CFS in the future....is there a future to look forward to

[BundyBear]

Fly on the wall sorry to disappoint but I'm actually paid and volunteer...

I think we could just have a better model of fire and rescue response in this state. Some paid stations could be retained, some retained could be volunteer or the other way some volunteer could be retained to cover the individuals cost then once those retained stations become too busy they could become paid!

CFS and MFS duplicate some services in both HQ's that could be cut as well!

To answer your questions
 
Maybe the CFS areas in question have problems getting a crew? NO
Yeah, CFS has BA operators but what are the trucks urban pumping capabilities?
Some have pumper and some have 34P's which dont cut the mustard but they can be found deep in CFS area's in large country towns so change is required there!
How far into urban environments are some of the CFS Brigades?
urban fringe think that pretty much explains it!
Have you seen some of the CFS/MFS boundaries and the risks on the CFS side?
Bit of a broad range and diverse statement!
Are you worried that you can't tell anyone that you are a firefighter anymore?
As above both paid and vol!

[pumprescue]

Bundy old mate, think you have been sucked into the raving lunatic CFS world, what you say does not happen, I swear to god some of these CFS goons sit there and make stuff up just for the fun of it.

CFS is a lost cause, if it wasn't for the fact it was the only fire protection my town has available I sure as hell wouldn't be a part of it.

Run by volunteers who are raving lunatics, just read the minutes Alex was alluding too, not a single one of them has the community in mind at all, its all about the EGO.

God I can't wait until the MFS walk into my town and take it over, the CFS is a joke, a sick joke!

This is me talking as a CFS Volunteer of 17 years service!

[flyonthewall]

I think we could just have a better model of fire and rescue response in this state. Some paid stations could be retained, some retained could be volunteer or the other way some volunteer could be retained to cover the individuals cost then once those retained stations become too busy they could become paid!

.....WTF?

..... paid become retained, retained become volunteers and then volunteers become retained, finally retained become paid. 

 

[pumprescue]

You could close some retained and leave it to the CFS and make some CFS day crew retained, but good luck telling a retained station that they are now volunteer "by the way you got paid for it last week but now we want you to do it for free"

[flyonthewall]

I'll try to come back to topic!......

First and foremost, I have not had anything to do with the CFS. My only experiences with the CFS have been responding with CFS crews to calls and working with CFS crews at incidents, so I cannot comment on how the management operates the CFS as a whole.

I can only comment on what I have read, both in the paper and on this forum. I have worked as a volunteer and understand the issues that come with volunteering, both internally and externally. There are always issues between induvidual brigades/units/stations, and the good old 'recognition' of the service that has been provided free of charge.

Now back to the topic,
.....a future to look forwards to?....
From my outsiders point of view, each time I see a story in the paper regarding the CFS, it always seems to be a whinge about something. Last time I recall an article that I read was something along the lines of - the CFS is having issues with the SACAD system and are being overwhelmed by the amount of calls that the CFS is attending. Yes, there are issues but complaining about how many calls the service is now going to,..... I mean, C'mon. I do realise this is coming from the management but this is what is being put out there to the public.
I have personally attended jobs and heard the CFS guys say " If this is not a going job, we don't want to be responded " - this was in one of those urban fringe areas that is CFS area.

All that ever seems to happen on this forum is people whinging. From what I have picked up on here, it seems that the CFS is one big circus being run by each brigade because no one knows what the management is doing. Unfortunately, I believe that without a solid foundation, the house will never be straight and in the CFS' case, the footings are crooked and until everyone is reading the same page, your future looks dim and might even collapse one day.

My opinion from the outside looking in.

[pumprescue]

I agree with the last part of your post, CFS still operates as 450 seperate fire brigades, until that changes we won't go anywhere but backwards.

[disOrderly]

Why not just have the SAFS? Run all the fire services under one roof and that way everything is more consistent and streamlined?

A SAAS volunteer has the same uniform, callsign, qualification (in some cases), ambulance and equipment as the paid staff. They get sent into paid station areas and vice versa. It doesn't seem that hard?

[FlameTrees]

Why not just have the SAFS? Run all the fire services under one roof and that way everything is more consistent and streamlined?

A SAAS volunteer has the same uniform, callsign, qualification (in some cases), ambulance and equipment as the paid staff. They get sent into paid station areas and vice versa. It doesn't seem that hard?

3 reasons it would never happen.

1. U
2. F
3. U

[pumprescue]

It would if it involved gaining more paid staff members and more paying members....

[flyonthewall]

If that were the case (having one fire service) I would bet my house on it that the CFS would still run like the CFS - 450 brigades doing their own thing.

Can we start by rubbing out the urban fringe brigades?

[misterteddy]

If that were the case (having one fire service) I would bet my house on it that the CFS would still run like the CFS - 450 brigades doing their own thing.

Can we start by rubbing out the urban fringe brigades?

I don't think you'd get too much argument from any of the urban fringe Brigades about turning up as Volunteers in Blue. In terms of systems, training, equipment, vehicles and support they would be 100% ahead of where they are now.

If you are talking about them being paid - not sure what planet you're on or what paper you read.....where do u think the extra $1.5mill per station just to cover wages of 4 people per shift is going to come from?