SA Firefighter

Well I happen to drive past their station on Sat morning on my way to Waterfall Gully, all looked normal, no "For Sale" signs showing. 

Interesting, at least it might stop the confusion SACAD has between Stirling and Stirling North. So the two are joined one and become "Crafers CFS". 

As has already been said, get the approval from your Region first. My brigade purchased an Argus 4 which is the same model that the CFS & MFS use. It is a good unit and easy to use, also all the risk assessments and approvals for use have already been done.

Ultimately SAPOL are responsible for traffic control but we all know the number of times that they have been unable to attend or provide the required level of service. Yes the responsibility lies with the OIC to ensure a safe workplace is provided for the crew (and) public. Now if this means closing down the road altogether, then if justified do it, but manage the situation appropriately. If you don't have SAPOL, get onto ADLFIRE and request additional appliances to place further down the road, around the bends etc to provide the warning to the approaching vehicles of the accident, giving them as much distance a possible to do the right thing and reduce their speed in a safe manner.

In the case of the SE freeway, there is a higher risk of secondary accidents occurring than the risk to emergency workers. Certainly, if the speed past the accident can be reduced, then "happy days" but it must be correctly managed.

So Matt, once you get the new truck sorted, what's to become with "The Dennis"?

...why doesn't the CFS do what the Mets do, and use designated RITs?

My question is "what do METS have in place in regard to RIT"? We first need hard evidence of what we should have, or be doing before we can request a change by the CFS Management. If METS have a formal training package that covers RIT I'd be interested to know why CFS brigades that also have an urban response don't have access to it. What makes our lives less valuable! Because really, that's what it comes down too.

This request may be more related to "working with minors" than CFS cadet Regs. As an ex Airforce cadet instructor (13 years) we never placed ourselves in a position where their was only the one adult present. Especially if there is only one or two cadets. It is unfortunate I know, but that is now the world we're in. Ultimately it is for the protection of both the instructors as well as the cadets.

The Bridgewater Country Fire Service mourns the passing of one of our founding members, Charles Washington Rosewarne (AM).

Charlie Rosewarne was elected as the first Captain of the Bridgewater Brigade in 1951.

Charlie’s initial stint as Captain was between 1951 and 1956 and then he again took on the role between 1957 and 1963.  He also took on the role of Brigade President between 1953 and 1954.  These were his official management roles, but we know that he had a love of training and training others and so began the evolution in Emergency Fire Service and then Country Fire Service training.

Charlie went on to establish and run the Mt Lofty CFS Training Centre initially on land which is now beneath the South Eastern Freeway and then in the old Stirling East Primary School.  As Captain of the Training Centre it was Charlies dream to build on the skills required for not only fighting bushfires, but the many other skills now required for fire-fighters.  Charlie's entrepreneurial skills saw the growth of the Training Centre through donations that in the end were used to purchase the site of the current State Training Centre at Brukunga.  Even when he got too old (his words) to conduct training, he organised a group of blokes to work behind the scenes.  This group were naturally dubbed “Charlie's Angels” and together with Charlie they ensured that the training centre at Stirling East (old as it was) was always clean and well maintained.

On the 26th January 1978 Charlie was awarded the ‘Member of the Order of Australia’.  The citation read “for community service particularly in the organisation & training of emergency fire services”.

On the 14th June 1978 he was awarded the ‘Nation Medal’ and subsequentley 3 further clasps to the medal.

In 2001 he received the International Year of Volunteer Medal and in 2010 the C.F.S. Service Medal for his 59 years of service to the organisation.

The communities of the Adelaide Hills probably do not realise that Charlie Rosewarne is the man who made their communities as safe as they are today because of his pro-active approach in getting training organised and delivered to many, many fire fighters for well over 25 years.

The Bridgewater CFS members proudly remember Charlie and we pass on our sincere condolences to his family.  Charlie passed away peacefully on Thursday 31st March 2011, now re-united with his beloved wife, Ruth.

Rest in peace mate!

Unfortunately, I feel that it will take a coroners investigation to occur before any real change happens in relation to appropriate levels of training in the CFS, particularly in BA. 

Just because some brigades choose to follow SOP's and not use K-codes does not make them unprofessional! I'm ex military, and we were trained in the importance of clear concise radio transmissions, no codes were used then and I doubt if they are now. The importance of the basic radio transmission rules for a military application are just as relevant for the CFS, why introduce additional confusion or doubt. It just provides further opportunity to mess up.

Numbers, your preaching to the converted. All I'm saying is if your on the first arriving appliance and other resources are still enroute, then you don't have the luxury of being able to slow down approaching traffic progressivly.

The CFSVA already have lines of communication open with the minister and we would be foolish not to use that.

So we can make snide little remarks about the CFSVA on a web forum, or gripe about lack of training courses, bicker amongst ourselves, or just whinge about things.  Or we can help the CFSVA to help all of us and get a bit vocal and militant and try to improve things.

I fully agree with your comment. Why don't we all then email the CFSVA. We often see legitimate issues posted here that we all "carry-on" about, what is to stop us CCing the same post onto CFSVA.