Our thoughts and best wishes are with all those communities across NSW and QLD currently impacted by intense bush fire activity.
As I write this month’s column, we have over 500 Victorian personnel deployed to assist NSW crews with firefighting, incident management and specialist roles, and that number increases every day. CFA is supplying the lion’s share of that contingent with approximately 400 members, with the remainder coming from our partner agencies FFMVic (63) the MFB
(26) and additional personnel from other emergency management agencies including the SES.
To put the CFA contribution into perspective – on one day alone we deployed 311 personnel via 11 strike teams. Think about that – with very short notice we have been able to deploy hundreds of members, many hundreds of kilometres away to another State, for multi-day concurrent deployments. Resources included 75 fully crewed vehicles, with the vast
majority comprising of tankers and of course hundreds of CFA volunteers. CFA surge capacity in action. No stations left empty and no communities left unprotected while we send people away. Like an elastic band stretching when you need it to – CFA’s volunteer surge capacity working exactly as it is designed to.
After factoring in the support Victoria has also provided to Queensland over the last few weeks, more than 730 Victorian personnel have been sent to support our interstate colleagues so far. And while none of these numbers will surprise us, it should be noted that the official start of Summer is still some weeks away.
I want to thank and acknowledge not only the members who have been deployed interstate, but the hundreds of people working behind the scenes to make it possible. And while the fire reports will only list the personnel who were deployed – think of the countless hours, days and sometimes weeks of preparation from Group Officers, Brigade Officers and
members who have given up their own time collating availability rosters, distributing and processing the expressions of interest, and planning what trucks can be deployed while at the same time maintaining local coverage.
Now think about the hundreds of volunteers who have arranged with their Brigade to modify their daily routines to increase their availability or arranged flexible hours with their employer so they can be available just in case for local incidents while the brigade has several members deployed interstate. None of these people ever get counted on any
official CFA reports.
Now think of all the nonoperational members who have arranged support, airport drop off’s, rosters and logistics and helped with the avalanche of paperwork that comes with the increase of tempo in our operational and brigade activity. They too are not counted on those official fire reports or any other CFA system for that matter.
And last but by no means least, think of the hundreds of family members supporting each one of those deployed firefighters - the families, partners and friends pitching in to assist their loved ones. Those left behind while their partner, mother, father, brother or sister is deployed interstate. They are keeping home life on track, managing school drop
off’s and other family and work commitments. Think of those volunteers who are using their annual leave entitlements to cover their deployment, and the employers who have released many volunteers from their businesses without docking wages – all to help our efforts. The self employed putting their business on hold so they can help these communities in need.
The fact that most of these people are donating their time, their safety and their livelihoods just to pitch in and help their fellow Australians during their time of need should not only be recognised, it should be respected and celebrated.
My point? Official tally’s and records as unreliable as they are – will still only be capturing a tiny fraction of the personnel, commitment and contribution required to support these critical operational activities. Don’t listen to anyone that tries to talk down CFA’s amazing volunteer surge capacity or tries to belittle or qualify the incredible
contribution and sacrifices of its volunteers.
This is what makes our CFA so special. Its network across the State, its connectedness with our communities and most importantly – its people – drawn from those very same communities it is there to protect. From those on the front line, to the countless others who are leading, training, supporting, mentoring and assisting in the background.
To everyone that has had a hand in preparing and contributing to the current activity I say thank-you. Each and every one of you are valued and respected and no matter how small or insignificant you think your role or contribution is – it is our collective efforts that make our operational response to these significant events possible, and of this we
should all be proud.
Our CFA has yet again stepped up when it was needed the most. And you its people are the backbone of CFA upon which all its successes are built. And given the fire season proper has not even started yet – it looks like we have a long and challenging season ahead of us.
Be proud of yourselves and each other and remind yourselves that this is why we invest so much time, energy and effort into improving CFA and working together to make it a better place to volunteer and work. We don’t do it to make ourselves happy – we do it because it is so critically important in our pursuit to protect this State’s most important asset
– its people. And in the countries most fire prone area, Victoria relies on this sacrifice year in and year out.
As the focus now moves to our operational activities, keep thinking about those tangible things that would best support and assist you in your roles protecting our communities. Reform planning or discussions won’t stop just because we’re busy – so we’ll need to remain agile and ready to influence those discussions as they occur.
NSW TFB
During this week’s high fire danger period, NSW Police are pursuing five individuals over breaches of NSW’s statewide total fire ban. Incredibly, on days where fire agencies warned of catastrophic fire danger, these five individuals were caught using barbeques with an open flame or burning rubbish.
VFBV delegates have been seeking stronger powers and arrangements for Victoria Police to investigate and prosecute TFB offences here in Victoria, including on the spot fines. I am pleased to report that CFA has agreed to support this initiative, with CEO/Chief Officer Steve Warrington AFSM personally backing it. VFBV is extremely grateful for the Chief’s
support and we will continue to pursue with EMV as we seek the Emergency Management Commissioners support also.
VFBV Quarterly Supplement
I’m thrilled with the inaugural edition of the VFBV Supplement contained in this edition of ‘Fire Wise.’ This will be a regular feature four times a year and will replace our quarterly mailout. This is just one way we are improving the communication flow between members and sharing the vital work done by hundreds of VFBV delegates across the State who
tirelessly and passionately support, represent and advocate for CFA volunteers.
I commend this initiative to you and hope you find it informative and interesting.
Presumptive Legislation
The first volunteer applications under Presumptive Legislation will be decided on this month. Like many volunteers, we will be looking to see how these new processes are working and if the results from these first cases match the promises and commitments made, especially in relation to the panel that will decide on volunteer cases.
VFBV is continuing to support applicants, and anyone contemplating lodging a claim under Presumptive Legislation is encouraged to make contact with the VFBV Welfare Fund Secretary so we can support you through the process. The Welfare Fund Secretary can be reached on (03) 9886 1141.
