SA Firefighter

Mobile Phone quality only..... dammit!

Try checking some of the research done by the CSIRO back in the 80's. The concluded that one large bomber would be cost-effective, but that was based on saves on a relatively small number of fires out of the total possible.

This seems a more expensive package.

Bear in mind the drop parameters.
Supposed minimum height is 400'AGL, and the USFS Large Air Tanker project found that they shouldn't be used on country with an overall slope of more than (IIRC)  7 degrees.

MYTH.

Every member of this forum appreciates the difference between fact and opinion.

...... Dog

Quote from: 6739264 on February 17, 2009, 12:35:34 PM
Just a very quick differing point of veiw on the uniforms:


Honestly I don't think so. And why? OH&S. Think about it. The amount of harmful contaminants in your PPE, be it wildfire or structural, that you still suck down when you're wearing it or drop off as you walk around you station in it. It's not healthy in the slightest.

Then why are you spending money on uniforms, when what you need is a second set of PPE.... or do you wear contaminated yellows until you get time to have them washed?

If you have a second set of PPE, why ask the question?

Finding uncontaminated non-PPE clothes is easy, unless you normally go naked.

Dog.... (in summer coat)

Quote from: Pixie on February 16, 2009, 09:24:17 AM


I am not sure what type of brigade you are from, thus am unsure as to your experiences... but i personally like to be able to turn up at an incident and get to work immediately, not have to explain to residents that WE ARE THE REAL FIRE SERVICE, and that we are actually capable of doing our job. I have had multiple occasions where people have genuinely asked where the "Real" firefighters (MFS) were... and this does not just extend to the public!

Pixie.

I find that if I arrive in a fire truck, and am wearing PPE with badges, and if I act like a real firefighter, then very few people suggest otherwise. As none of us should be on the fireground in anything other than PPE, I'm not sure why you think that this issue relates to uniform.

Pandering to the deficiencies of idiots is like chasing rabbits. It seems like a good idea at the time, but it stops you getting real work done.

There will always be idiots.

Dog.

There will always be idiots.

Quote from: Zippy on February 15, 2009, 01:16:27 PM


Esprit de Corps is good to have :)  We're a statewide organisation, just like MFS...it would just be nice if we could all have the same look as firefighters out of our Yellows.

It'd be nice if we had no fires...

Comfort yourself with the thought that when the public thinks of firefighters, they don't think of people dressed in blue, green, khaki, or anything but our working gear.

No need to keep up with the Jones'

Back on topic.
The people that I know who went seem to be saying pretty consistently that they were well looked after. Also had dealer's mechs there to check over trucks and a fair stock of the minor spare parts such as light lenses, so that trucks went out each day (and home) in the same condition in which they arrived.

Esprit de Corps is a legit consideration.......

But it's best based on performance, not appearance.

... and given THIS article.

http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,25056637-5006301,00.html

QuoteMORE than 300 people would die in the first hour of a major bushfire in the Adelaide Hills, secret modelling by the CFS and State Government has forecast.

I don't think you'll be claiming that the fire-management budget is overflowing with excess cash.

Priorities, people, what are your priorities.....?

Dog.

Quote from: Pixie on February 14, 2009, 01:18:45 PM

sorry, but i quite disagree with your statement on numerous levels!

Pixie.

Professionalism is being concerned primarily about results.

Amateurs can afford to come back next weekend, and argue that it's all about how you feel and how you "play the game".

Pros know that if you don't get it right, you don't pout food on the table. Or, in our case, people die and property is destroyed.

We have limited resources and limted budgets.
This means that every $$ put into a less-productive area is a $$ taken from a more profitable area..... and our "profit" is life and property.

If you're professional in your attitude, you'll judge all expenditure by that criteria. What does it contribute to "life and property".

That's the bottom line....

Dog.

People who worry about looking professional..... ain't.

Quote from: bajdas on February 12, 2009, 01:27:28 PM
Same thing happened after some previous major fires (I think Ash Wednesday II) where heavy rainfall caused flash flooding soon after the fire event. Because the ground was burnt and no vegetation left to hold the ground together, mud slides are a possability.

MacAlister River. 2007
http://www.lightninghunter.net/gippsland_floods.htm

Changed the course of the rive in more than one place. Destroyed pastures, banks, roads. Ripped big gutters across paddocks and river flats.

I was up there 4 months ago after deer.
The birds are only just starting to come back.
The small native mammals are still totally absent.
Yet some FOOLS claim that HR damages biodiversity. <snarl>

RFS crews from just nth of the Murray, and who have been working rotational shifts at Beechworth due to their proximity to home, have been told that no further shifts will be required after Wednesday night.

For the moment.......

Chook.

For farmers thare has always been a small element of "you come to my fires, and I'll go to yours". It's a part of doing business in a small rural community. Of course, most of the people at risk are your extended family, neighbours, business connections, sporting connections, hunting mates...... That's part of living in a small rural community.

The typical response to "Thanks for coming" is "Well you'd do the same for me."

Dog.

Quote from: mac13 on February 09, 2009, 08:00:05 PM
COMMUNITIES southeast of Beechworth are bracing for ember attack as an out of control bushfire rages towards them.
Residents in the Shelley, Koetong............

A mate has a block near Koetong.
Not far over the river.
I hunt there.

Do you want to tell me about impatience?

Teams from the Southern Region of NSW are staging in Albury now. Others have already gone.

Last heard, they were slated for property protection in areas threatened by the Beechworth fire.

Dog.

Quote from: Zippy on February 08, 2009, 08:32:57 AM
105,000+ Hectares overall

Bigger than that, old son.

The Kilmore - Saunders Rd fire alone is more than that.

25 confirmed dead.

7 in Prince Albert Hospital is burns to in excess of 30% of the body.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/02/08/2485317.htm

There are still too many people that make sheep look intelligent.
I'm thinking of a woman who had the Ash Wednesday fires burn around her home, and who had to help a close friend and neighbour who had been burnt out. When informed that there was a going fire, within a few kilometres and with potential to follow the same historical fire-path - she stated that she and her Parkinsons-Syndrome husband would wait until they had something to worry about before evacuating along their single-lane gravel access road.........
She was quickly told otherwise.

Dog.

The NSW crews that went into Vic were local crews operating under a mutual support agreement. Albury to Beechworth is les than an hour's drive.

Beyond this, the decision to offer and accept assistance across state borders is a political call..... not one that Euan can make by himself. The pollies need to be available for the photo ops.

On a practical basis, factor in lead-times and the weather outlook.

Dog

Quote from: misterteddy on February 04, 2009, 09:39:22 AM
I tend to think that process of changing to One Service would be the impetus (in attitude and finances) to bring about the changes you are looking for

The Taswegian experience has not been positive. Personal report from down there is that all the admin jobs go to paid firies. The admin staff then allocate all of the "interesting" jobs to their mates in the salaried stations, while the volunteers get the boring work.

That's one example.

Anything that really needs to be fixed, can be fixed without amalgamation if the political will is present. If it isn't, amalgamation won't fix it.The less pleasant outcomes can be as mentioned above, while SOP is the creation of another layer of bureaucracy, while things carry on as normal. (For your local value of "normal")

If you're panting for a change of badges and letter-heads, without material benefit to the troops on the ground... then by all means go for it. Not place in that cat-fight for me....

Dog.

Quote from: chook on February 03, 2009, 03:37:42 PM
:-D fair call Blackdog, if it is as you say, I will have to agree with your statement of fact (as we are not a rescue resource don't have to follow that act  :wink: )
Yep agree with your comment re: management but haven't really struck it in the Premier state - yet except for the "we won't recognise your storm qualification or your General rescue either" even though I lead a team in 2007 Newcastle storm emergency & hold National qualifications in General Rescue & RCR. No matter One has been soughted out & redoing the storm course wasn't bad either!

Chook.

Last time that I read the book, NSWRFS drivers were entitled to the exemptions applied to Emergency Services vehicles. However it is limited to "urgent duty" and that generally means a demonstrated threat to life and health, or a potentially serious threat to property. Districts are able to trump this, be refusing to authorise " response"(urgent duty driving) and instructing drivers to "proceed" (normal driving). I know of one district (in the Sydney basin, they're not in the real world there) that limited their drivers to 90kph.

I think somebody should remind them that the RFS is an "emergency" service. <snort>

A cynic would point out that the majority of volunteers have only a hazy idea of the regulations governing their services. Add to that the fact that many of the paid administrators don't have a background in formal training in those same regulations, and you end up with a bunch of differing interpretations made to suit different agenda. Not to mention some very odd ideas of who is actually to blame for any unpleasantness as the buck gets passed with more enthusiasm than accuracy.

If you ever do find yourself in a fight, don't stuff about. Get serious by the source documents. Get the legislation, the regulations and whatever else determines who gets to do what. Too many decisions are enacted as bluff and maintained through inertia and misdirected blame. Do your homework.

As for recognition of your quals.
The book says that you are entitled to Recognition of Prior Learning. Any qual should have a list of competencies, and if your current qual has similar competencies , you can apply to have these considered.
The book also says that you can apply for Recognition of Current Competency. Which means that they must offer you a challenge test if you desire to prove that you can do the job.
Most districts tend to default to running everyone through the standard training, because that's what's easiest for them. Often it's the best and easiest thing for you, too, but you do have alternatives if you wish to push for them. At least in theory. [/irony]

Back into my kennel.... Dog.

Quote from: jaff on February 03, 2009, 02:35:37 PM
Life on the farm is back to normal, with the new blackdog torementing the old chook! :wink: :-) :lol: :-D :evil:

<grins>
This old dog usually leaves that to the pups.
Too busy keeping the sheep in line ....... assuming no-one's silly enough to take that personally.

Dog.

Chook.

Are you saying that a Rescue Service Act over-rides both national and state traffic legislation, not to mention the specific fire service legislation that applies in NSW?

Local hierarchies attempting to make rules that are not supported by legislation, well we've never seen that before, either. [/irony] If such local rules are being promulgated in the part of NSW with which you're familiar...  try finding out exactly where the authority to make the decision comes from.

Too many managers have delusions of grandeur.

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on February 02, 2009, 05:19:17 PM
   I know of a CFS Briagde who rocked up to a house fire used two 64mm hose to do attack one in front door and one in rear door..they spent sometime pushing a potbelly stove around the lounge room using the two64mm.....

All that practice chasing a soccer-ball around witches hats finally paid off....

Quote from: 6739264 on August 16, 2008, 11:28:18 PM

Countdown until we see that 30 call a year brigade with Heavy Pumpers, Brontos and Heavy Rescues (with USAR stowage!)

<cue sepulchral voice> "But if it saves just one life........"