SA Firefighter

Hey guys,

Which "CFS Insurance" are you refering to? If you mean what will happen if you are injured and you are not wearing the CORRECT PPE and wearing CORRECTLY (ie. Flashoods)! Well we're all covered under the Workcover Act SA 1987.... If you're not wearing your PPE or not wearing it correctly (or I guess you are wearing something you MAY not supposed to be wearing like a flashood) what can happen to you? Not a great deal actually!

HERE"S WHY....You MAY get a reduction in either weekly nominal earnings whilst you are off work and injured or any potential section 43 (non economic loss payment) or potential payouts MAY be reduced, but you will still be covered medically (no matter what).

The chances of someone (a volunteer in particular) actually having wages reduced, payments or payouts reduced, especially if you could show the benefits of such an item like a flashood (worn appropraitely and at the appropriate time) would be so slim, it almsot doesn't bear mentioning. Why? Because if the government (CFS) goes around punishing volunteers (who were acting in good faith)....THERE WOULDN"T BE ANY VOLUNTEERS AND THEY KNOW THIS!!! Word travels fast, especially in a service such as ours.

I don't mean this as a carte blanc that we should all do out own thing and we can get away with anything, but common sense is still a part of common law. The best advice I would offer (as this is what I would do) is to do as the SOP's, Regs, ACT, technical reports direct us to do and push hard to change the system when it is wrong, defective or simply doesn't work.... question everything, but reason it out too! Hope this helps?

Cameron2919

Hi All,

I couldn't agree more with you with regard to what the volunteers have achieved.... Never tell a volunteer it can't be done, or worse still that it shouldn't be done!!!

But we can't afford to rest on our laurels ever. Now if we can get the welfare side of things better in line to REALLY look after and protect volunteers, especially those injured in line of duty, we'll be doing brillantly!

This is quite a long message and appreciate that you may not wish to read it all. On that note though I am hoping that you might take the time to read it all and that you may have some ideas and input at the end of it!

I am currently recovering (some 8.5 months on) from an injury sustained while on CFS duties. To quote Mike Rann a couple of years ago: "No volunteer will be worse off".....Got news for you all if you are injured though!

Medically, support and morale wise the CFS (now SAFECOM) OHS&W Rehab section have got it right. Financially though, the system is pretty ordinary. If your are injured as a CFS member on CFS duties, you are covered under the Workcover Act....There's NO superannuation payments, your fulltime employer can put you off on leave without pay (as mine has), no super payments means no disability and / or death insurance with some funds, discounts on payroll deductions such as health insurance won't apply and the list of financial losses goes on and on! There is also NO avenue to recover financial losses. 

What about the Foundation? Well, thats still bogged down in politcal BS and doesn't look like its going anywhere fast!!! So maybe the VFBA needs a big push from the vols to get some REAL welfare and better protection happening and in place for volunteers?

I know the MFS guys have a fund that they contribute something like $2 a pay, to help each other out in times of financial hardship, ie. not having any sick leave left to take, extended time off work, etc.... I'm NOT suggesting that we need to start chipping in to a fund, but I think we can get a better deal with the huge knowledge and ideas base that is the CFS Volunteers!

The folks up in SAFECOM (OHS&W and Rehab) are a fantastic team of dedicated people and I can't sing their praises highly enough....but even some of them admit the system is sadly lacking in this area. The TOP UP Insurance through the VFBA is a nice idea, but from everything I've heard about it from many sources, its not really worth much at all!

Nothing can be done to rectify my situation or others before me, but I am going to push as many avenues as possible to ensure that this doesn't happen to any other CFS member (and if the numbers help, maybe other services could be asked to join the push?) I estimate that I've probably lost the equivalent of over $10,000 in wages, super, discounts, etc... not to mention teh injury itself, temporary loss of lifestyle, unable to work, get on an appliance, long term problems from the injury, etc... I would hate to see a fellow volunteer, especially a mum or a dad having to go through a similar situation and not being looked after financially.

There are quite a few other people (some who are not even CFS members but just want to help) working on ideas on how to improve the system (and to find ways to ensure it is then maintained and not abused).

To rub salt in the wound... The fire that I was at when I was injured back on 1st Jan this year was believed to have been started by a 15 or 16yo who allegedly threw a sparkler into dry grass. The alledged offender apparently walked into a police station a few hours later and said that they think they started the fire.....and GOT OFF WITH A WARNING!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!