Dear ,
Welcome to our monthly newsletter. You can find a print version of this months articles on Page 2 of the June edition of the 'Fireman' newspaper. You can modify your subscriber details
by following the 'Subscriber Options' link at the bottom of this email.
Editorial: Queensland joins other States on Cancer By Andrew Ford, VFBV Chief Executive Officer |
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CFA volunteers will be watching with considerable interest this week as
the Queensland Parliament begins the process to enact a law which gives all firefighters in Queensland - paid and volunteer - fairer cancer compensation rights.
This is the type of legislation for which we have been campaigning here in Victoria
since 2011. The presumptive legislation now being enacted in most States except Victoria, works by reversing the onus of proof; the firefighter’s cancer would be presumed to be work related provided the firefighter has sufficient years of service.
The claim could still be rejected if it could be proven the cancer was not related to firefighting duties.
As many of you will already know the legislation is not about a new entitlement, it is about removing an unfair barrier
that blocks sick firefighters from receiving the cancer compensation to which they are entitled. It’s just a reversal of the onus of proof.
Until now, Queensland firefighters have faced the same unfair barrier as Victorian firefighters; the near
impossible task of providing sufficient evidence to prove the cause of the cancer arose from particular fires, incidents or other work duties - events that might have happened 10, 15 or more years ago.
The Queensland presumptive legislation is the
fairer and simpler cancer compensation law that Victoria’s CFA volunteers have been promised, and are still waiting to see. Queensland is joining South Australia, the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Tasmania, in moving to take away the unfair barrier that stops firefighters from accessing compensation when they suffer typical firefighter cancers.
Importantly, the Bill now before the Queensland Parliament specifically provides that there will be no discrimination between paid and volunteer firefighters, under the new cancer compensation rights.
The Queensland Bill lists the same 12 cancers and minimum lengths of service required to qualify as are standard under the laws adopted by the Commonwealth and most Australian States and Territories, but not Victoria as yet.
The Queensland Bill is what the current Victorian Labor Government promised Victorian firefighters in the lead up to the last election – it uses the same list of 12 cancers and the same years of service requirements as the current law in Tasmania, but without any additional eligibility hurdles that discriminate against
volunteers.
Current Tasmanian law includes additional discriminatory requirements that must be met by their volunteer firefighters, but thankfully these were not part of Victorian Labor’s commitment to CFA volunteers. South Australia had similar
discriminatory requirements in their original legislation but have now deleted them and given volunteers the same eligibility requirements as the paid firefighters who work alongside them.
We are hopeful that the Victorian Government will be
in a position to announce details to support their promise at last year’s election, in the very near future.
CFA volunteers who have contracted cancer currently face the difficulty that as volunteers they have no firefighter sick leave or
superannuation to fall back on. Victorian law leaves all firefighters, career and volunteer alike, battling red tape and sometimes a long legal battle just to get a fair hearing, whilst they are forced to prove which fires or incidents might have caused their cancer.
It is nearly impossible to meet the standard of proof required by current Victorian law, just as it was under the laws that other States have replaced with fairer presumptive legislation for firefighters with cancer.
After
years of procrastination by the previous Victorian Government on presumptive cancer compensation rights for Victorian volunteer and career firefighters, Labor promised presumptive legislation just like the law that Queensland is now enacting.
I
have spoken with Government representatives responsible for progressing this issue, urging them to not only progress the matter consistent with our understanding of their policy commitment, but also to communicate formally with us the current status and intended next steps as soon as possible, so that we can give our members some confidence that the matter is progressing well, or the information needed to take our campaign to the next
step. |
VFBV Volunteer Survey Proving its Worth |
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After another very strong response in 2014, the VFBV Volunteer
Welfare and Efficiency Survey is shaping up as a very important tool to influence the focus and effort of supporting, training, engaging and respecting CFA volunteers.
In fact the survey and the report analysing its results, consistent with the
goals of VFBV, is having an influence and benefit beyond CFA volunteers, as it picks up application and momentum across the Emergency Management Sector.
VFBV will start work with the Emergency Management Commissioner to look at how the survey can be
applied across the sector, and VFBV has already implemented arrangements to host a similar survey tailored for VICSES volunteers, in partnership with the VICSES volunteers’ association, Victoria Emergency Service Association (VESA).
CFA and VICSES volunteers wishing to register and take part in the 2015 survey as soon as it opens can find an online registration form at www.vfbv.com.au or call (03) 9886 1141 to have a survey on paper
sent by post. The survey will run from 13 July to 31 August.
Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley has applauded the volunteer-run survey.
“The information contained in the 2014 survey report, along with the trends identified through the previous two surveys, provides an excellent backdrop in understanding the contribution volunteers make towards a sustainable and efficient emergency management system.”
“VFBV will soon present the 2014 survey results to the Volunteer Consultative Forum with the possibility of utilising the survey data more broadly.”
“I look forward to working with VFBV to further utilise the survey data across the emergency management sector.”
In the meantime, the full report on the 2014 is being put to work with the endorsement of the CFA CEO and Board Chair, and the CFA Chair and VFBV President have jointly recommended the report to the Minister for Emergency Services as a key tool to focus efforts within the Emergency Management sector.
Claire Higgins, Chair of the CFA Board, has thanked the volunteers who responded to the 2014 survey and applauded VFBV’s work in conducting the annual survey.
“The
VFBV Volunteer Welfare and Efficiency Survey is another useful channel of communication that puts CFA in better touch with the volunteers at the practical end of emergency services delivery.”
“The survey helps CFA’s decision makers to
encourage, maintain and strengthen the large scale volunteer capacity that is essential to emergency management in this state.”
The full report from last year’s survey is available at www.vfbv.com.au online or for download.
Have your say on Draft Statement |
The Emergency Management
Commissioner, with in principle support from the Minister and Premier, has released a draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement for consideration and feedback from VFBV and volunteers.
The VFBV Board and CEO were invited to provide comments on an initial draft and are happy to report that essentially all of our early feedback has been incorporated into this current draft.
CFA volunteers already place a high value on the existing CFA Volunteer Charter and
legislative backing that supports it.
The draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement wording and the formal commitment from Craig Lapsley as Emergency Management Commissioner, and on behalf of the Government as Chair of the Minister’s Volunteer Consultative Forum, has confirmed that the intent of the Emergency Management Volunteer Statement is to strengthen and complement the existing CFA Volunteer Charter, which will continue as an enduring commitment between Government, CFA
and VFBV on behalf of CFA volunteers.
The draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement is a positive and reinforcing commitment by the Victorian Government and Emergency Management Sector to consult and engage with volunteers in emergency management on matters that affect them. VFBV has been requested to provide further feedback and ideally endorsement of the Statement before 17 July 2015 and the issue will be discussed at State Council on 14 June.
Volunteers are
invited to provide comments and suggestions for refinement, prior to VFBV providing final advice to the EM Commissioner on 17 July.
You can find the letter from Commissioner Lapsley and draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement at the VFBV website www.vfbv.com.au
Good News on BOV Insurance |
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Brigades will be pleased to hear arrangements are being made to upgrade the insurance on Brigade Owned Vehicles (BOVs) so the Brigade will no longer be left out of pocket if the vehicle is written off.
This has been a sensitive issue,
especially when the vehicle was damaged during operational deployment elsewhere in the state, leaving the Brigade having to pay the difference between the vehicle’s pre-accident value (PAV) and the actual replacement cost.
CFA has approved VFBV’s call for the establishment of an annual budget provision to cover any gap between the PAV and replacement cost.
We are now working through the finer details, but the commitment from CFA includes new for old replacement of all
vehicles within 24 months of their registration, effective immediately. For BOVs over 24 months old, CFA will establish an annual provision under the VESEP program, with the finer details still being worked through.
This excellent outcome has been made possible by the strong advocacy of VFBV delegates and their cooperative work with CFA and key decision makers since the issue was first highlighted by VFBV following an incident in 2013.
VFBV has been working with CFA’s State PPE&C Management Centre
over the past year to develop a suitable additional jacket as an alternative to provide relief from cold and inclement weather.
With the withdrawal of the black woollen jackets from service, volunteer delegates identified that in cold climatic conditions across Victoria, predominantly where members are not issued with Structural PPC, the current Bushfire PPC jacket does not provide sufficient warmth during situations such as road accident rescue, storm events and other
non-firefighting applications.
As bushfire PPC is inherently light weight to minimise the risk of metabolic heat build-up in the body, the challenge has been to design a garment to provide relief from cold and inclement weather, whilst providing good levels of day and night visibility, along with limited protection from heat and flame.
This jacket is not intended to replace bushfire PPC, and is not to be used for firefighting purposes, but may be used for other
fireground or brigade activity where weather conditions and work load allow.
The prototype jackets are now being field tested, with four jackets provided to every CFA district.
The trial will go for 12 weeks, and District Offices have been asked to make the garments available to interested individuals that are willing to trial the jackets.
Districts have been asked to prioritise members who do not currently have access to structural PPC, are located in
Brigades that best meet the intent of the trial (cold climate), are relatively active and willing to provide documented feedback. If you are interested in trialling the jacket, please make contact with your Operations Manager/Operations Officer for further information.
The VFBV office is busy with Brigade and Group affiliations coming in, and by the end of May
we were over half way to last year’s total of 1222 As we went into June, 656 Brigades and Groups had affiliated with VFBV, and 580 Brigades had sent in subscriptions to the VFBV Volunteer Welfare Fund, half way to last year’s total of 1050.
A reminder to Brigade and Group Secretaries, affiliations and subscriptions are due by June 30, and it’s important that you send in the green Contact Details form, even if paying by EFT, as the forms help your VFBV District Council Executive to
stay in contact with all Brigade and Group Delegates.
Any questions? Email [email protected] or call the office on (03) 9886 1141.
Decision soon on listening sets |
Volunteer Delegates to the Listening Set Working Party are now trialling CFA’s preferred
listening set.
The device being tested was the only device to successfully make it through the CFA technical evaluation that is part of the tender process.
Once field trials are complete, which is expected within the next 2 weeks, the working party will be reconvening in order to complete the tender evaluation, and hopefully a decision on the rollout will be forthcoming.
VFBV is continuing work on the subsidisation program which will look to offer a
significant financial discount on the sets when they become available.
9th State Auxiliary & Support Group Conference |
Representatives of all Brigade Auxiliaries and Support Groups to are invited to attend the 9th State Conference at Tabcorp Park, 2 Ferris Road, Melton South on Saturday, 8 August 2015.
The Conference starts at
10 am, with tea and coffee available from 9 am.
While the Conference Agenda is still being finalised, the proposed Guest Speakers include: CFA Chair Claire Higgins, Ms Christine Nixon, CFA’s Acting Executive Director, Operational Training & Volunteerism Kate Harrap, the National Disability Insurance Scheme’s Assistant Director Toni van Hamond.
A flyer and RSVP form have been sent to Auxiliaries and Support Groups; for more information, or to have your Auxiliary or
Group added to the mailing list, please contact Jenni Laing at the VFBV office on 03 9886 1141 or email [email protected]
Role of Group: quick update |
Following volunteer concern with the perceived lack of support for the Role of Group review
finalisation, the Chief Officer has made a commitment to VFBV that he still fully supports the review and the review’s findings, and will be providing strong leadership amongst F&EM to progress the reviews recommendations, and documentation.
We will keep members up to date as we learn more. Applications are open until Friday 31 July 2015, for four vacancies on the VFBV Board.
Each vacancy will be for a 2 year term until 1 October 2017.
The vacancies will arise when the terms of Board Members Tom Brodie, Gary Lyttle, Mick Nunweek and Hans van Hamond expire on 1 October 2015.
Tom Brodie will be retiring from the Board; all other members are eligible for re-appointment. See the advertisement in
this edition of ‘The Fireman’ or the VFBV website for details of how to apply.
A Board Member Role Statement is available from the VFBV office (03) 9886 1141 or the Board page of our website www.vfbv.com.au and applications in writing must be lodged by Friday, 31 July 2015.
Nominations for Trust
Fund |
The VFBV Board is calling for nominations to the CFA Donations Trust Fund Committee.
New or reappointed
members will be chosen by the Board to serve on the committee alongside the VFBV State President and State Vice President for a 12 month term.
Nominations to [email protected] or call VFBV on (03) 9886 1141. |
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