of difference between being
professional & looking uniform.  Also that if $$ are taken from our limited (and
reducing) budget for PR photo opportunity clothing, that money is NOT available
to replace 20 year-old appliances & inadequate equipment. 

Having written that, I note that most of the near-Adelaide equipment is far better than
many of our interstate bretheren and sisteren can afford. Even on our 2 nearly 20 year
old appliances. Possibly due to their budget expenditure on uniforms?  I think I'd
still rather have new appliances than go head-to-head in a dress-up contest with RFS or
CFA.  If that makes me some sort of Philistine, I cheerfully plead guilty. (I'm ctually
a Queenslander, but I understand that some people can't tell the difference.  :-D ) 

Funny thing - there was an article about this in Careers in the paper today.  er.. yesterday. SA & NT are the 2 states where dress is considered to have least bearing on
performance.  I agree.  I'm pretty sure a common uniform wouldn't make me think any
clearer inside my CFS hat, nor make fires any more "out".  (Caffeine would help, but I
understand it is not a recommended drug for fluids management.)

Despite our rag-tag appearance, the public usually seem pleased enough to see us
whatever we are wearing.  The dope-growing crowd are a notable exception, but I suspect
their displeasure would be unchanged even if we were attired in spiffy matching garb.

The other thing on which I must take issue with you is the colour.  While blue is
definitely my colour, the pre-occupation with dark shades in our climate leaves me
baffled. They absorb much too much heat from the sun & air.  I strongly commend a sky-
blue shirt (at darkest), or even a light khaki. King Gee do a very cool & comfortable
work shirt that is even presentable at the office.

warm regards   :wink:
 

[Zippy]

most brigade specific clothing is out of the firefighters expense is it not.   Im pretty sure a HEAP of people would be prepared to invest in a clothing kit (not PPE kit) using there own earned cash.   Its partially related to Pride in the Service.

Theres ways that Experienced (10+ years members) have pride in the CFS....This is merely 1-9 Year members attempting to put in a bit of there own kind of pride :)

Proud to be part of the Fire service?  Look the part In and Out of the Yellow/Golds, and the public who view you might observe the pride :) and talk to you about it..and you might have a recruitment opputunity! :D

Theres certain things im prepared to buy for myself/safety for my involvement in the CFS...eg Boots, Torchs, Kit bags, etc. (needed an upgrade of boots particularly since my cfs given ones had very bad ankle/shin protection.)

[BlackDog]

Esprit de Corps is a legit consideration.......

But it's best based on performance, not appearance.

... and given THIS article.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25056637-5006301,00.html

MORE than 300 people would die in the first hour of a major bushfire in the Adelaide Hills, secret modelling by the CFS and State Government has forecast.

I don't think you'll be claiming that the fire-management budget is overflowing with excess cash.

Priorities, people, what are your priorities.....?

Dog.

[Zippy]

In the situation of the "Major bushfire scenario" in adelaide hills.  You'd hope we're professionally training to be always ready to use whats taught in Suppress Wildfire...

I think it would be nice for all Firefighters to get BF1 done within 6 months of joining, and "BF2" aka Suppress Wildfire completed within 24 months.

I quote Mr Kiessling, We're gonna have to use Structural Triage...and those who havent done Suppress Wildfire probably wont even know what that is.  Unless of course those who have tried to learn the concepts without doing the weekend of training  :wink:.


Esprit de Corps is good to have :)  We're a statewide organisation, just like MFS...it would just be nice if we could all have the same look as firefighters out of our Yellows.

[misterteddy]

pager requests are out....it's on again Tues-Saturday  :lol:

[Bagyassfirey]

na its ok the yanks have turned up now.....they will save the day  :-D

[chook]

Just out of interest, saw soom vision of the NSW deployment coming into Sydney airport - guess what they were dress in yellows (well the RFS people anyway others were in which ever their service wears) they looked professional to me! Even the ones wear jeans instead of yellow pants.
Just thought you would be interested :wink:

[Bagyassfirey]

gr8 PR for the RFS thats bout it...bythe way where did they get the clean PPC?????

[mattb]

No one on my deployment wore yellows on the plane on the way there or back.

I must admit that the CFA do present themselves very well in their blues, it does give a very professional appearance. Not sure that we should be taking our precious funding away from more important things for it though.

If people want to purchase their own greens there is nothing stopping you, I grabbed a few things from Stewart and Heaton recently with no questions asked.

[misterteddy]

welcome back Matt.....trust u found the time enjoyable  :lol:

[rescue5271]

Welcome back Matt, talking to some of our crews that came back over the weekend and they where saying that those that go to victoria are well looked after with food,food and a nice motel room to sleep in part of their job was to listen to what the locals where saying or just to sit and talk to them..GREAT PR....There have been a few small issues and that is why they are/ may still be looking at sending over strike teams from region's but as we all know that changes each day.... Region 5 is sending out crew of 8 on Tuesday,Our guys where saying that each CFS crew had a MFS firefighter on it and they worked well the only thing they felt sorry for the MFS guys was that they had PBI bunker pants on time they got level one PPE. Where our crews are working is very step and its hard to work in this area with the PBI on....

I agree CFA do present them self's well with there blue uniform and its very cheap to buy, If people are able to but the green one direct good on them but CFS H/Q did make it clear that suppliers should not be selling direct to brigade members unless it was on the correct paperwork from the group or regional office....I think you can work out why I am saying that and no its not to stop me or any other member buying the uniform.....

[BlackDog]

Esprit de Corps is good to have :)  We're a statewide organisation, just like MFS...it would just be nice if we could all have the same look as firefighters out of our Yellows.

It'd be nice if we had no fires...

Comfort yourself with the thought that when the public thinks of firefighters, they don't think of people dressed in blue, green, khaki, or anything but our working gear.

No need to keep up with the Jones'

Back on topic.
The people that I know who went seem to be saying pretty consistently that they were well looked after. Also had dealer's mechs there to check over trucks and a fair stock of the minor spare parts such as light lenses, so that trucks went out each day (and home) in the same condition in which they arrived.