SA Firefighter
General Discussion => Country Fire Service => Topic started by: wicky on April 01, 2009, 03:28:01 PM
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When you join CFS do they supply all your PPE ie: Jacket, pants etc or do you pay for it yourself ?????
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bunker coat and pants [level 1 & PBI [inc flashhood/structure gloves] if BA operator]
gloves
goggles
helmet
boots [type depends on the group really...]
smoke masks
I would expect all this gear to be supplied to any members upon joining, obviously PBI would take a while due to needing BA accred.
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Boots....After a year, pursue having boots that protect your ankle and lower 5th of your Shin.
I started out with really lowcut boots, i forked out $66 on Ebay and bought myself some Taipans due to cfs bought replacement being a highly likely NO...so i avoided 5-8 years of waiting. These boots have proven to be brilliant.
Trying to obtain a Structure Helmet Torch now.
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CFS pays for minumum gear which alex mentioned, then it is up to your group eg mine supply helmet torches for BA operators.
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Boots....After a year, pursue having boots that protect your ankle and lower 5th of your Shin.
I started out with really lowcut boots, i forked out $66 on Ebay and bought myself some Taipans due to cfs bought replacement being a highly likely NO...so i avoided 5-8 years of waiting. These boots have proven to be brilliant.
Trying to obtain a Structure Helmet Torch now.
boots after a year???....wtf!!!......what a stupid decision that is.
So Mr I don't know too much about firefighting cos I just joined can buy a stupid set of boots that negates all the benefit of his PPE, all for the sake of a few bucks.....this should be merged into the Dads Army Thread...that is truly stunning
And CFS pays for nothing I think u'll find. Your Group pays for PPE out of its annual operating budget. Again....false budgetting and adding needless costs to the process
Wicky....hopefully u live in an enlightened Group, that provieds u the full suite of PPE (including boots) that keeps u safe on the fireground....if not, then let us know...no rule against dumbness sometimes
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Your Group pays for PPE out of its annual operating budget.
Actually misterteddy, the PPC budget is held at a regional level to ensure people dont continually order new gear because they think they need it :wink:
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Wicky....hopefully u live in an enlightened Group, that provieds u the full suite of PPE (including boots) that keeps u safe on the fireground....if not, then let us know...no rule against dumbness sometimes
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Id be pretty shocked if this wasn the case.
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Boots....After a year, pursue having boots that protect your ankle and lower 5th of your Shin.
I started out with really lowcut boots, i forked out $66 on Ebay and bought myself some Taipans due to cfs bought replacement being a highly likely NO...so i avoided 5-8 years of waiting. These boots have proven to be brilliant.
Trying to obtain a Structure Helmet Torch now.
I assume the if you are after a "Structure Helmet Torch" (What the christ is that?) then you are a CABA operator? If so, then you should be supplied a set of CFS spec Structural Firefighting Boots. These should replace the low cut Rural Firefighting Boots.
It's not replacement its merely having correct Structural Firefighting kit.
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did ask for them, "told they were adequate". Didnt bother pursuing it any further, YES cause i knew better, was lucky to find cheap taipans and bought em. Aint really fussed with the small expense.
More than likely will purchase a helmet torch, of my preference, over the preference of the Group Purchasing officer....... Dont fancy having a lopsided helmet when i get "taken" by a fireground photographer lol.
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Your Group pays for PPE out of its annual operating budget.
Actually misterteddy, the PPC budget is held at a regional level to ensure people dont continually order new gear because they think they need it :wink:
maybe in your Region.... not in all of them. Certainly not in mine.
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Well that might explain why Region 2 brigades have such a mish mash of filtered looking turnout gear, never seen such a motley crew, ok well I have, but you know what I mean.
If ANYONE denies you anything, then tell them to go jump and take it to the group, if they say no, then take it to the region NO ONE CAN DENY YOU THE MINIMUM PPE!! Sick of these old fuddy duddy CFS people in brigades and groups that refuse to get stuff for you, as they deem you don't really need it, ITS NOT UP TO YOU !! CFS have minimum PPE, you will buy it, its your job to buy it, not decide if people need it or not.
My equipment officer buys what is needed , no questions asked, so long as your gear needs replacing, it gets replaced. I can't beleive in this day and age people are still arguing and denying people equipment.
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Well that might explain why Region 2 brigades have such a mish mash of filtered looking turnout gear, never seen such a motley crew, ok well I have, but you know what I mean.
If ANYONE denies you anything, then tell them to go jump and take it to the group, if they say no, then take it to the region NO ONE CAN DENY YOU THE MINIMUM PPE!! Sick of these old fuddy duddy CFS people in brigades and groups that refuse to get stuff for you, as they deem you don't really need it, ITS NOT UP TO YOU !! CFS have minimum PPE, you will buy it, its your job to buy it, not decide if people need it or not.
My equipment officer buys what is needed , no questions asked, so long as your gear needs replacing, it gets replaced. I can't beleive in this day and age people are still arguing and denying people equipment.
Group/Brigade does have the boots i required & Purchased. But they were "Intended only for those that need replacement due to old age and condition".
And can ya observe in my posts, im over part-taking in certain types of politics.
Id like to see things change...and improve....
But there's only so much a lowly JAFF "white hat" can do, as we all know..and it takes far longer time to happen.
Wicky, when it comes to it, Let us know what you get...right down to the minor details, and we'll tell ya what you should be asking for that will reflect the Safety First message much more!
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Your Group pays for PPE out of its annual operating budget.
Actually misterteddy, the PPC budget is held at a regional level to ensure people dont continually order new gear because they think they need it :wink:
maybe in your Region.... not in all of them. Certainly not in mine.
so obviously you're not in region 1 mr teddy (I assumed you were from other postings).
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dont forget that CFS Wet Weather gear should also be included in Minimum PPE.
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There are still brigades out there waiting for their PBI orders to be completed. :-o
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How hard is it to get it right for PBI Gold
Step 1 - BA COURSE
Step 2 - Get sized up on BA course
Step 3 - Order PBI gold
Step 4 - Send the PBI gold out
If they are going to have 5 BA courses a year with 12 firefighters on a course, it's not hard to do the maths.
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Thanks everyone for the input.
haven't joined yet.
was just curious as to what is supplied and what you buy yourself.
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can someone please clarify what is the standard structural boot? ie Zippy is complaining but i have seen his old boots and thought that was what was the accepted boot.
I also recently got some new CFS issue boots and looked them up on the tipan website and they were considered a structural boot. is that what you guys are referring to?
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The tipans come in two styles... Low cut = Rural, High Cut = Structural...
I am pretty sure the Structural meet a different (higher) ??Australian?? standard...
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Exactly :)
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The tipans come in two styles... Low cut = Rural, High Cut = Structural...
I am pretty sure the Structural meet a different (higher) ??Australian?? standard...
Just to confuse things, the Taipans come in 4 styles:
Wildfire:
Low cut
Medium cut
High cut
Structural:
High cut
And the newer Oliver boots:
High cut pull on
High cut lace/zip
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Boots....After a year, pursue having boots that protect your ankle and lower 5th of your Shin.
I started out with really lowcut boots, i forked out $66 on Ebay and bought myself some Taipans due to cfs bought replacement being a highly likely NO...so i avoided 5-8 years of waiting. These boots have proven to be brilliant.
Trying to obtain a Structure Helmet Torch now.
Try not to give people the wrong idea though, I know I never had a problem with getting the proper boots, nor did anyone in my brigade/brigades in my group.
But to answer your question quite simply wicky, yes, all gear is provided free of charge.
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From my understanding that it was region that managed the groups PPC purchases :-) but to get your order filled it still needs to go through the group equipment coord. I have heard of a story where one brigade has had orders that have taken up to a year to be fullfill, and then received a combination of second and new gear (the boots were new and 2nd hand!). There ordeal involved orders being lost many a time and not the proper paper work being filled out.
As my father said me this is bureaucracy gone made :evil:
The CFS keeps on harping on on about needing more recruits but does show they value those who volunteer. Get a new member fight for the PPC and send then on a course for initial training up to if not more then 200 km. away I think we have a problem here boy and girls
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Pretty ordinary OHS to issue second hand boots, particularly for hygiene reasons.
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How about 2nd hand helmets.... :roll:
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Who, in their time in the CFS, hasn't had a second hand helmet?
All those years ago I think I started out with a TopGuard helmet, worn by a 10 year veteran prior..
Things are probably slightly better now, but I know plenty of firefighters who have worn something for one job, or one training (being brand new), decided to quit, and had that gear then sitting around.. No use binning it, its still perfectly fine.
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Im sure most people have had a 2nd hand helmet...
But eventually you would think it may get replaced, when you consider the OH/S issues involved in hygene and knowing the history of the helmet [ie; drops/impacts/etc]
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Front up the Expiry date of the helmet to your LT's, Captain or BEO.
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Front up the Expiry date of the helmet to your LT's, Captain or BEO.
Is that a Expiry date?.............or a Best by date :-D
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I am an equipment officer, I don't give new recruits new stuff straight away, because it takes so friggin long now to get orders processed, I swear the region have a bin under the outbox for orders received, things get processed so slow now. Also you never know how long people will stay, once they have done the BFF 1 then no probs, I remember when I started nothing was new, but once I completed Level 1 and was found to be useful then the new gear came. I would hate to think how many piles of new PPE we would have lying around if we bought new stuff from word go with the drop out rate that CFS has.
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Front up the Expiry date of the helmet to your LT's, Captain or BEO.
Is that a Expiry date?.............or a Best by date :-D
Ahhh.......so thats the horrible smell around the PPE racks. Someones helmet has gone off!!
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My brigade attempts to issue 2nd hand gear at the start of a recruits journey however this hasn;t worked of late as we have run out of 2nd hand gear so a fair bit of new stuff had been ordered. I think it is a good move soley to attempt to save money.
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How hard is it to get it right for PBI Gold
Step 1 - BA COURSE
Step 2 - Get sized up on BA course
Step 3 - Order PBI gold
Step 4 - Send the PBI gold out
If they are going to have 5 BA courses a year with 12 firefighters on a course, it's not hard to do the maths.
Fine if step 2 actually happens, One of my operators did his course but wern't sized up, neighbouring brigade same two operators did course and again not sized up, all three had to go down to Lion themselves
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My brigade attempts to issue 2nd hand gear at the start of a recruits journey however this hasn;t worked of late as we have run out of 2nd hand gear so a fair bit of new stuff had been ordered. I think it is a good move soley to attempt to save money.
Who's money are you saving? Not your Brigades' or Groups'. If you are equipping sub standard gear that doesn't get replaced, all you are doing is helping the Region stay within its already small budget at the expense of your firefighters safety...
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Does not OHSW forbid the handing out of second hand PPE?? also how old is that PPE that you are handing out as we all know that proban and nomex have a life of only 7 years.......
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Well if it was unsafe it would have been thrown out as it was worn out an the active FF been issued new gear.
the 2nd hand gear i mean is the stuff you buy for someone who lasts maybe 2 years then leaves, his/her gear is perfectly safe and good.
I think it is a waste of resources of whoever does pay if all new members get brand new stuff then only end up staying for about 6 months or so.
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No Bill it doesn't - otherwise everyone would have to be issued their own BA wouldn't they?
However there is a bit about hygiene, there is nothing wrong with issuing second hand PPE to newbies as long as it is clean & in good repair (boots however are a no no,& I would be suspect about gloves as well).
And as for helmets if it looks grubby inside or had a hard life (or its previous owner was known not to give a toss), then it shouldn't be issued.
I would have thought it was all common sense - woops sorry I forgot! :wink:
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yes in our brigade new gear is only hannded out after bff1 has been completed.I think this is worthy cause as everyone has said the drop out rate of cfs is quite large
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How many out there are still wearing Nomex? (liners removed).
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Yes still wearing it for rural fires, hanging on to it for dear life.
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How many out there are still wearing Nomex? (liners removed).
Yep, still got the liner as well.
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How many out there are still wearing Nomex? (liners removed).
amen to that (with liner), the only PPE worth it's salt. The Proban crap is woeful, its not fit to service a car in, let alone be firefighters protective clothing
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Love the Nomex
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Yep, still got the liner as well.
Likewise.
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Yep, still got the liner as well.
Likewise.
Ditto!
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Never had it, tried to get it once and got shot down....
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Must be in East Torrens Group :wink:
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Must be in East Torrens Group :wink:
Must be :wink:
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Is that a Expiry date?.............or a Best by date :-D
Ahhh.......so thats the horrible smell around the PPE racks. Someones helmet has gone off!!
pretty sure mine has... permanent dead sock smell in the car.
thanks for the reminder to give it its annual rinse & disinfection
:-)