Metro CFS volunteers

[5271rescue]

At a meeting that the VFBA had here not so long ago and Euan was here he was talking about having a reserve list of city people or those that lived in MFS area who wanted to help CFS.These people would be like the army reserve and would do the training but be located in Adelaide and would come out to large jobs and help...Sounds good idea to me what you all think?

[Zippy]

that is a good idea!  especially for the busy areas....have a secondary group of members in the 15min's from station zone (Traffic lights  )   

Ive been talking to a CFA member, and he says that members are allowed to respond to any station in the state      Would be pretty hard over there, seeing as pagers only work in there "base" region.

further to that...can also have membership at multiple brigades...would be good for people who work close to other CFS brigades.

[CFS_Firey]

There is another thread about this floating around, but I can't seem to find it... So here's a new one!

[bittenyakka]

Well I like the idea of having metro volunteers but (on the assumption that they only really get on strike teams)think that some people who live locally and go on every 2nd job would hate to loose there seat to a non local FF who isn't a frequent member. So in some brigades they might not get much of a run.

the other option is to build accommodation blocks onto stations that out of area members can take shifts in, but i don't really like the chances of that happening.

[Zippy]

Could even have satelite CFS stations located in the Metro area. So that those members can respond to there station, specifically for strike teams to incidents around the urban fringe.

[ltdan]

It will happen!!

Good move for the fire services and for the community we serve.

[bajdas]

It will happen!!

Good move for the fire services and for the community we serve.

Place a fire truck in the SES LHQ's (prefer new locations). The combined volunteers can do the SES responses and backup the CFS during summer.

Oh sorry, that would be a combined volunteer emergency service that is a proper merger, rather than a takeover, wouldn't it 

Yes, I believe this might/maybe happen in future years when the politics are sorted out.

The idea is that the majority of volunteer work in metro & regional centres would be current SES taskings and CFS taskings in country areas.

[Pixie]

I also gather from a meeting that i attened last night that Euan wants to try to set up USAR rescources within the SACFS...

[pumprescue]

Good idea but would be very hard...

They wouldnt be much good to urban fringe brigades because of all the extra training they do and amount of fire calls to keep skills up to scratch and i then worry on the other hand sending people who do not turn out on a regular basis to the bigger fires??

[24P]

It will happen!!

Good move for the fire services and for the community we serve.

You're right there it will.

[bittenyakka]

i doubt it would work but could we get 24hour manned stations run purely by vollies?
As you would have in station accommodation then out of area members could be a reality yet stations would need a lot more members on their books.

[5271rescue]

I think this would work well and if city people are willing to give up there time do the training and want to help the CFS at large rural jobs then lets give it ago.It may not work for urban brigade's but what if some of these urban brigade's open there books to new members who live 10 Min's away who are willing to help and do the training.These members could become station volunteers who Mann the station on a roster system so as to provide a 24 hr service to the community.Sure we would have to have accommodation at some stations,but what about day time crews that could be on a roster that suites them.may sound silly but it could work if some brigade's where willing to try it and open there membership books. I am well aware of urban brigade's  who have closed their books but their brigade still struggle or can't get out the door during the day.

[bittenyakka]

However the urban brigade would need to have a high enough call rate to make it worthwhile. i wouldn't like to sit in the station doing nothing. Mind you study comes to mind

[CFS_Firey]

I am well aware of urban brigade's  who have closed their books but their brigade still struggle or can't get out the door during the day.

Before some brigades can open their books, the CFS will need to change the policy to only train to the minimum SFEC.  You could have 200 members on the books but they're not going to be much good if you can't even get the members you have trained up...

However the urban brigade would need to have a high enough call rate to make it worthwhile. i wouldn't like to sit in the station doing nothing. Mind you study comes to mind

There are no brigades that get more than 1-2 calls a day (averaged out), you'd get a lot of study done!

[5271rescue]

A brigade or group can apply to have its SFEC changed in consultation with the region and SHQ.

[bittenyakka]

I am sure it would be reasonable to allow a brigade that did 800 calls to upgrade their allowed quotas. otherwise the system wouldn't work.

[fireblade]

It sounds like a feasible option and the concerns raised with the metro CFS crew training would be no different from training a new member. The experience level that they would miss out on like a normal brigade member going to jobs over time would be a concern, which could be easily covered by splitting these members up through strike teams. Similar to what some groups are doing now with composite strike teams with an appliance covered with fire fighters from that group’s brigades.

Also they could help brigades/ groups that are struggling with numbers on active stand-by days.

The suggestion of having them man busy urban fringe brigades during the day I tend to disagree with due to the fact that it would take some time to get them to a decent level of training to cover structure fires and road crash rescue which is the highest amount of jobs those brigades respond to. Also I think if an urban brigade is so busy that it requires full time crew there I say make it paid, I understand we are volunteers but we are not free labour to be exploited. Plus I think they would quickly loose interest sitting around a station all day maybe going to one or two stop calls or nothing as our urban fringe brigades are not super busy.

In closing I think it would be a great idea for some really keen people. As I know my station turns some people away as they live to far away for a decent response time. A good idea!

[5271rescue]

Ok,by the sound of it you all think its a good idea?? so next time you see Euan give him your full support for this as its his idea and a very good one.

[24P]

Ok,by the sound of it you all think its a good idea?? so next time you see Euan give him your full support for this as its his idea and a very good one.

It's not actually his idea. A proposal was put to the CFS some time ago on this "idea".

[Darius]

Before some brigades can open their books, the CFS will need to change the policy to only train to the minimum SFEC.

it has been changed, or clarified, it's maximum not minimum (in R1 at least but I presume the same everywhere).

[Blue]

Geez, lets give the CO some cred for a good plan. Cos after all, its his headon the block if there's a bad plan, why can't he get kudos for a good one for a change   

I thought the metro thing would be where you basically do a bush fire fighting version of BFF1, and a bit of training, but essentially you're called upon for strike teams on day 4, 5, 6, or whenever it is that we start running out of volunteers as does happens.

Those that say 'but they wouldn't have much experience or training' well none of us can really say we have a huge amount of experience at big fires, thank goodness, and with any luck we never will! So the answer is that you would use the metro based people as fill-ins under guidance and direction wherever needed from people that have experienced some flames - the fifth person on the appliance for example.

Yeah?

[CFS_Firey]

Those that say 'but they wouldn't have much experience or training' well none of us can really say we have a huge amount of experience at big fires, thank goodness, and with any luck we never will! So the answer is that you would use the metro based people as fill-ins under guidance and direction wherever needed from people that have experienced some flames - the fifth person on the appliance for example.

Yeah?

Well, theoretically, if these crews were doing even 10 strike teams every season, that's more fires than many rural CFS brigades do...

[SA Firey]

With $1.5 million dollars slashed from the CFS budget I dont think there will be too many training courses this year to put the Metro ones through

[alphaone]

This was on channel seven news to night. Looks like Metro Volunteers will be doing a sort version of the BFF1, 1 day course. It was interesting to listen to.

[firehawk]

My understanding of the system, from Euans report on the news is that it would be only during the fire danger season and for large, campain type incidents. The day to day responding would not change, and when a big one hits, the normal vollies would be initial attack, then as relievers, the city folk would come in for a shift or two. Their training would only be bush fire training ie. BFF1, and i imagine they would need to be working with full members when on the fire ground for supervision/safety purposes.