Newsletter - January 2015
Dear ,
Welcome to our monthly newsletter. You can find a print version of this months articles on Page 2 of the January edition of the 'Fireman' newspaper. You can modify your subscriber details by following the 'Subscriber Options' link at the bottom of this email.
Editorial: Focus on Safety & Wellbeing By Andrew Ford, VFBV Chief Executive Officer |
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The Christmas/New Year period, a welcome break for many Victorians, proved to be anything but that for many volunteers, with fires scattered across the state in what is proving to be another challenging summer season for CFA and our emergency management
partners.
In addition to fires in Victoria, CFA has sent crews to help interstate, and our thoughts are with everyone affected, particularly in South Australia and Western Australia.
As always the intrinsic value of CFA’s volunteer-based service model rises to the challenge whenever we see multiple,
large and life threatening fires across Victoria. CFA’s ability to maintain local service coverage at the same time as being able to mobilise and sustain dozens of crews wherever they are needed can never be taken for granted. I understand our new Minister, the Hon Jane Garrett, who has travelled to fire affected
areas including Moyston, locations in Central and Northeast Victoria and Hastings, was able to see first-hand the value of CFA’s ability to mobilise massive numbers of trained and experienced front line firefighters, incident support and incident management personnel, often referred to as CFA’s surge capacity.
I will be meeting with our new Minister in the next few days and hope to have an
opportunity to talk about this local community and state surge capacity, particularly how CFA’s volunteer and fully integrated volunteer/paid staff service model is so important for Victoria and what we can do to encourage and maintain this model, not just in outer metropolitan Melbourne and larger urban centres where a vital contribution to this surge capacity comes from, but in all communities across Victoria.
Let’s not forget that while these major incidents have been effectively managed on a day to day basis, CFA brigades continued to deal with hundreds of incidents back in local communities, from house fires and industrial incidents, road accidents and minor incidents to emergency medical response in those volunteer and integrated Brigades currently doing EMR.
Many CFA
members are already spending extended times in the field and as with every summer, it is important that we look after ourselves and the people around us.
On the fireground, that means keeping safety uppermost in our minds, even in the heat of the moment when it only takes a second to take an unnecessary risk. At home it means valuing time with your families, respecting your employers
and keeping an eye out for your peers.
CFA Brigades are part of the community, and along with our professional skills it is the network of people working together, within the Brigade and around it, that makes volunteering so effective.
Well done for everyone’s effort so far this
summer. |
Another Record Year for Affiliations |
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As the last of our 2014/15 VFBV membership affiliations are coming in, it is fantastic to report another record number of Brigades and Groups affiliating with VFBV this year.
It looks like affiliation levels will be about 95% for the 2014/15 year, which
is a great show of support for VFBV.
If your Brigade or Group is affiliated, thank you for your support and involvement, and if it is not, the door is always open and VFBV will continue to ensure matters affecting all volunteers are addressed. If you are unsure if your Brigade is affiliated, check with your Brigade Secretary.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria is established under the CFA Act to enable members of brigades (other than industry brigades) to consider and bring to the notice of the Authority all matters affecting their welfare and efficiency (other than questions of discipline and promotion).
VFBV Leadership Scholarships - Apply Now |
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VFBV is now calling for Expressions of Interest from potential applicants for scholarships to the 2015 VFBV Volunteer Leadership Program.
Please encourage promising volunteers in your Brigade to apply now.
You can download the information and application pack from the VFBV website now at www.vfbv.com.au
There will be 50 scholarships in 2015 and successful participants will achieve the
nationally recognised Certificate IV in Frontline Leadership.
This year there will be two programs based at Werribee and Lilydale, they will run from March to November, and scholarships will be offered to volunteers from CFA, Ambulance Victoria, Australian Volunteer Coast Guard, Life Saving Victoria, VIC SES, and St John.
The VFBV Volunteer Leadership Program has already produced nearly 200 graduates and many are in leadership positions with their Emergency Management agencies, volunteer representative organisations or local communities.
The program has been designed for volunteers, with a mix of lectures and interactive activities designed to suit the needs of adult students, as well as
ample support using distance learning methods.
The program includes units on; leadership, decision making, planning, safety and risk management, team effectiveness, making presentations, managing projects, and engaging the community.
Applications close Monday 9th February 2015.
With the recent release
of Emergency Management Victoria’s Long Term Communications Plan (LTCP), CFA has had to reassess the technical specifications of Listening Sets.
The complication arising out of this long term plan is the requirement for agencies to move towards P25 Phase 2 digital radio communications in the future. The current CFA
digital network is P25 Phase 1, and CFA has advised that should CFA or other agencies move to Phase 2 in the future, then listening sets only capable of Phase 1 will not be able to pick up Phase 2 radio traffic.
CFA has asked the Joint Committee to endorse a second round of expressions of interest from
manufacturers to see if a listening set capable of Phase 1 and Phase 2 is available, or able to be mass produced.
The issue confronting the committee is if CFA rolls out a listening set which members have to contribute money to, and which is only compatible with the current network, we will be back to where we are now,
having to replace listening sets should the State move to Phase 2. With news that the preferred manufacturer could not mass produce the chosen Phase 1 listening set before Christmas anyway, the Joint Committee has agreed to CFA’s request to run an expedited EOI process over the Christmas and New Year period, providing the process does not exceed 6 weeks, and that CFA commits to then expedite results and a decision from that process early in the new year.
The Joint Committee has again communicated to CFA the urgency being communicated by our members and the need to choose and roll out listening sets ASAP. CFA has committed to working with the Joint Committee out of session in order to ensure there are no further delays. Updates will be provided early in the New Year to update members
on progress.
WEB STREAMING TRIAL SOON: Web Streaming is an option for members who don’t want to use a listening set, but would prefer to receive radio comms via their computer, smart phone or tablet. It is an electronic method of listening in on CFA radio channels, similar to how a listening set
operates, but without the need for special hardware, or an upfront cost.
The VFBV/CFA Joint Communications and Technology Committee was advised that attempts by CFA to develop an in-house app for radio streaming has not been successful. The committee has now endorsed moving to an external streaming provider. A preferred
supplier has been chosen, and streaming is being trialled over the next few weeks with CFA advice that it should be able to roll out the service shortly.
More detail on this item is now available in the 2 Minute Briefing on the VFBV website www.vfbv.com.au
Brigade Owned Vehicle Insurance |
The VFBV/CFA Joint Equipment and Infrastructure Committee is still actively pursuing this issue.
If a vehicle is written off, CFA’s current practice is that insurance provides the Brigade with the vehicle’s market value and it is up to the Brigade to fund any difference in replacing the vehicle.
VFBV has raised objections as this practice differs from CFA owned vehicles which are replaced with any cost difference between the replacement and original vehicle funded
centrally. Whilst current CFA practice aligns with insurance best practice, it completely ignores the fact that CFA vehicles can’t simply be bought off the shelf.
It is the Joint Committee’s view that if a Brigade vehicle is written off CFA should do everything it can to support the Brigade in replacing it as soon as possible, and policy must acknowledge and cater for those situations where
Brigades can’t simply buy a comparably-aged vehicle at the current market value. VFBV is advocating for CFA to arrange insurance based on pre-agreed replacement value, not market value. VFBV has provided advice to a draft paper being prepared for CFA’s Executive Leadership Team and is educating decision makers on the
possible effects of the loss of Brigade confidence in insurance that may have an impact on Brigades’ willingness to release their vehicles to support outside their immediate area.
Tanker Restricting Washer Retrofit |
A report to the VFBV/CFA Joint Equipment and Infrastructure Committee indicates that CFA’s restricting washer retrofit program is in response to a safety issue related to the jet reaction associated
with sudden changes in pressure when people are operating on the rear deck, when the front monitor is being used.
It follows a serious accident last fire season where a firefighter was thrown off the back of a tanker and hit by the back wheels due to a sudden high pressure change on a rear deck hose.
The washers will reduce tanker rear deck deliveries to 300 l/min and will only be done on Tankers that have 900 l/min pumps, front monitors and cabin pressure controls. Concern has been raised that a training issue is being solved with a mechanical solution that may restrict firefighting capability of the fleet, however CFA has also pointed out that common branches operated on the rear deck are rarely designed to operate at more than 300
l/min.
CFA has agreed to work with delegates to look at alternatives, such as pressure relief valves and different hoses for use on the rear decks of tankers, and to investigate effects of reduced pressure more closely. As CFA has identified this as a serious safety issue, the retrofit
program will continue whilst alternatives are being investigated. The VFBV/CFA Joint Equipment and Infrastructure Committee has been in discussions with CFA for some time trying to resolve weight issues with operational light vehicles (those under a 4.5
GVM).
Vehicles over their GVM legally expose the driver, owner (if still using a Brigade nominee) and CFA in the event of a serious or fatal collision.
CFA is currently embarking on a program to arrange for the inspection and weighing of all operational transport vehicles (FCVs, cars etc) to record
and identify any overweight vehicles. Those vehicles that are overweight will either be restricted in passenger capacity or have to remove items of stowage to bring them under GVM.
CFA has agreed to the Joint Committee’s request to publish and keep current a list of most common vehicles bought by Brigades and their GVM, tare weight and available payload. We need to educate Brigades on the low available weight of some vehicles to help them make informed decisions before purchasing. A weight loading chart and weight calculation template will be available via CFA Fleet services and VFBV will also publish them on our website.
CFA has advised the VFBV/CFA Joint Training Committee that a new pack of training related posters and training product materials will be distributed to all Brigades and Groups across the
State.
Included in the pack are; Training Programs Products and Tools brochure, RPL Member Information Guide, updated Who Can Train & Assess poster, F&EM Training Roles Pathway Map poster, Brigade Roles Map poster, Electrical Hazard Awareness DVD, Who Can Train & Assess DVD, and a Photovoltaic Arrays DVD.
With the amount of new materials being developed by CFA’s Operational Training and Volunteerism Directorate (OT&V), the Joint Committee commends these kits as a great way to keep Brigades up to date on what tools and information are available The VFBV/CFA Joint Training Committee has been requested to provide input and feedback on a future eLearning strategy.
CFA is seeking advice which will provide a primary understanding of what is required to design, develop, implement and manage organisational eLearning. Workshops are planned to be held across the State to provide members with a hands on experience of different technology-enabled learning solutions. The workshops will provide participants with a chance to adopt the position of eLearner
and see what is possible.
Results from the workshops will help inform important generational issues and misconceptions, identify specific learning technology and channel preferences, potential eLearning development priorities and start promoting an eLearning culture across the organisation. Workshop dates and locations will be promoted by OT&V via Brigades Online and Regional/District email
notifications
Voluntary Grain Harvesting Guide |
CFA’s Voluntary Grain Harvesting Guide developed by the Victorian Farmers Federation and CFA is now proceeding to field trials.
Whilst there was limited time for volunteers to
provide feedback and comment to the draft guide, volunteers and VFBV did make a wide range of suggestions and comments on the draft materials and CFA has advised the majority of these suggestions have been supported.
The guide will be trialed by several groups in District 17 this season, with results to be evaluated to inform a final guide.
Whilst supportive of the initiative, volunteers have expressed a concern that whilst the guide is promoted as being voluntary, insurance companies may see this as regulation and expect strict adherence with evidence of compliance being required when assessing insurance claims. The VFBV/CFA Joint Community Safety Committee will monitor feedback following the trial |
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