Crew Rostering

[Zippy]

On the topic of Crew Rostering...i dont entirely agree with it, wont go into it much except, the problem with it, is it can tie people down from normal living activities....we're a volunteer service, we can only provide as much as our lives let us.  There is also the potential for the "same people going to every job", where as with a non-roster system...its whoever turns up.

Its a great system, but theres for's and againsts for it.

[6739264]

Yet again people misunderstand the crew rostering issue. For a good crew roster, you voluntarily place your name on the roster for the given time/day. It then gives people an idea about who is certainly going to be available to cover the local area, and times where people may need to make an extra effort to drop what they are doing and attend the station.

I don't quite see the issue with the same people going to every job if they are they ones that are available. Most Brigades tend to have a core group of committed and interested people who attend far more calls than others.

I think that the SA government needs to start looking at contingency plans in the event of a lack of volunteers, what that plan would be - I dont know, there certainly isnt enough money to turn all CFS station into paid stations, but something needs to be done...

[Zippy]

Yet again people misunderstand the crew rostering issue. For a good crew roster, you voluntarily place your name on the roster for the given time/day. It then gives people an idea about who is certainly going to be available to cover the local area, and times where people may need to make an extra effort to drop what they are doing and attend the station.

ok. its just even when you put your name down,  theres still a 50/50 chance of you actually responding anyhow...  i personally if i was in a brigade that used a form of rostering,  would never put my name down...im never sure when i can and cannot respond...its just that instantaneous decision making that i prefer.

[CFS_Firey]

I think that the SA government needs to start looking at contingency plans in the event of a lack of volunteers, what that plan would be - I dont know, there certainly isn't enough money to turn all CFS station into paid stations, but something needs to be done...

How about having one truck of payed day crew in a central brigade in all the busy groups, (Mawson, Heysen, Lofty, Para, Sturt etc), which responds to any job within that group?  That's more affordable, and would at least guarantee a response to any jobs in that area.

[tft]

 CFS_Firey I think that is the way to go with the central brigade in the group to be paid.
Lots of other activities can be completed when not at fire calls
1 day at each station for brigade maintenance
Training
Pre Plans
Bushfire prevention
School, nursing homes etc visits

[Zippy]

Thats a great idea!   a crew of 5 paid firefighters 2 shifts....10 Paid firefighters per group that has a brigade that has over 200 calls per year?

[CFS_Firey]

You could even get away with a crew of 4 and only 1 shift (if they all got along ).  As for call numbers, you'd probably be better off looking at a group's total number of primary calls, rather than individual brigades. (Although you also don't necessarily need to confine them to groups - eg. one truck at Bridgewater could cover Stirling and Mt Barker's areas, (as has been discussed here before).

[tft]

It's not about high call numbers it is about risk.
If you used the call number theory, why would you ever have an Airport fire service or MFS in the large country towns.

[CFS_Firey]

It's not about high call numbers it is about risk.
If you used the call number theory, why would you ever have an Airport fire service or MFS in the large country towns.

True, but its harder to justify paid CFS crews sitting around doing nothing in a high risk area when there are brigades defaulting in an area with less risk...

[tft]

I agree you can't have them doing nothing. But lots of other tasks they can be doing.

[CFS_Firey]

That's also true, but I still think call numbers should be taken into account...  After all, the paid crews would be there to cover for crewing troubles, otherwise we may as well employ admins staff rather than fireys...

[6739264]

It would also help to have an idea of the availability of brigade members, in the areas. You have some busy areas, yet they are most often able to fully crew (eg: Mt. Barker) other areas with more prominent crew issues may well need the staffed crew.

The next problem would of course be what roster would they run? 24/7? Weekdays? Day crew? What truck/s would they have?

[Pipster]

It would appear that many people don't fully understand crew rosters........

Different brigades work things differently - and rosters are not all the same.

I know of some brigades that roster, so that everyone gets a chance to go out to a call, rather than the same few people always getting out, and the same people always missing out (and sometimes the ones that get out all the time do so because they may as well be living at the station!!)

For others it means you are on roster, and need to respond to anything that occurs..but if you are not on roster, you don't have to go anywhere.   Flexability exists so that if you know you can't respond on a given day, when you are on the roster, you organise a swap with someone who can.

This type of roster also ensures that a truck will get out of the door on all occasions.

And while on the subject of crewing, some brigades, particularly those in perhaps a busy regional centre, rather than put major stress on their own members by having to respond to a relatively high number of calls, they identify members from other brigades, who are perhaps working in the Regional centre, who are capable / suitable, and approach them to respond with that regional centre brigade - ensuring a good day time response, and enhancing brigade relations etc etc... lots of good things out of it....

Pip