should CFS volunteers get cheeper registration on cars

[Pipster]

I would think they would have some sort of system set out where you would have to turn out to so many call outs training nights and meetings to qualify and set it up some way or how so that people just don't join to gain the benefits if ya know what I mean!!

So perhaps, to qualify for the benefit, you need to attend, say 50% of the calls your brigade responds to, and 50% of the brigades meetings....could it be something like that?

[Darius]

isn't there already some definition of what an "active member" is? (like being available to respond to 30% of callouts, at least one brigade meeting in 4 or something??)

[fire fighter kiki]

Not too sure I know if you don't got to any call outs trainings or meetings in 6 months then the brigade can send you a letter asking what you are going to be doing or if you have a good reason why you haven't been going to them like work not too sure other wise....

[Smallflame]

I would think they would have some sort of system set out where you would have to turn out to so many call outs training nights and meetings to qualify and set it up some way or how so that people just don't join to gain the benefits if ya know what I mean!!

So perhaps, to qualify for the benefit, you need to attend, say 50% of the calls your brigade responds to, and 50% of the brigades meetings....could it be something like that?

That sounds like a pretty fair way of doing it, though should there be a minimum term of service? Perhaps a year?

[fire03rescue]

50 % of calls is some brigades could be .5 calls per year or nearly 200 calls

[Pipster]

50 % of calls is some brigades could be .5 calls per year or nearly 200 calls

And therein lies the problem.

Lets say you a criteria of attendance at 50% of calls, and 50% of meetings, to qualify for cheaper rego / ESL.

More than 50% of brigades statewide do less than 20 calls a year.

Lets say a member of one of those brigades attended 50% of calls, attending a total of 10 calls in a year.  A member of a busy brigade with 200 calls a year, only manages to make it to 40% of the calls - but attends 80 calls.   

If you apply the criteria of attending 50% of calls, using this example, the person who attends 10 calls a year gets a discount, as they attend 50% of their brigade call outs, but the person who attends 80 calls, but only 40% of their brigades's call outs doesn't get a discount....

Is a system like that fair?   

[Toast]

The whole service ranges so wildly in terms of call out numbers, even within the same group. There almost needs to be bands that brigades fit into for resource allocation etc etc. You can't compare a 20 call a year brigade to a 300+ call a year brigade, two totally different worlds.

[PF_]

yes it is fairly fair as the 200 call brigade has got more oppurtunity to go to calls than the 20 call out brigade.  If anything it is unfair to the 20 call out brigade as they have less oppurtunity to make it to call outs. 

[Mel]

im pretty sure if you know what your doing you can get some rego, mileage, fuel back in tax if you keep track af all call outs attended, traing meetings ect, you would also need to keep reciepts.

pretty sure its that way its also the same for sub contractors

[RescueHazmat]

im pretty sure if you know what your doing you can get some rego, mileage, fuel back in tax if you keep track af all call outs attended, traing meetings ect, you would also need to keep reciepts.

pretty sure its that way its also the same for sub contractors

?

[Scania_1]

Yes but what you do as a volunteer is not your paid job so how could you claim it as a work deduction>

[Pipster]

I reckon those types of deductions only relate to business expenses, not volunteer expenses...eg a sub contractor can claim milage back on tax, in certain circumstances.

Unfortunately, there is little that a volunteer can claim back on their tax......

Pip

[Mel]

ill look into it, nut i was advised but a tax dude that it can be done, might be a secret clause or something, lol
get back to yas l8ter

[Darius]

if you're not earning an incoming from it then you can't claim it as a deduction (rough rule-of-thumb).

although really in fact you can claim whatever-the-hell you want on your tax, the difficult part comes if/when you get audited and have to justify it.

(claiming a mileage allowance for attending courses and some meetings etc is different as that is an allowance paid to you by the CFS, not a deduction on your tax)

[loopylou]

I think that basing rego/esl on training attendance is probably a more efficient way of judging whether someone qualifies. Being efficiently trained and maintaining that level of training to CFS standards should be enough. An alternative would be just to have the Captain or Admin officer sign off that the member is active and attends 'enough CFS activites' to qualify.