A very interesting article was in the Weekend Australian, titled "Get Ready For the Big One" I have inserted the link to the full article for those that may not have seen Sat's paper. http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,,25148472-28737,00.html
The comments in regard to volunteers I thought were right on the mark.
..."We have to recognise that a lot of our response and recovery effort is reliant on volunteers and the nongovernmental sector. The overall cost if we had to fully fund our emergency management volunteer effort -- if we had to pay the volunteers, including overheads -- is in the order of $12 billion a year. There are more than 500,000 emergency management volunteers in Australia. They are predominantly male, average age 47, with very few from Asian, eastern European, Middle Eastern or indigenous backgrounds.
How we nurture and maintain this volunteer workforce will be a substantial challenge. Volunteers don't want to be paid. But we should be addressing volunteer costs in meeting training standards. This could be considered on a cost-share basis between the commonwealth and jurisdictions. The average cost is about $500 a year for each active volunteer member. The total cost of such an initiative would be about $150 million a year.
We need a national strategy for emergency volunteers similar to Defence Department support for employers and self-employed reservists whereby employers qualify for financial compensation if they face difficulties in releasing employees to undertake reserve duty. Given the regular deployments of emergency volunteers in support of community safety, often performed in urgent and dangerous circumstances as we saw in the Victorian bushfires, there's a strong case that similar support should be made available for the employers of our emergency volunteers.
The investment for future emergency management capability for Australia lies in volunteerism, retaining and maintaining the 500,000 Australians who make this sacrifice.
The idea from last year's 2020 summit to allow students to reduce their HECS debt with voluntary work should be treated with caution, however. It would be a bureaucratic nightmare to administer and risks producing volunteers who aren't committed. Managing volunteers is no different from managing career staff: training, supervision, indemnity insurance and police-check requirements are the same. You just can't plug in the average 20-year-old university student into a make-work scenario.
A more cost-effective strategy would be to transfer the money that would go on HECS discounts directly to the voluntary sector".
Another method for ensuring manpower / skills are available for emergency situations is what some other countries are doing. I know Singapore have National Service which includes service to the Fire. Police, Ambulance along with the military. This obviously would cost money, but if instigated for a 12 month period between high school and Uni would provide stable work force.
Open to comments (flak jacket secured)
Being the poor bugger :cry: paying off my HECS debt so far this financial year I have done $15 K + to the federal government and being a volunteer. It is unlikely that I will pay off my HECS debt but if the federal government want to have a rewards systems in place that reduces each year for volunteer work all I can say is go for it !
"Another method for ensuring manpower / skills are available for emergency situations is what some other countries are doing. I know Singapore have National Service which includes service to the Fire. Police, Ambulance along with the military. This obviously would cost money, but if instigated for a 12 month period between high school and Uni would provide stable work force."
It should not be offered just for those that are having that gap year as it took me some time to decide on what I am going to do for the rest of my life after I left school where by I floated between the paid and higher education for some time nor should it be restricted by age. As some people may use it as means to try out a new career path.
Darcyq...."Flak jacket secured" even though the larger body mass of the thorax is the easiest target...Im a head shot kinda guy :-D
The blighters have been reading my notes !!
Agree with most of the exerpts you have copied to the list, but not that last
paragraph.
It seems to contradict itself to me. Turning over a significant percentage of
your workforce every 12 months is not "stability". Nor is it long enough to
make an experienced FF. And with many positions occupied by gap-year people,
it reduces the number of career positions available and its attractiveness as
a career.
Looking at the actual article, there are big holes in his warnings arguments -
technical and social. Bergin & Templeman are right, but
[a] a warning has to be delivered in time to be acted upon.. which means delegating
issuing public warnings to one of the first couple of steps in the information
chain - senior volunteer level (can't see SAFECOM or the minister handing off that
degree of information control any time soon - an unpaid & untrusted vollie might say
something controversial, or worse... true!!)
those it is delivered to have to be prepared and practised to act instantly &
effectively (yeah, right, like that's ever gonna happen...)
On the whole, a reasonable statement of what should be.
cheers
Fantastic article thanks. A couple of thoughts on the "gap year" idea. My guess is they would be used in lower risk, lower skilled areas - not frontline stuctural or USAR (for the rescue types)tasks.
The new people who joined the military as a career the same time as gap year was people are saying the gap year people are getting the good jobs (my daughter joined the navy last year & will only be joining a ship in two weeks) - said that gap year guys got a higher priority & better postings).
And like any good National service system there has to be a good filtering system.
And at least it will give the younger generations the basics around emergency management, think about it for a while - thousands of trained "citizens" to allow for a proper surge capability (better than the UFU idea :wink:).
And obviously there would be some major hurdles that need to be overcome - proper training for officers/leaders(egomaniacs need not apply), proper training programs delivered by competent qualified trainers, funding, equipment etc.
I can see a combined "basic" course for volunteer fire & SES, covering safety, command, how to work in teams, map reading - all of that stuff including basic fire fighting & rescue/storm damage! What a great idea - pity it won't happen!Time to write to mister Rudd I think :-D
Again thanks for a great read.
cheers
Back to the drawing board no BIG ONE this year :-P
Quote from: SA Firey on March 25, 2009, 08:42:33 AM
Back to the drawing board no BIG ONE this year :-P
The year's not over yet...
As everyone else says..But i myself say..It is,but it isnt..cos a Year is 365 Days long...
Rural Fire Season: Over
Road Crash Season: All year round.
Alarm Seasons: All year round.
domestic fire season: all year round.
hazmat season: happens as often as Kevin rudd Laughs.
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 09:24:35 AM
As everyone else says..But i myself say..It is,but it isnt..cos a Year is 365 Days long...
Rural Fire Season: Over
Maybe where you are.
Quote from: SA Firey on March 25, 2009, 08:42:33 AM
Back to the drawing board no BIG ONE this year :-P
Jesus... go tell the Vics that.
Quote from: safireservice on March 25, 2009, 10:35:32 AM
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 09:24:35 AM
As everyone else says..But i myself say..It is,but it isnt..cos a Year is 365 Days long...
Rural Fire Season: Over
Maybe where you are.
Low likelyhood of a Weather system that will cause "The Big one" now.
If winds cause the FDI to go over a 100 now...ill retract my post...
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 10:59:18 AM
Quote from: safireservice on March 25, 2009, 10:35:32 AM
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 09:24:35 AM
As everyone else says..But i myself say..It is,but it isnt..cos a Year is 365 Days long...
Rural Fire Season: Over
Maybe where you are.
Low likelyhood of a Weather system that will cause "The Big one" now.
If winds cause the FDI to go over a 100 now...ill retract my post...
"Ill retract my post"..... not good enough Zippster, after making a big statement you cant get away with just a, Ill retract my post. NO we here at SAF require more for a brazen statement retraction such as this!
Perhaps........I'll shave one eyebrow off,......or I'll wear jeans with the arrse cut out and a Barry Manilow t shirt to Ponde :-o,......or I'll sit through a speech by David Place without falling asleep!
Now where talking(posting), what punishment can members dream up as suitable for Zippy!.............GAME ON :evil:
Game on!! ;)
Just have to wait for the April/May Burnoff season...pretty sure lots of people will "Fail".
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 01:56:41 PM
..pretty sure lots of people will "Fail".
..and if they don't, will you retract this post as well? :P
ill retract the Retraction!...that filtered word...having vocabulary sucks! i wish i was a country hick!
What's wrong with being a hick :-D be careful Zippy, quite a few AWS recorded FDI's over 100 last Saturday. Looking at the drought factor index and the soil moisture index we are not out of the woods yet.
And a weather forecast of 34 degrees next Wednesday, with an overnight low of 20 for Adelaide...... so our fire season might not yet be over....
Pip
yeah...i thought that wasnt too usual to expect...34 degrees with <10km/h winds...nice day for the pool ...or work :wink:
Quote from: jaff on March 25, 2009, 12:49:22 PM
or I'll sit through a speech by David Place without falling asleep!
jaff....u are one mean s.o.b :lol:
With current Onkaparinga Hills / Gorge fire and the recent Bridgewater fire, I do think SA is out of fire risk yet.
It all depends on what you define has 'the Big One' :?
If it is CFS then 10 hectares is big...
mmm yea had a 160 ha one today def not over yet.
Big One = Level 3 IMT incident.
Therefore...i am still unable to be beaten by the crowd.
Quote from: Zippy on March 30, 2009, 10:27:11 PM
Big One = Level 3 IMT incident.
Therefore...i am still unable to be beaten by the crowd.
How about an angry mob............. with pitchforks,scythes, axes and burning torches :-D
Fire bans for tomorrow in four areas......
Is that what happens when the rural fire season is over Zippy...? :evil:
Pip
*turns up the radio*....scheiße...its Kings of leon...ive heard it a thousand times!
I'll run down the shop... get some red cordial and jelly beans.
Quote from: Alex on March 31, 2009, 04:58:00 PM
I'll run down the shop... get some red cordial and jelly beans.
Soo the Angry Mob is hypo...Red Cordial...Red Jelly Beans...Red Helmets...
Just finished the 1000 piece puzzle! thanks alex.
Quote from: Zippy on March 30, 2009, 10:27:11 PM
Big One = Level 3 IMT incident.
Therefore...i am still unable to be beaten by the crowd.
Did Bridgewater get to level 3?
Quote from: CFS_Firey on April 01, 2009, 08:39:30 AM
Quote from: Zippy on March 30, 2009, 10:27:11 PM
Big One = Level 3 IMT incident.
Therefore...i am still unable to be beaten by the crowd.
Did Bridgewater get to level 3?
level 2 (but third alarm) I believe
Quote from: Darius on April 01, 2009, 08:43:47 AM
level 2 (but third alarm) I believe
As soon as Strike Teams hit the ground, that'd make it 4th Alarm...
Pretty sure it got to Level 2 4th Alarm. Aint Level 3 considered a Campaign Fire.
So guys, u nearly got to turn into an angry mob!
Its happening again, and it sounds out of hand, AGAIN.
Quote from: Zippy on April 01, 2009, 11:51:57 AM
Its happening again, and it sounds out of hand, AGAIN.
It shouldn't be an issue. The season is well and truly over. Remember?
:P
yeah i mean the Level 3 Incident Season is.
Level 2....April 30th!
Quote from: Zippy on April 01, 2009, 11:51:57 AM
Its happening again, and it sounds out of hand, AGAIN.
must have been to big to put out properly the first time
Quote from: Bagyassfirey on April 01, 2009, 06:17:55 PM
Quote from: Zippy on April 01, 2009, 11:51:57 AM
Its happening again, and it sounds out of hand, AGAIN.
must have been to big to put out properly the first time
Made a nice carpark too...or is that truckpark :-P
Quote from: Bagyassfirey on April 01, 2009, 06:17:55 PM
Quote from: Zippy on April 01, 2009, 11:51:57 AM
Its happening again, and it sounds out of hand, AGAIN.
must have been to big to put out properly the first time
I heard it was only a few hectares, I guess mopping up isn't a strong point there, neither is giving sitreps !
lofty's trucks don;t have radios :-D :-D
For my curiosity and becauise you all are learned/experienced people to give constructive input :lol: :-D,
1/ How many AIIMS Level 3 activation fires did we have in the 2008/09 fire season in South Australia ? I can only think of Port Lincoln.
2/ Do you believe it was because more people are aware of the risk & thus being more careful (eg is the PR finally sinking into the general publics minds, etc, etc) ?
3/ Do you believe in your area something different has happened over the last few years (eg faster activation of task force deployments, more air support around the state, fuel reduction burns increased, increased SAPOL patrols, etc, etc ?).
From my understanding, the fuel load & risks have increased over the last few years. Yet South Australia did not experience multiple large fires.
1/ How many AIIMS Level 3 activation fires did we have in the 2008/09 fire season in South Australia ? I can only think of Port Lincoln.
Think your right..Unless Gawler River was also...?
2/ Do you believe it was because more people are aware of the risk & thus being more careful (eg is the PR finally sinking into the general publics minds, etc, etc) ?
It was only due to Pure Luck.
3/ Do you believe in your area something different has happened over the last few years (eg faster activation of task force deployments, more air support around the state, fuel reduction burns increased, increased SAPOL patrols, etc, etc ?).
Quicker and more effective Air Support, the Bombers are getting better each year, Helitaks are great Backup!
Faster Activation of Strike teams...hmm it varies...recently...it was heaps slow.
Dont see any other contributing factors...other than luck.
Gut feel only - it is really hard to measure something which might have happened but didn't...
2/ Do you believe it was because more people are aware of the risk & thus being more careful (eg is the PR finally sinking into the general publics minds, etc, etc) ?
If you mean "risk of ignition" - a qualified yes.
I have a theory that the increasingly urban people who live in the Hills bring
with them an urban aversion to potentially fire-causing activities. It's
really hard to do much damage propped in the air-con playing video games.
Less outdoor activity = fewer ignitions = fewer big fires.
This is a good thing, because I don't think most understand the importance of
fuel loading or arrangement. Some inkling has resulted from the Vic fires,
but it will have largely blown over by next season when the fear/shock has
worn off, life intrudes, & realisation of hard work sets in.
Except for the northern fringe where, judging by the paging website, there
seems to be much more arson than the other fringe areas, and perhaps far fewer
tree-changers(?)
3/ Do you believe in your area something different has happened over the last few years (eg faster activation of task force deployments, more air support around the state, fuel reduction burns increased, increased SAPOL patrols, etc, etc ?).
From my understanding, the fuel load & risks have increased over the last few years. Yet South Australia did not experience multiple large fires.
Yes to fuel management on public lands, no on private lands.
Yes to SAPol closely watching suspected & known arsonists.
Yes to first-response air attack.
No to faster strike team activations - didn't seem any faster at all.
Big YES to dumb luck. On Feb 7th, it would have only taken one or two more
ignitions immediately north of Adelaide to overwhelm our ability to control
them. We had only about a dozen ignitions all day. The Vics had many times
that, & stopped all but a few. Maybe our idiots are more addicted to air-con
and video games than their idiots :?
Quote from: bittenyakka on April 02, 2009, 05:37:32 PM
lofty's trucks don;t have radios :-D :-D
A radio is that what those things tied to a piece of string with 2 cans on either end is called :lol: :lol:
Quote from: jaff on March 25, 2009, 12:49:22 PM
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 10:59:18 AM
Quote from: safireservice on March 25, 2009, 10:35:32 AM
Quote from: Zippy on March 25, 2009, 09:24:35 AM
As everyone else says..But i myself say..It is,but it isnt..cos a Year is 365 Days long...
Rural Fire Season: Over
Maybe where you are.
Low likelyhood of a Weather system that will cause "The Big one" now.
If winds cause the FDI to go over a 100 now...ill retract my post...
"Ill retract my post"..... not good enough Zippster, after making a big statement you cant get away with just a, Ill retract my post. NO we here at SAF require more for a brazen statement retraction such as this!
Perhaps........I'll shave one eyebrow off,......or I'll wear jeans with the arrse cut out and a Barry Manilow t shirt to Ponde :-o,......or I'll sit through a speech by David Place without falling asleep!
Now where talking(posting), what punishment can members dream up as suitable for Zippy!.............GAME ON :evil:
Seems your punishment can be shelved for this season Zippmiester! :wink:
sweet mate, see you at the next flooding job...