SA Firefighter

4.. Are we taking about station age, or brigade age...?
5.  As above
6.  Don't reckon EFS ever had a Chief Executive officer....   

Pip

It's proban.  It never comes clean.  It makes you look like you've done some work!!   

Pip

Hi Pip,

CFS HQ still do have HF and monitor it, and the fact that you are only 25k's away makes no difference as far as range goes as it works on the ionosphere.



I have used HF a few times...and I am certainly not an expert, BUT from memory, the optimum working range is 400-600 km apart...two HF sets 25km apart is not going to get a particularly good reception (HF at best is a crap reception!)

HF radio operates using the sunspot system which basically means you use high frequencies during the day and low ones at night.
I have used my HF in your area when no phone coverage was available from that lovely bend at the bottom of the hill from your station and works no problems.

State Hazmat vehicle has a Codan HF radio installed in it and numerous groups/brigades up north have it. 



How many brigades up north still have their sets / know how to use them.   The ones I have spoken to no longer have the HF sets in their appliances.....or if they do, no one in the brigade knows how to use it!!!

Quote from: safirey on October 23, 2006, 03:32:26 PM

Benefits are HF radio is cheaper to operate than Satellite Phones as there is no monthly fee just a yearly licence fee which is under a $100 which would be a small price to pay for a better system

Bonus is RFDS also monitor the emergency channel 24 hours a day

Speak to Gary Bau at SOCC he might have a HF laying around doing nothing from appliance changeovers



Can someone clarify, does CFS HQ still have / monitor HF radio...I thought I heard something about them being removed, as they were no longer used.....

Pip

There you go....my info was slightly different, but perhaps not entirely correct!!

In your post, however, you mention the other major problem facing CFS & new appliances.....that is fitting them in.

Many brigades took delivery of appliances, and when they hightlighted the fact that it wouldn't physically fit, were told "That's your problem"

Some brigades then spent their own funds on rebuilding the station, just so the appliance would fit!!!

Pip

Not sure how much value there is in a TV recruitment campaign.......

Studies done by a researcher from WA looked at why people join volunteer groups.     The main reason they joined was because someone asked them to join.   A very low number (I think around 2%, but that may not be correct), joined because they saw ads on TV.........

In terms of value for money, some specific leaflets, perhaps hand delivered to potential members, is perhaps a far better use of funding.

A number of years ago, my brigade was struggling with members.  With some funding (around $300, and with the assistance of the VSO,) we got some specific leaflets printed up about our brigade, and hand delivered them to everyone in the district (we only have around 100 or so houses in the whole district).

In the following months, we ended up with several new members (which we still retain some 5 or 6 years later)

For us, a small investment by CFS of $300, plus a lot of work by brigade members proved to be  excellent value for money.

You certainly have to question the Government's actions (or lack thereof?) in relation to funding for recruitment programs.  Although I suspect, if you asked them, the answer would be "we have funded the CFS appropriately, and it is up to them to determine how that money is spent."    I don't know enough about how the system works to know if this is the case or not!!

Pip

We don't have mobile coverage.....so no point in having a mobile!!!   

I think its about time we adopt MFS k-code system as well as use phonetic alphabet when it comes to transmitting info such as fatalities,injuries and other stuff like vehicle regos and so on that way people listening via scanners wont be able to figure out what is being said unless they have MFS k-codes & phonetic alphabet on a sheet infront of them 

And all the real scanner freaks and the media all know what the K-codes are, and the phonetic alphabet, so using them doesn't keep anything secret!!

I use codes at work all the time, but I would hate to see them in CFS....way too confusing, and easily messed up....

Pip
2AD71 generally attending 406, 604, 501, 505,  504, and the odd 108, 113 and 201, 701 and 702 703, and anything else that Comms sends me...although I avoid 104's, and try and keep away from 101's, 202's & 204's, 602's and the 801's - I hate them but you gotta help....

It means nothing to you, if you don't know the codes, but if you have the codes in front of you, you will know all of them....   

Unfortunately these days, the budget must be taken into account - do we get one very expensive chopper (with a running cost of $11,000 per hour ) plus the cost of actually hiring it......or do we spend the same amount of money, but have more than 1 bomber / chopper available?

CFS, like all Government departments has to work smarter with with their money.....   

I can tell you now the 32 can go any where off road  just as long it is not a step slop they might not have the clearens  or the 4wd set up but they get there and do the job. 

Well that rules out almost every fire track, and half the driveways in my area!!

And I recall several years ago, a certain brand new 32 travelled down a fire track within my Group area (against the wishes of the Incident Controller) - and promptly got stuck when a fire snuck up underneath it, and burnt out the air lines....trapping several other appliances further down the track....

The other appliances eventually got out, but 32 was left sitting out by itself overnight, until the mechanic come out the next day...   

Pip

The only other passenger orientated airports around the state are Mt Gambier, Pt Lincoln & Whyalla.  Which are all covered by MFS who have the RCR capabilities to handle an aircraft rescue.

I would have thought Roxby Downs has a fair bit of air traffic going through it too.....

And isn't North Shields closer to the Lincoln airfield, than the Lincoln MFS?   

Pip

4 to 6 minutes might be alright for some brigades but an average turnout time where i live is 8-12mins.  And there is nothing we can do about it.  Its just the fact that our crews have to travel so far to the station.

Thats it in a nut shell - we all provide the same service to the community - fire response, just some communities, due to size, geographics and population spread take a little longer to get on the road - and their community accepts that

And if the community doesn't like it, perhaps more of them should put their money where their mouth is, and join themselves!   

What's invloved in the new SES budget system?

Pip

Signal is the same and better in some spots. Alot of Telstra Shop staff have been out driving over the last few days checking out the signal and known blackspots. All in all the coverage is fantastic, there is the odd area that is still abit iffy but they are being logged and will be looked at by the techs.

Cool..when can you come to my area & try out phones? Ifit works in the blackspots in my area, then it will work almost anywhere!!   

Pip