Author Topic: Fire cuts put lives in danger  (Read 9937 times)

Offline SA Firey

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Fire cuts put lives in danger
« on: July 19, 2011, 10:05:33 AM »
http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/fire-service-cuts-put-lives-in-danger/story-e6frea6u-1226097183452


STAFF and fund cuts for emergency services will risk lives and properties in the bushfire season, it has been claimed.

An unexpected $2 million slashed in the State Budget from SAFECOM - the government body supporting the Metropolitan Fire Service, State Emergency Service and Country Fire Service - by Emergency Services Minister Kevin Foley has angered and frustrated volunteers.

Just 58 SAFECOM staff, down from 110 last year, are left to support 14,500 CFS volunteers and the state's 1700 SES volunteers. That will fall to 47 next financial year through attrition and redundancies.

CFS Volunteers Association executive director Wendy Shirley and SES executive officer Susan Caracoussis said the changes would hit volunteer support and training, where help was needed most.

"The cuts are too savage and the decision was not based on an audit or evidence, it's just an arbitrary decision by the minister," Ms Shirley said. "We (CFS) are already way under-staffed, but now the jobs SAFECOM can no longer do, will fall to our volunteers."

The agencies' volunteers share some training and services and Mrs Caracoussis said some "frustrated" SES volunteers had quit recently.

Six country CFS recruitment and support staff were replaced by Adelaide-based officers, who also handle recruiting and training in rural communities on a "fly-in, fly-out basis".

"We need more volunteers, but the capacity to recruit them has been cut," Ms Shirley said.

Asked by Liberal MP Daniel van Holst Pellekaan if cuts were based on "best operation" practices, Mr Foley told a parliamentary committee earlier this month: "I just thought it was a reasonable number" based on his state treasurer experience.

Quizzed if he provided "leadership" by deciding where cuts should occur,

Mr Foley said: "That's government, mate; it's hard decisions."

Mr Foley said staff reductions meant more could be put to "frontline" services and an extra $2.1 million over four years would go to additional resources and accreditation courses for volunteers from both agencies.

He added the State Budget had also allocated $2.5 million over the next four years for improvements at the State Emergency Information Call Centre.
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Offline jaff

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #1 on: July 19, 2011, 02:48:43 PM »
Is it time for a disruptive media visible, fire appliances protest in front of parliment house yet? :evil:
Just Another Filtered Fireman

Offline Lefty13

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #2 on: July 19, 2011, 04:34:47 PM »
Very very interesting times ahead for CFS. After  nearly 3 years, I thought I'd put my 10 cents worth.
Most freinds of mine are staggered that CFS / SES arent paid for there time.
Why dont the relevant Volunteer Associations start running ads / campaigns to let people know that the CFS & SES are volunteers, & due to budget cuts / lack of trained members, they they cant always respond to an emergency.
Any enquries, direct them to the Minister himself, Mr Foley.

pumprescue

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #3 on: July 19, 2011, 05:10:34 PM »
Its quite clear that Mr Foley is just winding down his career and couldn't give 2 hoots about his portfolio.....just what we want..

I also agree, tell the public that thanks to this government we can't always respond, its not because we don't want to or can't, just don't have the trained people and we can't afford the wages to attract the staff we need...
« Last Edit: July 19, 2011, 05:30:34 PM by pumprescue »

misterteddy

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #4 on: July 20, 2011, 08:56:19 AM »
since when did VSOs help recruit staff.....dont ever recall them attending the letter drops, school parent teacher days or standing at the supermarket on Saturday morning (I guess thats an overtime issue).

Rather than mourn a few Safecom staff who only served the Dark Lord (he who shall not be named!) maybe we could try for some effective staff


All this and nothing from the Chief Officer, or is he still sending his media releases to the NT News? Fair dinkum if this bloke was any more invisible to us we'd have a tombstone to visit and  leave flowers.

I know you or your staff read the forum Chief..... if you want our support, then its time to show us a measure of respect and take the time to expend the shoe leather and get out and about- in person AND in the Media!

pumprescue

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #5 on: July 20, 2011, 11:10:32 AM »
Maybe he just doesn't want to meet you ?

Offline Alan J

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #6 on: July 20, 2011, 02:21:17 PM »
AT A GUESS...
With the exception of VSO elimination, my crystal ball says the cuts are more likely to hit the money management side of things.
47 admin staff for a work-force of close to 20K people, 600 properties & 1200 vehicles between SES, CFS & MFS, plus administering whatever $$ goes to SLSA. (I bet that's not the ratio over in treasury!!!)
I think we can expect bills to take longer to be paid (that'll make local suppliers happy. NOT!) 
Probably more errors on staff pays - shifts & O/T - and take longer to rectify.
Probably errors on Group accounts will be less likely to be corrected (things like Groups being incorrectly billed for other Groups' expenses & etc.)

Impact on us vollies most likely to be a flow-on effect... as agency staff CFS, SES, MFS have to pick up more SAFECOM stuff, they will have less time for our needs & wants. As in: "yeah, you can make that warranty claim on the truck, but it will be next Wednesday before I can dig out the paperwork. Have to push thru all these fire safety inspection reports & ministerials first or I'll be disciplined & the service fined. Truck'll just have to stay off-line till then. Sorry.."

think happy thoughts... think happy thoughts...
Alan J.
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Offline Darius

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Re: Fire cuts put lives in danger
« Reply #7 on: July 20, 2011, 02:23:19 PM »
Its quite clear that Mr Foley is just winding down his career and couldn't give 2 hoots about his portfolio.....just what we want..

when did the emergency services portfolio ever get a decent minister? (I can't think of one)

 

anything