low numbers

[rescue5271]

Recently I did some work at a SES unit,very nice station and appliances but when I asked how many members they had I was shocked to hear that out of the 14 members they had only 3 where RCR trained. This unit sits on two very busy highways and the next SES unit which is 45kms away is their back up to the east and CFS back up to west is 65kms away.

When does SES step in and look at the low RCR members and do something aboutit?? There is a CFS brigade in the town but they also have declining numbers,would it not be more of a benifit to the community to all both services trainned in RCR???
The SES unit has done very well to keep going but if it does not get new members or other members trained then the community will suffer....

[6739264]

_LOW

Anyhow, its in places such as this where I believe that the community would benefit from a combined Emergency Service. No use training CFS bods and SES bods and equipping both. People just need to be big enough to 'go over' to the other service. Note: I'm not always suggesting that SES should merge into CFS... perhaps vice versa is warranted in some situations?

I honestly can't see any way around it. Regardless of weather or not people want to have a single service in some towns, lack of numbers looks like it will force the hand of many areas.

And yes, I know full well that some joined CFS for fires and not rescue, as well as those who joined SES for rescue and not fires, and its not as easy as just switching.

[littlejohn]

Bill, you're drawing a long bow to suggest one SES crew's low number of RCR people is a statewide issue that should have been addressed by the state body.

Maybe combining CFS & SES in that town would fix the problem, but by the same token if say the CFS folk wanted to do RCR etc, wouldn't they have already joined the SES?

[rescue5271]

John,its not that simple as I have found out for ses or cfs to become the one service in some country towns.....

[6739264]

John,its not that simple as I have found out for ses or cfs to become the one service in some country towns.....

And thats usually because of the personalities involved. As I said before, people need to grow up and realise that we are working for the community, not for ourselves and to sometimes put that first. I really hope that those 3 RCR operators have no life and sit around the station all day every day.

[rescue5271]

The 3 members of the unit all work out of town and so they have put in place that on all RCR call outs that two RCR unit/brigades be paged from SES or CFS..I agree We all have to put a side our differance's and get on with the job as at the end of the day we are here to provide a service...

[chook]

And the situation will get worse - I have flagged this earlier in another post.
It shows how different SA has become, falling numbers but increased funding, better training, better equipment & better facilities.
I now live in a shire of about 12000 which supports NSWFB (2 trucks plus a Hazmat truck fully crewed), RFS of about 10 members, NSWRS (VRA) about 15 members & SES 20 members.
Now not all towns have this level of community support, but it makes you wonder about how SA is really tackling this issue, maybe we are trying to support too many units brigades & stations for the size of our population. Or is it a deeper issue? (maybe too much BS).
Anyway I'm sure the brains trust will sought it out
Cheers

[bajdas]

Maybe they just need to get the volunteer recruitment & retention system working properly via the relevant Regional Office. Also, maybe the local volunteer managers (Captain & UM) looking at combined training or pushing for a combined facility if that is what both sides really want.
Unknown if that is what the local volunteers want from both sides because we are not there.

[6739264]

I now live in a shire of about 12000 which supports NSWFB (2 trucks plus a Hazmat truck fully crewed), RFS of about 10 members, NSWRS (VRA) about 15 members & SES 20 members.
Now not all towns have this level of community support, but it makes you wonder about how SA is really tackling this issue, maybe we are trying to support too many units brigades & stations for the size of our population. Or is it a deeper issue? (maybe too much BS).
Anyway I'm sure the brains trust will sought it out
Cheers

That seems like a big town with a small few stretched thin. How many people are members of multiple services? I would imagine that NSWFB Station there is not retained? I would have thought that SA measures up well compared to your new home, what with 3 Rescue and 2 firefighting services all in the one town!

Sounds like the recipe for a big shitfest.

[chook]

Yep you are right - big area to cover. NSWFB is retained, they can get back up from Griffith, Narrandera or Yenda when required. There are shared members between NSWRS & SES but not with NSWFB or RFS. Narrandera also has a NSWRS squad.
So far though Leeton NSWFB seem to be able to deal with most things themselves.
And it is one of the few retained stations that doesn't have vacancies.
Compared to Berri yes seems a bit "light on", so I guess SA is lucky. When I find out more I will let you know.
cheers

[6739264]

Yep you are right - big area to cover. NSWFB is retained, they can get back up from Griffith, Narrandera or Yenda when required. There are shared members between NSWRS & SES but not with NSWFB or RFS. Narrandera also has a NSWRS squad.
So far though Leeton NSWFB seem to be able to deal with most things themselves.
And it is one of the few retained stations that doesn't have vacancies.
Compared to Berri yes seems a bit "light on", so I guess SA is lucky. When I find out more I will let you know.
cheers

Ah interesting. By the sounds of it the NSWFB retained in your area don't seem to have the same issues as some of our SA retained in terms of crew numbers and availability issues? And its great to see that there is still very little cross over between fire service and rescue service members! Even interstate nothing changes!

[chook]

Not quite true - most of the Retained stations have vacancies, even in major population centres that support more than one station. Leeton is a rarity, the next closest stations are both short.
I think that the cross over thing is more to do with having other things to do, rather than any interservice stuff. Sport & drinking is very big here
And despite the the drought problems people have plenty to do (i.e. there is plenty of work). Yanco which is the closest RFS brigade has the feedlot/meat works & a big farming community plus state forests, so its in their best interest to have a strong brigade. Again they are 7 - 8 kms from the Rescue Squad so to be in both would potentially leave their community unprotected.
I think over the years the shire has worked things out very well for themselves, and everyone is happy to do their own thing. Plus thereis heaps of community spirit!
Finally out of interest the controller of the local SES is also the boss of the local rescue squad & yet they are totally seperate entities - on paper anyway
cheers

[6739264]

Finally out of interest the controller of the local SES is also the boss of the local rescue squad & yet they are totally seperate entities - on paper anyway

Hahaha, I like the sound of that!

[chook]

Thought you might - more than one way to skin a cat