SA Firefighter

I'm going to go ahead and chalk this up to the "Run silent, run deep" mentality that seems to afflict 99% of SAAS drivers. Running under lights until you get to an intersection/traffic and then firing up the sirens as you move INTO the hazard is NOT how you drive an emergency vehicle.

And I'm going to chalk that mentality up to management.  10 years ago we had F-250's with thumping great sirens which could be heard from Ceduna in Mt Gambier   

Along comes a new generation of Mercedes and some manager decided that 200 watts of siren was too much so just fitted 2x 50watt speakers to each car.

.....and then they wonder why people don't use them appropriately.

(like most married men.....when you talk and no-one listens...eventually you just stop talking!)

It's only in the last 2 years that someone woke up and decided that 200 watts of siren is more effective and has started putting it back on......and now we're starting to see another attitude change in siren use!

Also the CFA are moving away from this model and now staffing trucks not stations

who wants a 24 in their shed for the kids to play on? 

oh look...Foley just found the cash for the new hospital and the new footy stadium....all in Adelaide....

without sounding like i'm anti CFS- wouldn't/or shouldn't the needs of the community come first?

 If the CFS heirachy aren't interested in helping the local brigade by equipping them appropriately (or at least advocating/pushing the gov't for the funding) - then why wouldn't the MFS, who equip their crew with the appropriate gear not be put into that community??

Obviously the C in CFS stands for COUNTRY......so I can understand why they are 'having trouble' getting their head around the concept of a decent pumper or an aerial!

lolol....i don't think that particular supplier is working for our part of the Govt anymore Boredy....

Yep old news....unfortunately we can't stop using them until the contractual end date.....yakka can't improve anything until then....

Mixed emotions on this one....but it is Long overdue. The only really good thing he did was brag about how well he's managed paramedic training and guideline implementation in the Industrial commission- it went a long way towards getting us a reasonable pay structure- but was primarily led by his desire to sate his ego! 

Good luck to FUSA.

Yep...SACAD can't happen quick enough for the 20year old system still in play......

Don't be silly...it's the country.  They use their brains and don't discharge 90 year olds at 3 AM.......

And it might well be that those who have tried have been so hamstrung by politics, management egos and red-tape that they just give up in disgust and stop caring!

channel 7 getting stuck into SAAS....or any other agency for that matter?

wow.....

....leapords really don't change their spots.....

Ah yes...but what is a paramedic??

Until registration happens...there'd is nothing stopping anyone using the term.

Heaven help us if St John ever worked that out......there'd be an army of black and white "paramedics" at every major event......

self taskers........   

And....they all have radios surgically attached to their hips

Quote from: Blackfoot on November 23, 2010, 08:47:29 AM

There is another way of upskilling but does not involve SAAS. Many advanced courses are run in Adelaide on a yearly or twice yearly basis. For example:

Pre Hospital Trauma Life Support
International Trauma Life Support
Advanced Cardiac Life Support
Assessment and Treatment of Trauma
and all of the courses run by the Australian College of Emergency Nursing

All of these are accessible to SAAS (and other) volunteers who wish to upskill. Of course with our generous government you will need to pay out of your own pocket. Also SAAS clinical hierarchy will probably not recognise them with their NIH (not invented here) attitude.

Good luck chaps.

Some of these courses are instructed by  members of volunteer first responder group who have acquired instructor certification in PHTLS and ITLS when the course come to Adelaide.

no..it's about quality control.

SAAS (yes there will be those who disagree) needs to ensure that there is a consistent approach to the level of education (be what it may!) that is delivered to it's staff across the board. 

Just because a course is taught under an RTO provider  - doesn't mean it's up to scratch....just so long as the boxes are ticked on the RTO paperwork!

and WJW - if the first responder group you usually refer to on this forum is the one providing the course...then I will pass thanks!

I'm a little bit confused by the attitude being spread on here about the CFSVA

What part of UNION don't people understand?

the whole concept of a union is about COLLECTIVE POWER.

In this day and age - it would be unreasonable to expect one person to be the mouthpiece and co-ordinator of an association as large as the CFSVA (given that it represents literally thousands of volunteer firefighters in this state)and still work a fulltime job - hence the reason this is a paid position.

This person can still only maintain the status quo as long as they are being assisted by the members.

This begs the question of why so many seem to attack the Association in forums such as this.

Would it be too hard to pick up the phone and ask "what can I do to help?"