SA Firefighter

I have noticed that the quality of food at fires has gone downhill.
At the Willunga fire lots of people complained about the food. When you have busted your bum for the day or night you would expect to get feed well.
In this day and age when it is hard to keep members you think they would feed you well.

I was also told by our crew that went to Willunga that the food from the Salvo's van was rubbish, but at the Mt Compass fire on Saturday the food from the Salvo's was outstanding, perhaps its what they've got at the time. But i do agree a good feed is necessary. The worst food i was ever given was 2 cucumber sandwiches after 9 hours on the fireground.

I don't envy anyone who has the job for catering for fires who have been on the line all day in extreme conditions and extreme temperatures.

I guess we just need to feed it back up the line and trust that things will improve.

Although I can recall a fire a couple of years back on the hills face zone (Brown Hill Creek) where it took 9 hours to get food to crews and by then it was cold soggy pizza that had slid around in a command vehicle for a few hours - now that made sense from a Group who is surrounded by catering and food outlets, where health and nutritious is the better call - I guess we all need to look in our own backyards - could we cater for several 100 people quickly and efficiently and ensure no complaints!

I have received good meals from the Salvo's in many areas of the state and think that the van/truck does a great job - sure beats soggy sandwiches or nothing at all!!!!!!!!!

Our auxillary has got food pack down to a good standard of food for crews,they have been able to secure a good deal with woolworths and i can tell you if you come down to Naracoorte for a stike team you will be well feed and watered.....

Has the food got worse or are we just expecting more as, as a service, we get better at feeding our crews?

I've been to many a campaign fire where we were not fed at all during a 12 hour shift and the ensuing travel times. In fact this was the norm not too many years ago.And if you were lucky some frozen, soggy sandwiches came out (just like last Friday where I was) which I was never able to eat being unable to tolerate butter or marg. The PENULTIMATE was sausages on bread back at someones station on the way home.

All appliances are supposed to carry food to sustain the crew for 12 hours (the theory being in the intitial stages of a fire it may take this long for things to get organised). Now I know that muesli bars, baked beans etc aren't the best things in the world but surely we can live on them people! It is an emergency situation after all. And we can book up hamburgers with the lot when we get home :-)

Now, having said crews should be self sufficient I'll give you my theories why feeding fireground crews is critical for more than nutritional reasons!

For one it ensures crews actually stop and have a rest. Also if, as is the case on many, many strike teams, you have not seen much action, the shift is long and boring and the "meal break" aids subtanstially in breaking up the shift.

Also in a lot of cases a meal break, whether on the firegound or at a staging area provides a chance to socialise ("network") with other crews which sometimes results in unexpected and useful operational information changing hands.

If the meal break is back at a staging area other resources can be available - even just someone from another crew who can assist with minor repairs can be invaluable.

Another factor I consider very important (which you may think is trivial) is the fact that the crews actually feel like someone knows and cares that they are there when a meal is organised for them. On Sunday at Ngarkat there were crews calling in regarding meals repeatedly over several hours. I'm sure the increasing frustration with which they requested was as much due to this "care" factor as hunger.

We have been using SUBWAY surprisingly enough and they have been great, they call in extra staff to help to prepare the meals and still charge a discounted rate for us.

mmm subway.....

have to admit the last time i was fed by the salvos catering i wasnt very impressed... had been fighting a fire for about 8 hours solid, and we had managed toget reasonably fed by our own supplies on the truck - but when i got the salvos food, it consisted of some overboiled carrots and A slice of spam :(

Fireground catering is hard! Put yourselves in the shoes of the auxiallaries, brigade members or the salvos who at the drop of a hat have to feed from 20 to a few hundred people. Not easy.

I have always welcomed whatever sustanance is on offer. I am very unfussy (if that's a word :lol: ).

I have wondered if there is an alternative to canned vegetables and Spam from the salvos truck but it hits the spot after a long day.

Does anyone know if this has been addressed at a state level. Perhaps there should be state incident catering plan and guidelines that address all of the nutritional and logistical concerns.....Just thinking out loud as I type :-D.

I knwo a few cfa broups have brigade or group catering units as does the mfb and they are are well stocked with food,i know of one fire where we had army packs that where full of meat(beef) and veg and that was great. may be the cfs should look at having a few units around the place.

1925595 11:56:56 26-01-06 P81 LOTS OF CALORIES IN CREAM BUNS!!!!

maybe we should let the ambo's cater they know whats healthy for us :roll:

On KI last year we were fed by the Salvos, and I thought it was the best food I had been treated to in a long time....



We dont like it when people whinge at us on the fire ground when they think we are doing a poor job, so dont think it fair we whinge at the vollies (like Salvos) who skip work without pay to feed us !

Agreed - I have also had great food from the Salvos and some great chats too!

yeh i generally dont mind what im feed... but the SPAM wasnt great... and only one slice, one slice i tells ya!!!

Quote from: Firefrog on January 26, 2006, 10:17:46 AMI have wondered if there is an alternative to canned vegetables and Spam from the salvos truck but it hits the spot after a long day.

Nothing Wrong With Spam, Stick It On A Stick Walk Over To The Fire & Cook It.

I Think They Do A Great Job, After You Have Been Hard At Work Its Nice To Have Something At Least.  Something Is Better Than Nothing.

Quote from: CyberCitizen on January 27, 2006, 09:57:28 AM

Quote from: Firefrog on January 26, 2006, 10:17:46 AMI have wondered if there is an alternative to canned vegetables and Spam from the salvos truck but it hits the spot after a long day.

Nothing Wrong With Spam, Stick It On A Stick Walk Over To The Fire & Cook It.

Who's up for marshmellows?!

:-P

I remember when we were lucky to be fed at all BUT that's not to say that any part of that was ideal...

It's not easy catering for everyone's dietary needs either...and to sustain a crew from your snack pack doesn't always work..especially if you've had a busy time and not been able to restock...

They also have to consider food hygiene and how to keep food from going off and giving all the crews food poisoning...at least I haven't heard that happening...surprising sometimes..I know how grateful I was on Black Tuesday to find a ham & cheese sandwich (at 15.30) as I hadn't eaten since 4am...

Catering will always have it's issues..and if we don't speak up about the standards..they can fall away pretty quickly..

May be we should have a gun on each appliances shoot to kill wild life as it comes out and cook it as you fight the fire... Would stop a lot of problems.(joke)

Hey a few years back i remember that a few appliances in the far norht used to carry firearms on their units, but i believe that was quickly stopped

I like the idea of Subway...as for the guns..we have enough danger in what we do without some cowboy gunning down lunch...can you imagine Judy Arthur getting hold of that one...

We are often given hot chicken packs with chips - don't get me wrong..like to eat them BUT not always easy eating..gravy everywhere and then there is the rubbish to dispose of...FANTASTIC at the end of your shift or when you've been out for hours but personnally, a couple of sandwiches still win out for me..

Ohhhh!!!

What I'd have given for a chicken hot pack at the last couple of fires I've been at!!!

I could live with the mess  :-D :-D :-D

Put the rubbish in the fire :-P  fighting a fire sure has some cool advantages, cook a steak, marshemllows, barbecue and then dispose of all rubbish before getting back to work.  8-)

I dont think we should complain at all about the food the Salvo's give us. It may not be the best tasting but hey its food and when they have to cater for a few hundred fire fighters they dont really want to be spending heaps of money on expensive food cause they prob have a budget to stick to.
They do a great job and food is food to me.

When I've chatted to the Salvos for preplanning purposes they've told me that they will not and cannot accept payment for their services.

I've always thought that CFS must pay them something?

Does anyone know for sure?

I would hope that we pay for their supplies but wouldn't be surprised if they won't accept it...hopefully, they are using donated goods..which might be why we sometimes don't get great stuff...

There is always admiration and appreciation for their efforts though!