Mount Barker MFS

[CFS_Firey]

scotty, if you are on the roster, do you have to stay in the area?  for example, if your mate invites you over at the last minute, and he's out of your district, can you page yourself offline and go, or do you need to stay in the area?

[PF_]

"if more crew are required they get paged"

So theres 9 people at the station all day?

[medevac]

There is a roster of nine ppl who respond to all original pages, if more crew are required mount barker ring MFS and ask for a page to be sent to the brigade saying "a-shift respond" (i believe, have seen it before)

[PF_]

Confusing.  WHy cant they just do it the normal way and have everyone rock up and choose a crew etc.  NoIM not bagging it toast just seems confusing way to do things.  Probably simple when you get to understand it though.

[medevac]

seems pretty simple if ya ask me...

[strikeathird]

Dont know if the rostering system would be my preferance.. but I have done it the "old" or "Normal" or if some people see it as un-normal way, for years.. (The pager drops.. who ever is around and can go, goes..)

But hey, if it works. .. Go for it !  If it is allowing the community to get a trained and diligent emergency service out the door.. They sweet...  Run with what ever works I say !  And by the sounds of it.. It is working.


And toast and fire03rescue.. give it a rest.. No one is having a go... Don't get so defensive over nothing.

[rescue5271]

What works some some may not work for others but good on them,mind you some retain MFS stations use the same system..

[pumprescue]

If someone is unavailable on shift don't Mt Barker members just put a page out asking if someone can cover B shift, you always see pagers go out on the pager website. People would have mates ring up all the time or work as well so is a good system to give people a break and also have back up if you cannot be there.

[Toast]

Yep. As mentioned here already, they run 'A shift' which is everyone available (or 'normal' for us non roster people) and 'B shift' Which is a rostered crew for two appliances. 'B shift' usually covers nights, but if the roster cant be covered, I believe it then just reverts to an 'A shift' response.

Its rather easy, I believe. You let it be known when youre available, then there is the chance that you will be rostered on the times/nights you have shown to be available. If rostered, then you are to stay in the area and trun up, when turned out. The roster can be changed, hence you see pages like 'So and so unavailable until B shift' or 'Can someone cover B shift, blah blah'

For further crewing, they can page out further. Please note, I'm not a member of Barker, and there are members who cruise these boards once in a while. Feel free to correct me...

Roster systems can work, and theirs does. It ensures that you have the correctly trained persons on the appliances, and you *know* who is coming. For those that ask 'why bother?' This morning we turned out to a paged as RCR job with 3 crew, none of whom held any rank higher than FF, nor were they qualified RCR operators. Mind you, before you jump on me for that, there were two other brigades responded, MFS were on scene and there were no persons trapped. But still... out of 40 odd 'active' crew...

So, all in all, roster systems atleast allow you to almost guarantee a crew - something that needs to be seriously looked at by brigades with crewing issues.

[CFS_Firey]

So how is that not "having" to respond? If you're on B shift you are committed to go, and hence don't have a choice other than when you put your name down for it...

As far as the job you spoke about, if only 3 people responded, whats to say that they weren't the only crew in the area at the time?  And if thats the case, having a rostering system that ensures members stay in the area would be restrictive, no matter what way you look at it.

Just want to confirm again that I'm not having a go at Mt Barker, or they way they do it, I'm just saying I wouldn't want it for myself! ;)

[rescue5271]

Was talking to a MFS guy and he said that the MFS had been asked by members of the MOUNT BARKER brigade to open a station in the MOUNT BARKER area as they where having problems manning there fleet??? anyone know anything.. This MFS guy was a reatin member from murray bridge........

[PF_]

I think Mount BArker just want a brand new Scania truck.  :-D

[rescue5271]

Tell them they can send the type two to Naracoorte and they can have our pumper....

[Alan (Big Al)]

Whats your pumper like blinky??? What size pump does it run??? Does it fulfill your brigades needs???

[rescue5271]

Its not a bad pumper has a rust problem that comes and goes after we spend money on it,pump is a waterous PTO it does a great job and has not in the 7 years I have been here let us down. Holds 2000lts of water,100lts of bfff and 100lts of afff and yes we have empty both tanks of foam not so long ago at a fire.... All in all this would make a good state spare pumper. We would like a type two pumper and may be one day we may get it......

[probie_boy]

I think Mount BArker just want a brand new Scania truck.  :-D

yeah it would fit perfectly next to this bad boy

[rescue5271]

Is that a pumper?? looks like a ice cream truck :mrgreen:lol

[Toast]

THAT is a pumper. Albeit a second hand imported one... but yeah.

IM not too sure about the Mt Barker CFS asking for MFS to move in. From what I've heard, the brigade isnt too crash hot about the whole thing. but then again "Mount Barker CFS" may have been CFS corporate, so who knows.

[strikeathird]

Dont know bout Mt Barker asking MFS to move in.. that sounds very odd...


Can you confirm this story ?

[probie_boy]

but then again "Mount Barker CFS" may have been CFS corporate, so who knows.

don't forget that region 1 HQ is now in mt barker. Maybe they had something to do with it?

[medevac]

i think we may all be talking crap?

[PF_]

thats what forums are for medical evacuation, to talk crap.

[Toast]

Im sorry, how are we talking more crap than usual?

[24P]

Anyway why is it always Mt Barker,  there are probably a few other brigades that have nearly as much risk in their area but no mention is made of them being replace by the MFS.

[CFS_Firey]

Good point 24P.  As can be seen in the Busiest Brigades thread, the MFS should be looking at Dalkieth, Salisbury and Morphett Vale before Mt Barker (Although most of them dual respond with MFS anyway)