New Operations Staff for CFS

[nomex_nugget]

In case you missed it in the budget announcements the other week, the CFS has funding for more operational staff..


31 May - INCREASED OPERATIONAL PLANNING SUPPORT FOR CFS  
The Rann Government will provide the SA Country Fire Service with an extra $2.5 million over the next four years to allow the CFS to increase its operational planning throughout the State.

The 2005 State Budget includes allocations of $612,000 in 2005/06, $627,000 in 2006/07, $643,000 in 2007/08 and $659,000 in 2008/09 for the increased operational planning support.

Currently, the CFS has an operational planning section with three full-time staff located at CFS Headquarters, and one regional operations planning officer located in four of the six CFS Regions.

Emergency Services Minister Carmel Zollo says the extra resources being provided by the Rann Government will allow the CFS to add an extra operational planning officer for the remaining two regions.

“The CFS will also be able to employ an extra operations planning officer for the two most active CFS regions – Regions One and Two - as well as two additional operational planning officers for CFS Headquarters, with associated administrative support,” said Minister Zollo.

“The additional operational planning officers will increase the Country Fire Service’s capacity to prepare adequate Risk and Response Plans – enhancing the CFS operational response to incidents and emergencies.”

“The extra funding allows our CFS to take a major step towards the national focus of increased operational planning and preparedness, and to actively participate in State, national and international planning activities – including counter-terrorism exercises.”

[Good times]

And they will still be over worked and under payed, but its a start, they might be able to get stuck into stuff like SFEC's and related topics rather than just keeping the day to day stuff moving along. But correct me if I am wrong, didn't they cut heaps of people a few years ago, so really we are just getting back to where we were.

[CFS_Firey]

If they are hiring an extra 4 staff, and the funding starts at $612,000 a year, where is the extra money going? Or are the staff getting paid REALLY well?

[Firefrog]

It makes sense to me. Gross wages, uniforms, super, car, Training, project budget etc etc.

The press release also says that the new staff will have adminstrative support and a cost is attributed to that. So it seems about right to me - not much change out of 600k.

This is my theory not based in facts 

[oz fire]

As is government practice the jobs will be advertised - so you will see how well they get paid and what they are expected to do! Expectations will far outweigh pay!

However suspect is will be more of the same - over worked, long hours and trying their best to assist brigades and groups to get on with the job - rather a thankless task when they work office hours, then come to meetings with us a night (and they have many brigades and groups to associate with) then they provide on-call 24/7 and respond to emergencies, phone calls from the public, from brigades and groups and from other services after hours!

As stated - the wage component is a Small portion of the monies - it's all the associated costs that add up - cars alone are in excess of 10k per year, training several $1000 per course, uniform (PPE & day wear) over $1k, office expenses, equipment, admin support, accommodation for travel, expenses for meetings (catering for us) the list goes on!

And then, look across the border and see that our staff aren't very well paid but do a GREAT job for so few with such a large and diverse state!