Mt Gambier MFS going full time

[mattb]

Looks like the retained boys in Mt Gambier are getting some paid assistance.

From a Liberal party media release

Preference must be given to local firefighters

The Liberal Party has been informed that the Labor Government intends to transfer Adelaide Metropolitan Fire Service firefighters to Mount Gambier.

While welcoming additional positions at the Mount Gambier station, Liberal Emergency Services Spokesman Angus Redford said any new day-time positions for city should be offered to the local retained (part-time) firefighters.

He said local firefighters have been told that at least two positions will be filled from Adelaide and that locals may be able to apply for the other positions.

They have also been advised that they will be required to undertake all basic recruitment tests.

Mr Redford said it's important that prior service is recognised in selecting the firefighters for the positions.
"Their local knowledge and dedication to the part-time positions must be taken into account," Mr Redford said.

Liberal Candidate for Mount Gambier Peter Gandolfi said the former Liberal Government invested heavily in building Mount Gambier's new fire station.
"It's an insult to locals for the Government to give priority to Adelaide firefighters.

"It is also vital that the Government consult fully with the local CFS Brigades regarding any changes to fire services in the region," Mr Gandolfi said.

[24P]

Bit rough that transferring 2 from Adelaide. You would have thought any positions would be filled by the members down there.

[Firefrog]

Unbelievably retained MFS are not treated any different to joe blow off the street when it comes to recruiting.. Very sad that!

[Alan (Big Al)]

Speaking to some local retained a while back and they mention that some full time F/F in Adelaide would rather work with CFS than retained F/F any day, which i realise is hearsay but if true it's pretty bad??

Would they run Mt Gambier like pirie with 24hr shift on one truck and retained on page for the other???

[oz fire]

Hang on ........ :-o :-o

Why should a retained MFS fire fighter be treated any differently to a CFS fire fighter.

A CFS fire fighter with L3, BA has more training than a retained fire fighter (actually probally with BFF1 and BA) yet a CFS fire fighter still needs to go through the recruit process.

Well done MFS - good to see a consistant approach across the state.

I don't agree with the recruitment process adopted by MFS, in relation to fire fighters with experience - Volunteer or retained, however at least they are consistant.

Re the comment about working with CFS rather than retained - have heard that many times - sad but true!

[Firefrog]

Very good point!! Oz fire.

I would actually like to see a complete opening up of Fire Services across the country.

When a person is qualified then that should mean qualified anywhere nation wide.

Imagine if I am a Plumber, when I move to another state I don't have to go through recruitment and then do a new trade certificate. I just carry on with apprropriate licensing and earn a living.

But not in the fire industry. I am talking in the context of full national fire qualifications not parts of or individual units of training.

[rescue5271]

you have to feel sorry for these guys they have served the mount for years,now the goverment wants to put paid staff in a station that only attends more fixed alarms than fires.

I have spoken to a couple of the guys from the mount and they would like a full time job with the mfs,mind you paid staff will still have to use the retain members for call outs day or nite. Once again we will see the bus bring the paid guys up from adelaide as there is not enough action for the new young guys... better still just turn the station into a retirment station... its also unfair that the union will not let retain members join................

[fire03rescue]

some of the ff like no action, they work other jobs on days off

[strikeathird]

I have also heard Retained and Paid MFS relationships are not the greatest...


:oops:

[rescue5271]

How about a joint cfs/mfs station??? may aswell as the cfs group are looking for a new home :mrgreen:

[pete]

It seems crazy that the MFS and CFS boarders have not really changed in the last 20 years but yet our urban areas keep on increasing in numbers.I heard about a government document called the Dawson Report which suggests alot of trade offs between both services?

[oz fire]

There have been numerous reviews/reports into the fire services boundaries over the past couple of decades (Bruce Report, Dawkins Report) - maybe not down to brigade level, but certainly at government and fire service management level.

Ultimately I guess both services could grow - there are many cities around the world with larger populations than Adelaide's who operate solely on Volunteer Fire Fighters, just as there are many areas with small populations who have career fire fighters.

How do you decide though when a geographic location should be serviced by career or volunteer fire fighters - population, risk (urban, rural, special, inductrial etc) geography, topography, infrastructure, dispertion, demographics???????

A boundary review may be in order again, but at what cost to the community - I haven't heard of any station in CFS area saying we need to close due to volume of calls or changed population, likewise I haven't heard of an MFS stations where they think they should close due to diminishing population, call numbers etc.

Pete - what areas were you thinking????

[Alan (Big Al)]

Heard on the radio today that it was announced that 6 fulltime firefighters are going to Gambier, did anyone hear the full announcement

[Ports]

From ABC News:


Firefighting boost announced for Mt Gambier
The South Australian Government has announced six full-time firefighters will be employed in Mount Gambier from next year.

A total of $460,000 will be spent on employing six firefighters to Mount Gambier, which is the state's busiest fire station outside of Adelaide.

Currently 25 part-time firefighters man the station's four appliances.

Many of these crew members are on-call during their normal working hours.

The Government says the shift to a full-time permanent day shift will ensure appropriate response times and boost the city's fire coverage.

Five of the positions are expected to be filled by existing firefighting ranks, with only the position of station manager to be filled from applicants further afield due to the expertise needed.

The funding will come from the state's Community Emergency Fund.

[PF_]

If they are going full-time then wouldnt they have to employ those who passed the recruit test and are fully trained to the extent of those in metro areas?

[Robert-Robert34]

I reckon they should be giving the new full time MFS positions that are gonna be based in Mount Gambier to us volunteer firies cause we know how to deal with rural & structual fires

Plus those recruit aptitude tests are filtered hard  :x i tried to go for a part time retained MFS job and the test was just to hard to pass

[strikeathird]

There are such tests for a reason tho..  THey are scored to a national standard..

[rescue5271]

It was on the local news here tonight,that this will happen next year and that way the loacl retain guys can get their skills up and apply for the 6 positions that will be on offer. Days hift will be from 0830 till 1600 hrs...

[K99]

I am a retained Fire fighter in the M.F.S.
Dont tar all country stations with the one brush. We have all heard stories coming from Pt Pirie about retained and full time not getting on but that is the only place. All other country stations have nothing to do with full time fire fighters apart from Senior full timers who give us training and administration etc so all this talk about full time fire fighters and retained not getting on is a load of BS really.
As for recruitment into full time MFS positions, we are treated like everyone else off the street. Being a retained may only help you near the end of the selection process.This has always been a sore point with us in the Country Command as we are now called.You all know its very hard to get a full time job in the MFS.Getting a retained job is very very easy. The written test is very basic and the physical tests...well anyone with a bit of fitness should pass.
Think about this, Ive been in 8 years why cant I apply for Mt Gambier full time position!!!What happens if a retained fire fighter does go full time, can he tranfer to Adelaide 2 months later? Should I TRANSFER to Mt Gambier in the hope off a "back door" entry to full time? Its going to be good to see how this all pans out.

[rescue5271]

My understanding is that the retain guys will have time to get the skills to apply for the positions and one would hope that they get the jobs rather than the guys from adelaide... Any retain member should be allowed to apply as they have all done the courses but I would say that the union would rather have its say....So if you have all the ticks apply for the positions on offer and good luck as the MFS will have a hard time filling them....

[strikeathird]

talk about full time fire fighters and retained not getting on is a load of BS really

Well if there is problems at Pirie, its not BS is it ?

Have these 'problems' been addressed / identified ??

[oz fire]

Think about this, Ive been in 8 years why cant I apply for Mt Gambier full time position!!!

K99 - you can apply for a position with MFS, just as anyone else can. Regardless of years of service or experience - I think we all acknowledge this fact.

It's Good to see some consistency - career fire fighters from interstate need to go through the application/recruitment process, as do fire fighters from CFS and other highly trained fire services - at least MFS is consistant and there is no bias at any levels in relation to recruitment.

[medevac]

from the rumours that i have heard the behaviour of the full timers towards the retained at pirie, plus the SOPs involved in there interaction are basically just BS and are likely to endanger public safety...

they greatly effect response times, resource response, etc/// not cool.

my favourite rumour i heard was that if the retained truck was goign to beat the full timers to the call ( say the full timres had gotten lost, whatever...) then the retainess had to stop and allow the ulltimers to get there first... no matter what the circumstances. what a load of BS imagine ifthe public knew that...

[strikeathird]

Agree.. Total BS !  If that is occuring, the full time crew should be sacked !

That is a total and blatent(sp) disregard for life and safety!

[Scania_1]

So why would full timers in Mt Gambier have to come from Adelaide?? The firefighters there now are doing the job fine and have been for a number of years. Full timers are not going to do the job any better, just get there quicker, doesnt matter whether they have done the drill squad or not. The reason MFS probably doesnt recognise CFS service during recruiting of full timers is you may have been in brigade X for 10 years and never been to a structure fire. so where is your experience??