SA Firefighter

well Cert IV for a training job but otherwise I'd go for a diploma in fire management type thing, eg. http://courses.swinburne.edu.au/Courses/ViewCourse.aspx?id=29084
do some googling around for jobs in paid fire services around australia and see what pre-requisites they want.  Another option could be via DEH perhaps.

Quote from: Zippy on May 26, 2009, 04:18:28 PM
Could you give us an insight into which issues were not published?

all the things you probably already know about, eg. group/brigades get a budget of $x per year but have to buy computers through safecom at twice the going rate they could get them locally, command cars leased through fleetsa rather than local arrangements with a dealer etc.  All money which is taken back from your budget back to govt coffers.  The other side being brigades are no longer buying locally and supporting local businesses yet the CFS goes on about wanting the local community to support the CFS.  Long standing holes in the paging network (specific examples given of Mylor and Montacute) and statewide over 100 brigade areas where the coverage is deemed by CFS to be below the min acceptable standard.  And plenty more.

Quote from: CFS_Firey on May 26, 2009, 12:04:15 AM
I also find it very disappointing that the CFS corporate has refused to acknowledge there's a lack of funding, they should be taking every opportunity available to take more funding, even if they do think we don't need it.

this is perhaps the biggest thing to come out of it (I think). That the CFS acting chief officer follows the government line (spin) and falls back on the old 'above SFEC minimum' argument (ignoring all the other points like that the SFEC is at least 15 years behind the times). He had a perfect opportunity to support and unite all CFS members (volunteers and the paid staff) and push for increased funding. Sure he may well worry it would be a 'career limiting move' but it just shows where he stands I think. And as he should well know, CFS paid staff are just as cheesed off about the reductions in budgets, lack of staff, unpaid overtime etc.

the other thing to note is all the group officers and deputies involved spoke about, and gave examples of, a lot more things than made it into the paper. For whatever reason the Sunday Mail chose to limit the story to just a few items.

yes, found it, Wed 13th transcripts:
http://www.royalcommission.vic.gov.au/getdoc/523bc7a8-c47f-4772-865f-eaa888935a67/03-13MAY09
Starts on page 332 from 2pm, Peter Newman is his name.

But it's interesting he's far from the only one saying they did not need more warnings.  The CFA CO and others had been in the media saying it was going to be the worst day on record etc. 

In the transcripts on the 12th, starting page 189 a woman in her submission I read said it was obviously going to be bad just going by the weather and environment around her.  She talked about the trees raining leaves day and night.  Her plan was to take her kids and leave the area well beforehand, which she did.

Quote from: CFS_Firey on May 19, 2009, 08:58:19 AM
Try telling that to all the people who were prepared and successfully defended their properties in Vic, but are completely ignored by the media in favour of "hero's" who escaped at the last minute...

there was a great submission on day 2 or 3 of the transcripts (forget where now) by a bloke who sounded very well prepared and talked the commissioner through his story in detail. His house and family did what you are supposed to, retreat into house when the fire hit, etc, his family and house survived.

Quote from: bajdas on May 13, 2009, 07:27:16 PM
SES have been trying to introduce a position description for the volunteer officers

thought it was already there in the act, it is for CFS (not in too much detail though)

http://sacfs.org/publications/State_Emergency_Management_Plan_v1.1_Sep2007.pdf

Quote from: misterteddy on April 28, 2009, 09:08:56 AM
Mind you, if it's going to be enforced, a recent post in another thread could well be the catalyst.

:) 
except attempting to do that would appear to be being vindictive (cos that's what it would be) and not go down too well PR-wise. 
I like to think the CO has far more sense than that.

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on April 27, 2009, 07:26:25 PM
May be its time that some groups took back to running their own needs rather than the regional BSO who will call one supplier and not another...

dunno about your region Bill but from where I sit the BSO is not the problem (far from it in fact, she does her best to help us) the problem is govt and CFS policy.  Eg. just to pick one of my hobby horses: computer gear. 

We are told policy is we are forced to buy all computer (and related) gear through SAFECOM.  So we get the HP desktop PCs (which are fine) but pay twice the going rate.  SAFECOM/CFS say that's because it includes "support".  But I'd rather not pay for "support" and do it myself or deal with a local supplier.  When bits break just buy new parts and/or take it back to the local supplier, who because they know it's for the local CFS, they give good service and a good price.  This is what the govt loses out on - and worse still it is deliberately not supporting the local community/businesses yet relying on that same local community to support the CFS!

(and of course, as Rainer says, there is no budget provided to brigades/groups for computer stuff so whatever a group wastes through SAFECOM this way means less money to spend on other things)

I sometimes wonder if we are not heading to the point where in another few years my group would not be better off breaking away from CFS as such as seeking our own funding from a combination of local councils again, fundraising (which we do anyway), major sponsorship and fees for service (eg. alarm monitoring, false alarms etc).  Given the puny amount we get as a group budget it should not be that hard to do from the financial side with some dedicated financial people in the group organising it.  And I kind of like the idea of the "Stirling Hotel BWC" (for example).

Quote from: boredmatrix on April 20, 2009, 10:29:03 PM

Quote from: 6739264 on April 18, 2009, 10:34:01 PM
Oh good heavens! Who'd have thought that you would get deliberately lit rubbish/grass/structure fires on a FRIDAY night!

Haven't been in the job long Mr. 206 have we?

two words.......SCHOOL HOLIDAYS

isn't that a normal fri/sat night in Elizabeth?

who says there's a lack?  are you talking about replacing lost/stolen ones or additional ones above your allocation?

Quote from: Pipster on April 15, 2009, 08:31:28 AM
Every appliance?

Who is meant to pay for these mobile phones....I'm guessing it is the Group rather than Region or State.....and not every Group has the funds to pay...

Pip

yes mobiles (like internet access, computers and many other things) are paid for from the group budget (and groups receive no specific funding for any of these things but that's a different problem).

and yes every appliance should have one as phones (landline, NextG or satellite) are the contingency for total failure of the GRN (refer to state and regional comms plans).  However there has never been an official announcement (that I know of) spelling this out, as the obvious next question then is why are they not funded.

Historically it has been up to each group to buy and distribute mobiles as they see fit.  Some groups (like mine) have lots as we have long held the view that they are not 'luxury' items but are essential tools.  Some groups maybe have one for the entire group (held by the group officer).  Apart from phones in appliances my group holds the view that group office holders and brigade duty officers are expected to make and receive a significant number of phone calls and expecting people to use their own phones is putting an unreasonable cost burden on people who are already volunteering their time.

Quote from: Zippy on April 15, 2009, 09:24:13 AM
From what i remember when the change over from CDMA to NextG occured, every appliance was meant to be allocated 1 mobile phone.....

no, every CDMA phone was swapped for a NextG Nokia 6120 (and carkit if there was already a carkit), there was no additional ones allocated unless the group asked for, and paid for, extras.

Quote from: misterteddy on April 14, 2009, 10:43:10 AM

Quote from: Darius on April 14, 2009, 09:23:43 AM
Halon is still in use in some places and planned to be up until around 2030 I think

is that as a fire suppressant, or as R13B Refrigerant? Halon is a bit of a generic term...theres a few different chemicals that come under the Halon group?

in fire supression systems (mainly in military aircraft and maritime applications, eg. ship engine rooms, defence have an exemption for these things), unlikely to involve the CFS much though!

Halon is still in use in some places and planned to be up until around 2030 I think

as Alex says you should be using the dial in teleconference facility. 
(once you get Adelaide Fire off your Alerts config, and if it's not too many people involved you may be able to use Alerts for this purpose too.  Not to mention that the CFS supplied mobile phones can do video calls and call conferencing).

Of course internet/voip/video conferencing is the sort of facilities SAFECOM should be making available but come on, it's govt we're talking about.  You should know the process: volunteers rig up their own system (on their own time and often using their own gear too), prove it works, get the top brass onboard, they put pressure on SAFECOM (or simply bypass them) and eventually a largely broken version of the original system is implemented for select individuals just in time for it to be obsolete.

I am forwading this from a work colleague as I know there are a few CFS volunteers around who are in the security industry and have contacts therein.  If you can help please contact Ken at "kenelm@internode.on.net".
------
If you work in Security, or know someone who does, please take a few seconds to read this posting, and pass it on as appropriate.

I am involved with a fund-raising concert for the Mt Pleasant CFS, scheduled to take place on Saturday May 16th.
We have organised 5 bands, PA, lighting, staging, and a venue, but cannot currently proceed with the event due to a security requirement. Hiring the required 7 security personnel from an agency would cost us around $4000, which could easily consume all the profits. We currently have no volunteers.

So, if you are a licensed security officer, and would consider volunteering some of your time, or know someone who may be interested, please let me know. You will get to hear some excellent bands, and have the satisfaction of helping the CFS update some of their outdated and unreliable equipment.

Quote from: misterteddy on April 02, 2009, 05:17:25 AM

Quote from: Jimmy_91 on April 01, 2009, 07:02:04 PM

Quote from: misterteddy on April 01, 2009, 06:44:34 PM
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).

Quote from: CFS_Firey on April 01, 2009, 08:39:30 AM

Quote from: Zippy on March 30, 2009, 10:27:11 PM
Big One = Level 3 IMT incident.

Therefore...i am still unable to be beaten by the crowd.

Did Bridgewater get to level 3?

level 2 (but third alarm) I believe

makes me wonder why nissan patrols are not on offer for command cars as they have not yet gone stupidly expensive like the landcruiser has.

interesting article about a CFA captain demoted for swearing on the radio:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25164210-2,00.html
(and very odd the article says UHF CB radio not CFA/DSE radio but it is news.com.au so is probably completely wrong)

you guys crack me up sometimes. Like I said: ask your G.O.'s
(for those of you quicker with the typing fingers than the grey matter: the two sessions are for the two fires CFS crews went to and it's in the evening not daytime).

Quote from: Alex on March 06, 2009, 05:56:58 PM

Quote from: Bill Corcoran on March 06, 2009, 03:30:56 PM
Now that CFS have said brigades can now pick their next appliance

?

I think someone's put 2 and 2 together and got 37.

for those that went from R1 there is a debrief 16/17 March (ask your G.O. if you haven't been told).

Quote from: Hazmat206 on March 04, 2009, 04:39:36 PM
Elizabeth have recieved their 339 today

so is that in addition to 331 and 332? or does it replace 332?