SA Firefighter

Rainer to many true points and  i hope some regional and state staff members have a good read.

I read my "Crystal" finance report that is taken to each Group Meeting and I have a good laugh at the finances as somethings that is so clear that even a blind man can see they spent way to much on an item that they have purchased e.g. a thermal fax machine for $450.00 I purchased the same model a week later for $60.00.

Rainer I am in so much agreement about expenses that are related to maintenance or brigade owned equipment due to short fall in SFEC requirements. I received for my brigade 2nd hand equipment as replacement items. If for example I need a new 38 I get a 2nd hand one.

Building maintenance is occurring in my region but I do question some things like spraying for insects but it comes with the caveat of being sorry you have to use a shared toilet with the local hostel that leaks or don't worry about the roof falling in or the white ants that have allowed a wall to collapse inwards. Reason why we are in this squaller as we are a small brigade. To me this argument stinks of the haves and the have nots.

I know a neighbouring Brigade that have to drive there truck in front wards in order to access the door. I could go on but the list of the haves not is steady growing and by the look of things it will get worse not better.
 
As the CFS media says we are professionals and a modern fire service 

So who wants to be the Level 3 Incident Controller for PIR 69696969  "SAfirefighter Flamming battle"

I think that you are the master incident controler for this one and I am only the grass hopper who has no control yet

Tried Vesta in your search engine Mr T as I think that is what Pip is referring to

The MLR is not the only spot with the fire ban the pastoral area of the state has got a fire ban in place but it had 2 mm of rain.

Then again they maybe right about the fire ban as no fire likes getting their feet wet 

Zippy in regards to the news they only have to e right for one day as no can remember what they said the previous day

What does a 14 in small village on the EP need with the resource sector staggering. It needs 2 * layflats, 1 * 38 mm (and no branch to put on the end of it)no extra fuel since the nearest servo is over 55 km away. No hard suction as it to dry. No hand tools other than a home handy man starters kit, no ladder. A couple of tabards and a radio and before I forget it a map book book that doesn't have your village in it.

We have structure fire at least one a year, vehicle fires, trees that lay across a highway / roads and road accidents and the odd dump fire. We have pump stations, a pub and community clubs and a couple of commercial properties and a school.

Does standard mean performing it roll for the fire ground somehow I feel the two don't match up. To me the standards is not matching the reality of the situation what we tell the community sorry because of the unlikely probability of anything happening you don't deserve anything more than this (I know a bit emotional). To me the standard stowage list put to ashame the the risk management process and turn it into a purely academic process in order to tick a box. What do we say at an investigation as to why something has gone pear shape look at the paper work that we did arn't we brillant when the only thing they would care about is why did this happen.

Just like in the world of everything old is new again I though I reserect this topic with a bit of new twist. After helping our captain with ensuring that the appliance has the correct stowage on it in readiness for an audit done by region. Do standard stowage lists really reflect the threats that are faced within a township i.e when a 14 in a small town has only three hoses and two of them are layflats and on is a 38 and branches fitted with a wajex (hose real and tow side lines) is all you have you have it begs the question of what is the standard based on.

Any light shedding would be most useful

Why not just use self-hosted dial in teleconferences.

Already widely used in CFS.

Alex they are not used as widely as one thinks or maybe some places are a bit more reluctant to get a board 

It should not be a matter of going to the accredited course just for the ticket but should be made into an acceptable norm. Has our ability to communicate with each other become such an impossible task (I hope not).

I find it very frustrating when I have organised my personal time to be family and friend only to find out that a CFS this is on or an SES that is on and you need to be here at X. 

I like the idea of video conferencing as it can open up a lot of pathways while still maintaining the traditional face to face aspects. I have done a couple of teleconference where by I have placed the phone on speaker and done other work not related to the teleconference while wondering what the person at the other end looks like.

Lets be positive people about the problems that we come across not dewell on the problems offer a solution or offer some an idea to solve their problem 

Presently in  SA 2458 the CFS can't do a lot at enforce such matter and my personal opinion is than goodness. When I talking about CFS I mean those in the ranks of the volunteers. If it is Region or State job to take care of such matters then that their problem not a volunteers problem.

We can only manage the risks the that we have it is up to insurance companies industry associations and safe works SA to ensure that they are meeting the Building Code of Australia and AS/NZ Standards.

I would suggest that you use your skills and knowledge that you have from your work to aid in the development of your Brigade risk management plans.

Yes you are right about the FPAA being small in the state considering that I am a member of the organisation and do some part time work in that industry. Yes I do take my own advice and have aided and developed the risk management plans for my  Brigade.

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 

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

Hmmm well i havent been to an incident or heard of one ever that our brigade hasnt been able to handle. people just have to realise some brigades do things differently to others just the way it is.

Hark do I hear the sound of a can of worms opening 

Being the poor bugger paying off my HECS debt so far this financial year I have done $15 K + to the federal government and being a volunteer. It is unlikely that I will pay off my HECS debt but if the federal government want to have a rewards systems in place that reduces each year for volunteer work all I can say is go for it !

"Another method for ensuring manpower / skills are available for emergency situations is what some other countries are doing. I know Singapore have National Service which includes service to the Fire. Police, Ambulance along with the military. This obviously would cost money, but if instigated for a 12 month period between high school and Uni would provide stable work force."

It should not be offered just for those that are having that gap year as it took me some time to decide on what I am going to do for the rest of my life after I left school where by I floated between the paid and higher education for some time nor should it be restricted by age. As some people may use it as means to try out a new career path.

isn't training for people who don't have real experience??

I hope you are being a bit sarcastic Boredermatrix in some ways. On a more serious side of this yes you are right if you only attend an average of 20 incidents a years of a varying in nature you do need to training to be prepared for all the different types of tasks you do per year. Then again we can always try putting safety first if we train.

I had an interesting encounter with a member of another service where by both our respected services are using more and more of each other resources either training or administration to both of us we feel we might as well be one organisation if we are going to share so much