so the usual smoke and mirrors, fishes and loaves, media releases and bullshit promises was evidenced again in the Budget.
A much needed (/sarcasm) $8mil plus investment in our Emergency Services I note the media release says....but what does it mean for the CFS -
1. At some stage we are going to get lightweight BA Sets and/or Cylinders. The maths says that maybe not all 1200 sets could replaced together with a full complement of 300Bar cylinders for the money offered - so who's going to get the old crappy stuff?
2. Yay! We get to share 6 new training officers with the SES as part of in increase in training money. CFS is already over-represented in training positions verses training provided (26 Training related roles - Not including the 17 Community Training people, in the latest Org Chart on the website) so what on earth are the new 3 or 4 going to do? If you look at the $2.6mil offered (over 4 years), and take into account the new staff salaries and on costs (super etc), then theres around $150k a year extra to address the current backlog of training, let alone look at new stuff.
3. Apparantly the CFS do Water Search and Rescue - where do I sign up for that course?
Chief - I know you read the forum. Hows about we start again and look at a fundamental restructure of the Service and put the meagre resources in the right places, rather than continuing to feather one particular untouchable sacred cow.
CVSVA - wheres your response? Why wasnt it in the paper today? It's not meeting what you put to the chief and Minister as "must be addressed", why havent you said something? Why arent you reflecting what your members want? Why is it when i look on your website to check I havent missed a media relase in response to the budget, and look at the list of Current Issues from the Feb meeting, is there no mention of training or access to training, but Will Kits and extending the Expiry Date of National Parks passes do. Why do you exist?