This years call rates

[24P]

we're on 49 i think, a pretty regular year for us.

yeah from my brigades point of view i cant fathom attending 400 calls a year.

Make you wonder though, your brigade does 50 odd calls per year but your neigbours do 300+. But i suppose you are in a relativly quiet area.

[probie_boy]

we're on 49 i think, a pretty regular year for us.

yeah from my brigades point of view i cant fathom attending 400 calls a year.

Make you wonder though, your brigade does 50 odd calls per year but your neigbours do 300+. But i suppose you are in a relativly quiet area.

na, its just that we're sandwiched between 2 busy brigades. plus both neighbours are rescue, one services the freeway, the other services a good chunk of the blackwood/belair area.

but we have a shop to look after 

[fireblade]

I've been at a flat out brigade and there is really nothing you can do to manage it really well. Its pretty much the same from a 50+ to a 300+ brigade you get your core guys that show all the time and then those that show fairly regularly to those guys that show up here and there.

To hard to put rosters in place. For example your wife, girlfriend or for those with kids wants to do something. What are you going to say sorry cant I'm on roster pager might go off! for something you don't get paid for.

Generally the Lt's and Seniors talk to let each other know their movements as well as the Fire fighters, so if you know for example if a whole heap have something on the weekend. Those having an easy weekend know to keep an eye on their pagers.

[SA Firey]

Probably about 270 this year

[Blue]

I could not imagine doing 400+ calls a year like some other brigades do, I too take my hat of to them.

Here here.

And we know its not just the calls, its also time aside for brigade training, attending training courses, admin, maintenance, burn-offs, meetings and a host of PR/fundraising activities and community events, as well as attending the odd court appearance..(was that in poor taste? Yes, probably was. Delete that bit). And I'm sure some of you could think of further comittments that come with specific brigade roles. It really is quite amazing to sit back and think that as an organisation we are still operating mostly on the goodwill and hardwork of many volunteers. Something to be very proud of I think.

[littlejohn]

Has anyone seen the report done last year (or possibly this year) on the cost of volunteering? I beleive it covered all (or most) services nationally.

Summary = those who are employed wear a cost of $1679pa (excluding any costs to employer).
Self employed people average $3282pa, and the retired end of town incur $687pa.

These costs are made up of both cash & in-kind contributions. I haven't been bothered to read whether or not that includes time (I don't think it does).

[Baxter]

I have always been impressed by those brigades with huge call rates per year. I know in my brigade we were quite happy when we hit the double digits the first time and then when we we hit 15 per year we were even happier we are hopping that we again have another 15 this year as we should be close to it.

[backburn]

We have 87 as of tonight

[Pixie]

227 as of this arvo,

[Smallflame]

351 

[mack]

were in the mid-90s at the moment... which is alright considering were not getting many of the tree and storm damage jobs (used to average about 15-20) now that MFS are fielding SES dispatch, we only get 1 or 2 now.

[5271rescue]

The new funding for brigades will start with the new budget year so some brigades will be happy and other wont.... It basically works like this the more calls you do the more money you get,the number of appliances you have and other activates you do..... Wont to know more I would say get along to your next group meeting....coming to a fire station near you

[Blue]

I may have interpreted incorrectly, but it appears that some people seem keen to have more callouts or proud that their area is particularly fraught with emergencies that require our services regularly. I find that more than a little strange 

We work in an arena of public safety - for us to have call outs at all means someone may be hurt, in danger or has been killed. So surely we would all be praying to Alah that we have less calls, which means our community is safer.

It would be great to see a focus on prevention/education and a consequent drop in call rate, would it not? 

[Pipster]

Perhaps so Blue, but on the other hand, brigades with low call rates may have trouble keeping their members interested & enthusiastic.    It is very difficult to keep new people enthused, when they join up, and then don't get to go to a call of any type in six months or more.

There is also an aspect of keeping people's skill levels up...while you do lots & lots of training which is aimed at maintaining skills, you also want to get to practice some of those skills for real (and throw in some adrenaline, and people may react differently to what they do in training) - so an opportunity to try those skills for real is good.

I know what number of calls ideally suit my brigade - in term of keeping the interested, attracting new members, not putting too much strain on the existing  members...we did 61 calls one year, and it was just right for us....but we have much lower call rates for the rest of time......   

Pip

[24P]

The new funding for brigades will start with the new budget year so some brigades will be happy and other wont.... It basically works like this the more calls you do the more money you get,the number of appliances you have and other activates you do..... Wont to know more I would say get along to your next group meeting....coming to a fire station near you

Thats a bit odd Bill cause we heard we'd actually be getting less in our budget next year (Even though we've been busier this year). That to me sounded like the funding had already been set at a fixed rate. 

[5271rescue]

well i did think that the other night when we where informed of it...

[Camo]

Thats a bit odd Bill cause we heard we'd actually be getting less in our budget next year (Even though we've been busier this year). That to me sounded like the funding had already been set at a fixed rate. 

Maybe the funding simulator has determined you have been over funded in past years and the new rate is what should be required?

[24P]

Nah just more money going into the MFS maybe. Seriously i thought the CFS budget on a whole had been cut?

[bittenyakka]

mabey CFS should do what the uni does and go way over budget then the Uni gets a bigger budget the next year.

[Camo]

Nah just more money going into the MFS maybe. Seriously i thought the CFS budget on a whole had been cut?

Think Ashes had said that it had been boosted for next year due to the required driver training....but maybe its been cut from other areas?

[snr1]

The new funding for brigades will start with the new budget year so some brigades will be happy and other wont.... It basically works like this the more calls you do the more money you get,the number of appliances you have and other activates you do..... Wont to know more I would say get along to your next group meeting....coming to a fire station near you

Thats a bit odd Bill cause we heard we'd actually be getting less in our budget next year (Even though we've been busier this year). That to me sounded like the funding had already been set at a fixed rate. 

Not exactly, i understand it goes on an average no. of callouts over the last 5 yrs,how many appliances you have,If you are BA,RCR or HAZMAT,then you are entitled to xtra funding accordingly. The average no. of callouts will put you into a catagory of either a A+,A,B,C or D.Each catagory is then funded the same base rate with the xtra funding added where applicable.

[CFS_Firey]

Not exactly, i understand it goes on an average no. of callouts over the last 5 yrs,how many appliances you have,If you are BA,RCR or HAZMAT,then you are entitled to xtra funding accordingly. The average no. of callouts will put you into a catagory of either a A+,A,B,C or D.Each catagory is then funded the same base rate with the xtra funding added where applicable.

Sounds all very interesting!  Does this mean that brigades will be getting a private allocation of funding, or will groups be given the amount for each brigade?

Also, do you know roughly how many calls would fit into what bracket (Would it be > 400 = A+ and < 5 = D?)?
Finally, any idea how much extra funding is allocated for specialities? (Are we talking $200 extra, or $20,000 extra?)

[snr1]

Not exactly, i understand it goes on an average no. of callouts over the last 5 yrs,how many appliances you have,If you are BA,RCR or HAZMAT,then you are entitled to xtra funding accordingly. The average no. of callouts will put you into a catagory of either a A+,A,B,C or D.Each catagory is then funded the same base rate with the xtra funding added where applicable.

Sounds all very interesting!  Does this mean that brigades will be getting a private allocation of funding, or will groups be given the amount for each brigade?

Also, do you know roughly how many calls would fit into what bracket (Would it be > 400 = A+ and < 5 = D?)?
Finally, any idea how much extra funding is allocated for specialities? (Are we talking $200 extra, or $20,000 extra?)

some of the funds will still be held as usual by groups with some also held at regional level.
An A+ brigade is 150+ callouts per year, A brigade is 76- 149 per year & goes down from there with D- 0-6 per year.
About $250 per BA set & around $1000 for RCR & HAZMAT.

[Alan (Big Al)]

$1000 wouldn't even cover upkeep of 1 set of RCR gear