East Coast Strike Teams 2006

[Crankus Maximus]

MT LOFTY GROUP: CREW REQUIRED FOR 2 DAY SHIFT AT WAIKERIE LEAVING 0500 TOMORROW 5/12/06. CONTACT CAPTAIN IF AVAILABLE. CAPTAINS CONTACT D.O. RAINER WITH NAMES

AT THIS RATE WE WONT HAVE TIME TO GO ANYWHERE ELSE... anyone on here going to waikerie?? or know any more than has been paged about it?? :? :-D :evil:

[5271rescue]

Just got of the phone from my OLD CFA mate he tells me CFA have around 50 appliances interstate in NSW and they will review what to do as the fires in the high country are small at this stage but with hot north winds later this week anything could happen....Cam,as for the GRN going down yes there where some problems in the early part not sure why or what but more than likely over use of the system............

[Scania_1]

A question for our MFS full time counterparts. Do you get paid if you go on an interstate deployment? If so do you go when you are rostered on for your 4 days? Or do you go voluntarily on your days off?

[medevac]

they do get paid.

i wouldnt be able to tell you how it works around there shift structure though...

[24P]

they do get paid.

i wouldnt be able to tell you how it works around there shift structure though...

last time i went to NSW (2001) talking to the MFS guys they said they volunteered their time to go over and were'nt getting paid to do it.

[Scania_1]

Well thats as clear as mud.lol

[Scania_1]

Looking at the trouble the CFS is having now filling strike teams for 2+ days and interstate deployments they may need to find a new path to go down. I dont have any suggestions but at this time of year a lot of people are flat out at work and just cant take time off to go. Especially without pay. Not that money is everything but it helps.

[Ryan]

then abolish the 2 year experience rule so students can go, theyre at home or only casual so can go to thse call outs.  The 2 year rule limits it majorly. 

[Darius]

the 2 year thing is there for a reason.  Personally I think they're having trouble cos they're not organised.  We got 1 "ask" to go to wakerie for a 2 day shift.  I was keen to go but it wasn't convenient at the time they asked.  Given it's been going for over a week now if they had asked for just about any other 2-day shift I would have gone. 

Why not have each group offer a crew for X trucks for 2 days on dates (a), (b) and (c).  Put that to region and they collate and choose teams from the groups and dates.  I don't know about R3HQ but R1HQ has some major organising problems they need to fix and think a bit more flexibly (the day shift idea to KI was a good move so hopefully they are changing).

[Crankus Maximus]

they do get paid.

i wouldnt be able to tell you how it works around there shift structure though...

last time i went to NSW (2001) talking to the MFS guys they said they volunteered their time to go over and were'nt getting paid to do it.

speaking to one of the MFS guys in our brigade, they get paid normal rates but can only elect to go on their days off for extra cash

[Ryan]

the 2 year thing is there for a reason. 

Which is?

[2090]

You need to have previous experiance to go into a potentially very dangerous situation in an are you dont know. Mind you, your two years 'experiance' is going to be very different depending on the number of jobs your brigade does a year.

[Darius]

precisely, just doing BFF1 doesn't give you experience which is what you need especially for a strange/different terrain/vegetation/etc than you're used to.  Of course 2 years in some brigades sends you to hundreds of jobs compared to maybe none in other brigades, but regardless there's got to be some minimum level for both your own safety and the safety of your crew (that you don't become a liability to them).

[Ryan]

Yes but it shouldnt be 2 years instead how bout a recommendation from captain instead.  Some people might go having done 2 yars but done filtered all for 2 years compared to someone who has done a fair bit in 12-18 months. 

[SA Firey]

Yes but it shouldnt be 2 years instead how bout a recommendation from captain instead.  Some people might go having done 2 years but done filtered all for 2 years compared to someone who has done a fair bit in 12-18 months. 

Should be discretion of OIC,as many crews have under two years service but attended 150 incidents a year,which in my view is plenty of experience,also fitness should be considered as well :wink: 

[pumprescue]

should be based purely on skill, if your not a gun firey you no go.

[medevac]

i thought it was based on craqnk factor????
and then they allocate crews by putting you with the three most annoying people they could find, that have all bought there banjos for a sing a long....

oh yer... and usualy an IC that has less experience than most cadets.

[Pixie]

I think the two years thing is absolute bull twang...It should be done purely on experience, or OIC's opinion. I have done 4 years with the cadets, but only 6 months as a FF, so can't go on strike teams. But according to their stupid rules you could get guys who have been inactive for the last who knows how long that get to jump straight on a truck.

[probie_boy]

i thought it was based on craqnk factor????
and then they allocate crews by putting you with the three most annoying people they could find, that have all bought there banjos for a sing a long....

oh yer... and usualy an IC that has less experience than most cadets.

it depends.

On my last 3 day deployment to KI i reckon I got with the 3 of the best dudes out there (i could only think of 2 or so others who i'd be 100% happy to go with).

The crank fact or has to be high for an interstate trip, come on.

I disagree with the 2 years experience rule. As said on here, some people may be in a brigade for 10 years and only have been to 20 jobs or so. And so what if its a potentially dangerous situation we're going to: so is every other frickin fire and road crash we go to. I agree that it should be each brigade captains discretion who does/doesn't go.

[SA Firey]

Well as reported in The Advertiser Euan has stated that we wont be going anytime soon due to the low numbers of volunteers here,and the risk this summer.

So unpack your swags everyone as the fire season aint finished yet :wink:

[Darius]

Well as reported in The Advertiser ...

it must be true then!