SA Firefighter

Maybe the problem lies elsewhere maybe it has nonething to do with a BFF1 like it predecessor it to did not prepare a person for the full gamete of tasks which can be performed by a rural Brigade from the structure fire, provide assistance at road accidents or a refuse fire or what ever it may be, it come down to training. How do we solve this dilemma keep the BFF1 but re-badge it to a better name i.e. induction and rural fire fighting. Then have the specialized courses but not attached to a SFEC that is not reviewed regularly and is near impossible to change. We need to have a regular review dates that allow 360 degree feedback so that all level of the organisation is singing from the same page.

Yes we should collapse at least two services into one; As being a members of both with two pagers and two uniforms can be a bit confusing when working with the same group but in a different uniform with a different emblem is rather silly in my humble opinion. Both organisation want the same thing and try to compete at achieving the same thing to me its a no brainer just amalgamate the two and let HQ Adelaide sort out the name.

From all all acounts so far I feel very fortunate as  I am given 18 days per year for duty and time of in lue as well. Depending on the time of day I am just relaeased from work with a no question asked

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news  but

CFS: SIG INC: FYI: CONFIRMATION FROM VIC - NO FURTHER REQUEST FOR DEPLOYMENT TODAY. TELECONFERENCE NOT REQUIRED - DSC EDEN > 14/02/2009 16:21:48 PM

It looks like we can only discuss what could of been or may of been and provide our own analysis of Victorian fire including the CFS involvement

Alan the comment that I believe that you are referring to was not made by me but by Robert

The comment that I made is that the method of selection is still unknown. It is not about wanting to go or not or protecting our own communities it is about how they are selecting the people to go.

a certain region isn even asking for people interested they are jus tpicking the people who have been before......

I know the feeling as the pager has been silent for all our Brigade members and when I spoke to the Captain the other day he has no idea as none is speaking to her either.

I can appreciate the argument that the CFS can only supply as much they have been asked for without depleting their own stocks. Maybe a little bit of transparency in the system will calm a few of us down.

1908978 16:32:55 31-01-09 warning with k34 when driving accross the fire groung the truck fan will pull in a lot of rubbish and block the condenser, main radiator flush out this with a side line full fog but at low pressure - KANGARILLA CAPTAIN 31/01/2009 4:32:19

Looks like like one Brigade is having a run of bad luck with an appliance. I would of thought they would have had a functional appliance by now not a bad aid together cheep as chips mechanical job done but fixed once and for all.

I've read all the arguments for and against but as Chook said what are the views held outside of the urban rural fringe. Some of the problems that I noticed being from the rural brigade area is that (I'm not saying that I am in agreement or disagreement with these opinions but this is what is felt by some that I chat to)


*The BFF1 is too long and should be done in a weekend like the old Level 1
*To much paper work
*The SMD1 being pushed onto them
*That we only want to do what we need to protect our properties
*Not enough people in the community or locality to sustain a brigade through an exodus from farms to the mines


As one person said earlier we are having two brigade close down because it has become all to hard for them to keep up with it all.

Instead of focusing on the problems lets focus on the solutions. Having a problems solving approach brings with it a positive attitude to instead of a whining attitude

Now lets hear the solutions

Well OMGWTF never assume anything as you know what the word is made up of (making an) donkey (of) u and me. I learnt that to change a truck design that it take time and that it can't be done quickly. Change can only occur when people are prepared to work together not fly off the handle at each other and through right forums. I like to work from the perspective that there are no problems only solutions.

By the way Brigade that I am with responds to vehicles and town jobs. We have to go away for rural jobs.

Of course the CFS don't build/order decent urban trucks, but they're better than the half arsed attempt, one size fits all, 34P. We'll get there eventually...maybe... when the kickbacks stop.

Bit bit critically of the trucks that CFS build. I can't see a problem to the way that the trucks are built the problems lays in the way what brigades want to do with the truck once it is in their shed. Both the rurals and rural urbans have problems but the world not perfect. I would like to see some more flexibility in the what Brigades can do with the truck once they have received it i.e able to put an extra shelf in here or there or move a container bracket so that it is not a catching point.

Yes number you are right it is interesting pager message thread and here is my contribution

1930810 18:57:35 20-01-09 H51 ARE YOU OK? SITREP PLEASE, KX - SAAS Unit H51

I feeling fantastic 

S - At home and holidays
I - on my house renovations
T - use the internet
R - borrow from work
E - not involved
P - Going back to work this week 

I wonder if this is what they meant 

On a different note I have noticed that some Group Officer / Brigades are encouraging active stand by or passive stand by. I alway thought that it would be best to tell the BC if you are available on days of fire bans. The way that some Brigades / Groups choose the stand by is what I can sense is pretty ad hoc. As  one page indicated that no need for standby in Group X when the neighbouring Group Y wants stand by.

Can some one please tell me what is the thinking and rational behind this?

Sorry Jaff not into point scoring.

Mr Teddy an 18 year old book as you point does not mean the content is irrelevant as the content is as relevant today as it was when it was printed. Just out of interest I was looking at some farming information today and one of the sources of information was dated 1924. Before you can dismiss this date it relates to how we apply seed treatments to seed. As you pointed out the book as you called it was a tree huggers guide. If you researched into the management of emergency services volunteers both the tree huggers guide have some thing in common that is they both were generated by social movement research. From what we know of landcare groups and how they function has given the researchers a starting point on how to research the social paradigm of an emergency service. The work that has been done by the CRC for Bushfire Research has some wonderful papers that are available for reading on this topic.

No one has painted you into what you see yourself as the villain, Mr Teddy but has taken your information on a journey about communication.

As I posted before that if extrapolating an argument from a sentence could be perceived as misleading by adding an insight that only the author could see. As  statement such as "Nineteen personnel were killed while responding to incidents" does not provide any detail as how they died and we both know from our respective services that it is still possible for people to die while still wearing a seatbelt from other contributing factors. When providing a factual account the statement needs to be supported by clear statements and the necessary information to support the argument put forward.

With a book with the simple title of Communication: A foundation course (Tyler, Kossen and  Ryan 1999) communication involves a three components the sender, the reciever and the channel. Tyler, Kossen and Ryan (1999) defined the channel as the means that we give feedback that we actual understood what has been said which can be in the form of either paraphasing it back or other non verbal cues or through asking clarifying questions. I remember reading on a wall in another station just because you are talking does not mean you are communicating. In this virtual world the same can be applied but we have the added benefit of reflecting before posting.

I know statistics are interesting; Yes it was a nice read but so what.

We are not part of america even though I think some of the pollies do think we are at times. I was left wondering am I now meant to go off and compare that lovely tit bit of information to something that I dig up in the www land of oz. In my normal paid job I read interesting statistics and facts that have no relationship to my world of work or anything that relates to me. I just wish those who did up these interesting conversation points would provide some more meaning to them than just numbers.

Mr Teddy this is not a go at you as your not the only one that has posted these types of gee whiz bang statistics that have been dug up from goodness knows where. If your going dig these things up dig them up for a reason and tell us why

I have always been staunch believer Jaff with the senior first aid the more trained the better for the communit and the CFS or for every one. I know that in the  Brigade that I am from in the last 6 month and this was in a 1 month period we had 12 members trained in senior first aid and two complete refresher courses. By the way this is not a rcr brigade (i think the picture and the signature may give a small clue as to the type of brigade I am from). I would prefer the CFS do it the same way that SES have done it but include emergency first aid as a foundation unit in BF1.

Mr Teddy i have heard the same comment as well about the CFS adopting a more SAAS role which I think is marvelous. I don't think command cars are the way to go as the nearest command car is some 90 km away. During some parts of the year we average 1 ambo a fortnight to the town for a category 2 case. The placement needs to be done logically and consultativly if they want to achieve a person on sight within 4 - 9 minutes. I know we are not the only Brigade that has this same prediciment.

Mr Teddy your comment about members being reluctant to attend longer or additional training for first aid components I can say from the brigade that I am from that in addition to the 12 completing the SFA they also completed Ad Resus, O2 and casualty handling that same weekend with no problems.

I am in no way having a dig but if you engage the Brigade and the community the right way they can be supportive of the training and willing to do the training if communicated with correctly.