Reacreditation for RCR Training

[kat]

Any other CFS Brigades having trouble with operators out of competency period and no way to reacredit them

[rescue5271]

Hi All,we are in the same boat we where ment to do our reacredit last september but it was put off as we where only given a weeks notice to get the crew all in the one area at the one time and that was no good due to members woking shift work. So now we have to wait till after the fire season.

[kat]

Sounds like at least there's a plan afoot to reacredit you. We've been told that there are no more reacreds and that we have to handle it internally with a Brigade RCR trainer. Trouble is we have no idea how to do this. The SFEC printout no longer shows about 8 of our operators (including me) as qualified as we all recrdeited together 5 years ago. The printout comes with some handwritten full course dates as we are "under SFEC" in that area. I'm more interested in getting us all reacredited and then we'd meet SFEC easily. Scarily it was put to me that all those outside of the competency period would have to undertake the whold course again. I can't see that happening.  

[kat]

Chatted to a State Training Officer today who explained that a new process has needed to be developed as the old reacred (and skills maintenance package) was based on the old course. He's been getting around to Brigades (a long process) to deliver some one day update training. Apparently part of this is the Respond to Road Accident module in BFF1 so that's something we can access easily. A new skills maintenance process should be in place soon.

[rescue5271]

WE HAVE TODAY SENT THE REGION 4 DATES THAT THE BRIGADE WILL BE ABLE TO DO THERE UPSKILLS ON RCR,WE HAVE ASKED THEM TO GIVE US A MONTHS NOTICE DUE TO THE TIME OF YEAR FOR OUR MEMBERS WHO WORK ON THE LAND. SO WE WILL SEE IF WE DO IT THIS YEAR.

[rescue5271]

At last naracoorte and lucindale have  done their RCR up skill and it was a really good day most of what we did was old skills that needed to be up graded but at was a very good look into new cars with air bags and all in all a very good day and thanks must go to corrie and stoney...

[Sam]

Hi All,

Are there any brigades having trouble getting members into RCR courses at Brukunga? Our brigade is at our level but still struggle for crew some times, but when can always crew nearly two trucks with non rcr guys?
I think the re-accred must be done after you obtain a book for every rcr trained member, then it takes "AGES" to get everyone through.

Puts a lot of pressure on your briagade training resources.

[rescue5271]

If you haev ya level of trainned RCR members you will not get any new ones on the course unless you really need to train more. We did the upskills training and still dont have our books that we are ment to get ticked off on......

[strikeathird]

Sounds like at least there's a plan afoot to reacredit you. We've been told that there are no more reacreds and that we have to handle it internally with a Brigade RCR trainer. Trouble is we have no idea how to do this. The SFEC printout no longer shows about 8 of our operators (including me) as qualified as we all recrdeited together 5 years ago. The printout comes with some handwritten full course dates as we are "under SFEC" in that area. I'm more interested in getting us all reacredited and then we'd meet SFEC easily. Scarily it was put to me that all those outside of the competency period would have to undertake the whold course again. I can't see that happening.  

I was under the belief that if you let the Re-accred go for too long, u had to do the entire course again ?

[kat]

The necessity for RCR reacred is actually fairly new. Most of our guys did the course before there was a competency period. Then at some point it was introduced (and it is only a CFS service requirement not a national thing) and after a fair period we were done. Then no reacred has been made available to us since. Under these circumstances we do not have to do the full course again. Now reacreds are up and running we booked one that was cancelled. We made sure all the people attending had done the pre req (now) BFF1 Units Prevent Injury and Respond to a Road Crash but a couple of members First Aid showed up on system as non current and therefore were not going to be allowed to reacredit. Including a member who has done his first aid 6 times and been a rescue operator with us for 16 years. If I was trapped I would want this guy at the tool, believe me, but anyway his first aid wasn't current on the system so he wasn't going to be allowed to upskill. Not even on the understanding that the first aid issue would be resolved ASAP and reacred status put onto the system at that point. You may have guessed this makes me pretty frustrated and we have just about lost this guy as an operational member due to this and other similar incidents. So if Euan thinks the young people can't be bothered volunteering maybe he should investigate the lack of respect and understanding the service sometimes gives to long term dedicated, skilled, experienced people with another 20 years service in them in an attempt to try and retain them!

Could rant on about this issue for much longer but climbing off soap box now.

[rescue5271]

Well said kat

[MikeR]

I can only agree. CFS is a shambles in many regards, seems everyone is so sh1t scared of being investigated that no-one is game to approve anything. You notice that if a GO, captain or admin officer doesn't dot the 'i's or cross the 't's, a terse e-mail is sent, but try to get a straight answer from region or state. I have been, with others, trying to regain re-accred for RCR for ages now and am not terribly interested, I just keep attending. I have 18 years as a RCR operator. We've had the "books" for months now and no-one seems to know what to do with them.

Seems CFS is so much more interested in making a return on Bruckunga, so it hires the facility out that often to other agencies, that there's no spots available to train our own.

[kat]

I hear you, loud and clear MikeR.

I'm sure the trapped person is glad you are still interested, active and responding even if the service seems not to care.