VFBV

Everyone can help someone 
By Adam Barnett, VFBV Chief Executive Officer  

Later this month we will celebrate National Volunteer Week, which this year runs between the 20th–26th May 2024.

This year’s theme is ‘Something for Everyone’ which fits emergency service volunteering quite nicely considering the myriad of roles available within CFA. The key message for this year’s theme is about emphasising that there’s a place for everyone in the world of volunteering.

And while my go to Ronald Reagan quote is usually his tongue in cheek wise crack: “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are: I’m from the government and I’m here to help”, I will pivot to the more subject appropriate quote of “We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”

As you would expect, I spend a lot of my time talking about all things ‘volunteer’ to many people who may not volunteer themselves. This is often the case when dealing with government, the public service and even business groups. Sadly, it has also become more common when dealing with people within the emergency management sector itself, and even when meeting some new CFA staff.

While I don’t think being an emergency service volunteer should be a mandatory prerequisite, it is important for those that have influential roles or responsibilities within the sector to have a very good understanding of the volunteer ethos, its culture, and how volunteers should be encouraged, respected, supported and appreciated.

When people roll their eyes over what they deem to be a pretty inconsequential complaint by volunteers, I ask how many of their staff would show up for work if the agency sent out an email advising all staff they wouldn’t be paid for the next two weeks due to budget cuts.

Think of all the things an organisation would need to do to encourage its staff to still want to come to work for free, and then think about what’s required to run a fully volunteer organisation not for two weeks, but for 365 days of the year.

Of late, some think its is totally acceptable to mirror arrangements for employees and expect volunteers to be treated exactly the same. Follow this through its logical conclusion, and if roles were reversed and employees had to give up their salaries but still continue to come to work – imagine the chaos and low morale.

Why then is it so difficult to understand treating volunteers like employees will similarly result in chaos and low morale.

And while just being a volunteer does not automatically qualify you as understanding these things or being proficient in the principles of volunteer management, it certainly goes some way to provide valuable context and personal experiences that may enlighten further development down the track.

For those that do have a background in volunteering, more often than not it is often involvement in non-formal volunteering, which is kind of the- ‘all care and no responsibility’ flavour of volunteering. That’s not to say that this type of volunteering is bad, and I certainly mean no disrespect - it just simply does not create a reference point for people who have not had experience in formal volunteering for an emergency service that also includes a significant amount of obligation, the real risk of hurting yourself, as well as the removal of the flexibility to volunteer where and when they would like.

Anyone with a pager knows that emergency incidents rarely occur when convenient, nor can they be planned or blacked out in one’s diary when planning the week.

It’s not until you start truly appreciating the sacrifices that CFA and other emergency service volunteers make that you can start to really appreciate and respect it. Then there is the type of incidents emergency service volunteers frequently attend that can weigh on your soul. I often describe CFA volunteers as being with Victorians on what is often the worse day of their lives. Therefore, the mental toll is as real as the physical, and often requires significant cognitive energy to ensure these aftereffects are managed and treated.

All this is to say, that when people tell me they really respect volunteers, I often pause to consider the context with which the statement is made. The words are easy, but genuine respect can only be given if the role and duty that emergency service volunteers give is truly understood. Only then can one really value and respect something.

I reflect on the occasions when someone has been accused of disrespecting CFA volunteers, and this is often followed by an exclamation that no this isn’t so - they love volunteers and really admire what they do.

It then takes patience and deliberate effort to walk them through the logic of an ignorant though well-meaning sentiment, versus an informed knowledge of and appreciation of how volunteers differ from a paid workforce. Again, these sentiments are often not made maliciously, but the effect is none the less often the same.

In this vein, I wish to use this year’s Volunteer Week to continue to contribute towards a better understanding of the value that emergency service volunteers bring to Victoria.

We know from the work we did with Lateral Economics a few years back, that Victoria’s emergency service volunteers generate more than $2.5 billion dollars of value to Victoria each and every year. Of that, $1.4 billion is what we call emergency management value per year. This is defined as the contribution of volunteers to the direct outcomes achieved by emergency services before, during and after emergencies. This includes response, but also considers prevention/mitigation, preparedness, as well as recovery.

It should be pointed out this is not the replacement value and only represents a very conservative partial cost approach to quantify the value. That is value and saved money that gets diverted to schools, hospitals and other essential programs.

The more misunderstood component of the $2.5 billion is the $900 million that is generated every year that emergency service volunteers provide in community strengthening value. This refers to the broader and sometimes indirect ways in which emergency service volunteering helps to strengthen communities. In other words - visible, active, positive emergency volunteerism in a community can make a difference to society as a whole. Concepts fire service outcome measurements do not even pretend to contemplate.

Rather than paraphrase, I’ll reproduce the observations of Nicholas Gruen the CEO from Lateral Economics after studying Victoria’s emergency service volunteers. Nicholas is a widely published and respected Australian economist, visiting professor at King’s College London’s Policy Institute, and is the former chair of the Australian Centre for Social Innovation.

“Thinkers and philosophers have deliberated through the eons over the question of which is more important—the individual or society? The discipline of economics is built on ‘methodological individualism’ in which the wellbeing and functioning of groups is seen as no more than the sum of their individual constituents. Nevertheless economics’ ‘founding father’, Adam Smith, had a different view, building his economics around a view of humanity set out in his first book – The Theory of Moral Sentiments in which individuals became individuals as we know them through the process of being socialised into the values of their family and, beyond that, their community.”

“It is not necessary to decide the question definitively for our purposes. What we can say is that certain outcomes of the 3Vs [Volunteers, Volunteering & Volunteerism] are far more concrete than others. The value of saving a house from being engulfed in a bushfire is clear to all conceptually, and, at least in principle, it is easy to measure its economic value.”

“This is far less true of the value individuals get from volunteering and even less true of the value communities gain from individuals within them volunteering. In this regard those close to volunteering— volunteers themselves and many who help organise them—are anxious that the value creation that is easiest to measure not crowd out that which is no less real for being difficult to measure.”

So during this year’s Volunteer Week while I acknowledge the incredible work our members do each and every day in protecting their communities from fire and other emergencies, I would also like to especially thank you for the community building, social capital and cohesion you each contribute to, that makes up a large part of the public value generated by your efforts.

‘Public value’ is the philosophy of performance measurement used to evaluate the value produced normally but not exclusively by public bodies and that is ‘consumed’ collectively by the citizenry rather than individually by clients or customers.

When you drill down into the four main domains that are often used to measure public value, it is clear the value proposition that CFA generates for Victoria. Public value can be measured by the outcomes achieved; the extent to which the organisation and activities are trusted and perceived to be legitimate; the extent to which the services delivered are high quality and match the need; and finally the extent to which an organisation is achieving maximal benefits with minimal resources. When you compare the public value of some current government priorities using these measurements, the disparity is clear.

With that in mind, we will be closely monitoring the Victorian budget due early this month. CFA volunteers will have every right to judge the tangible level of respect that the Victorian Government really has for its emergency service volunteers by way of its investment and resourcing (or lack thereof) of these essential emergency services.

If CFA and volunteer emergency services are truly judged by their public value and not by other measures such as political convenience, or industrial relations alignment, then CFA volunteers and the millions of Victorians that rely on their services will have nothing to worry about.

And while I fear this may not be the case, please take this moment to celebrate the incredible work that you do and the lives that you change for the better - each and every day.

SOP Feedback

A reminder that we are seeking feedback on various Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are out for consultation.

Thirteen SOPs have been modified and ten are now available for review. These are SOP 3.01 Management of Junior Members; 5.05 Use of CFA Equipment; 7.01 Local Procedure Development; 7.05 Water Supplies for Firefighting; 7.07 Station Siren Use; 8.01 Incident Controller and CFA Agency Commander; 8.04 Transfer of Control; 9.13 Keeping Logs and Documents; 9.16 Media Management; and 9.18 Use of Personal Mobile Devices During Incidents.

Given the importance of SOPs in CFA’s operational doctrine, VFBV encourages all senior volunteers to make themselves familiar with the proposed changes and provide feedback ASAP.

Please visit the VFBV website to access drafts and change logs to help guide your feedback. A feedback survey is also available from the VFBV website for those who prefer to provide feedback that way.

National Volunteer Week
The week of 20-26 May is National Volunteer Week, a week that provides an opportunity to highlight the important role of volunteers in our communities and invites people not currently volunteering to give it a go.

The theme for National Volunteer Week is Something for Everyone. This recognises the diverse passions and talents everyone brings to the act of volunteering. It’s an invitation to explore the myriad of opportunities available, emphasising that there’s a place for everyone in the world of volunteering.

VFBV passes on our deep gratitude, respect and appreciation to all CFA volunteers for the work you do in your communities, 24/7. Victorians are safer because of your work and VFBV could not be more proud of you, your brigades and all those that support you in your work protecting lives and property.

We acknowledge all of Victoria’s emergency management volunteer workforce including volunteer first responders from VicSES, St John Ambulance, Ambulance Victoria, Life Saving Victoria, Coast Guard, Salvation Army, Red Cross and the Victorian Council of Churches Emergencies Ministry for their wonderful contribution.

VESEP

Applications are now open for the 2024 Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP), with the closing date fast approaching.

VFBV has updated its Help Pack to assist brigades and groups with their applications. The Help Pack is available for download from the VFBV website.

VESEP provides grants of $2 for every $1 of Brigade or Group funding to assist brigades and groups in acquiring a wide range of additional equipment in recognition of the significant contribution emergency service volunteers provide in supporting Victorian communities.

In its 24th year, VESEP first started out as the Community Safety Emergency Support Program in 2000 and was designed in close consultation with VFBV, with the intent of being a grants program designed by volunteers with minimal administration required from volunteers.

VFBV wishes all CFA Brigades and Groups well with your applications.

VFBV Board positions

Vacancies on the VFBV Board will arise when the terms of four VFBV Board members expire on the 1st October 2024. Of the four members whose terms are expiring, two are eligible for re-appointment.

VFBV invites applications from any CFA volunteer who is motivated by the prospect of making a difference and believes they have the skills to contribute to the VFBV Board.

The role of a board member involves contributing to VFBV direction, policy determination and monitoring the performance and governance of the Association. This includes actively contributing to policy discussion, consulting with CFA volunteers and contributing to the identification and management of strategic issues.

VFBV is seeking applications from gender and culturally diverse candidates in addition to a diverse range of skills and experience including applications from diverse brigade types and classifications.

Members should familiarise themselves with the VFBV Board member role statement and key selection criteria available from the VFBV website or via the office at (03) 9886 1141.

Applications close on Monday 2nd September 2024.

CFA Memorial Service

On Sunday May 5th, the Annual CFA Memorial Service was held at the Victorian Emergency Services Memorial in Treasury Gardens in the Melbourne CBD to honour firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

This year’s service was particularly poignant as it acknowledged and recognised the loss of two of CFA’s long-serving members who died in the line of duty in the past year; Greg Godkin of Donald brigade in August 2023 and Garry Mallen of Portland brigade in January 2024.

If you were unable to attend the service, you can view a livestream of the service on CFA’s YouTube channel.

Volunteer unity
Thank you for members’ strong show of support!

Again in 2023/24, CFA Brigades and Groups showed it is more important than ever that volunteers have a strong, united, independent and credible voice with almost 95% of Brigades demonstrating strong support for VFBV’s important work representing and advocating for all CFA volunteers. Thank you to all that affiliated last year.

In the coming weeks, Brigade and Group secretaries will receive the 2024/25 renewal notices for your Brigade/Groups’ VFBV Affiliation and Welfare Fund subscriptions with a due date of 30th June, 2024.

The Board is determined that brigades/groups should benefit from the strong governance of the association and have reduced the affiliation rate from $84 to $75.

Those who pay VFBV affiliations before 30th June will be automatically entered into a draw to win one of four extremely worthwhile prizes valued at approximately $4,000. Prizes have, for the fourth year running, been donated by GAAM Emergency Products and Powdersafe and we sincerely appreciate their continued support.

We strongly encourage Brigades to also subscribe to the VFBV Welfare Fund. The Welfare Fund is a capital fund and an exclusive benefit to affiliated members with VFBV funding all the administration and operating costs ensuring 100% of funds received go directly to CFA volunteers experiencing personal hardship. The VFBV Welfare Fund provides small grants up to $5,000 to assist volunteer members and long service ex members and has distributed more than $2.5 million dollars to volunteers in need since its inception.

Fire Wise – May 2024 online only edition

The May 2024 edition of Fire Wise has been published online only, this edition and past editions are available from the Fire Wise website.

You can support Fire Wise and the role it plays as an independent voice in keeping volunteers informed by becoming a subscriber. To become a subscriber visit the Fire Wise website or contact the Managing Editor of Fire Wise, Gordon Rippon-King either by phone 0402 051 412 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.    

ESF Residential Wellbeing Program Pilot

In April 2024 the Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) started a pilot Residential Wellbeing Program.

The pilot will involve six groups of ten people in residence for four days to work with two mental health counsellors familiar with the emergency services environment. The six pilot programs will take place between April and October this year and are open to members from ESF member agencies who met certain criteria.

For more information about the Residential Wellbeing Program and to register please visit the ESF website.

Recent articles on the VFBV website
Open for Consultation Dashboard

VFBV Board Vacancies – Invitation to Apply

Feedback Requested – Standard Operating Procedures (Various)

2024 VESEP Applications Now Open and VFBV Help Pack

CFA Annual Memorial Service 2024

Presumptive Legislation Update

Enjoy the VFBV monthly newsletter?
If you enjoy reading the VFBV newsletter each month, why not share it with your fellow volunteers?

Either share this page with others who may enjoy the articles or encourage other volunteers to sign up to receive their own copy via email each month here.

Want to read the VFBV 2-minute briefings from the CFA/VFBV Joint Committees?
The latest edition along with previous editions can be downloaded from the VFBV website here.

Chicken or egg 
By Adam Barnett, VFBV Chief Executive Officer 

Which came first – the chicken or the egg? Before you get too uptight, no – I’m not about to prattle on about this causality dilemma considered by many ancient philosophers exploring things like infinite regress and origin paradox’s. Religion has had a crack with origin stories, and scientists have their evolutionary biology explanations. From a science perspective, tempted as I may be, I won’t even publish a spoiler, but I will say that perhaps the answer isn’t as clear cut as you may think. For the inquisitive among you, I have short linked an Australian source – the Australian Academy of Science that provide their answer – (https://tinyurl.com/vfbv-chicken)

But I digress. My main point is around the difficulty posed by situations where it is challenging to determine between alleged causes and effects. One of the most common discussion points that I frequently hear among brigades is the age-old recruitment and retention riddle. Again, people often approach this as a binary decision between does CFA have a recruitment or a retention problem? One or the other.

If we look at these separately, lets start with recruitment. While “volunteering” is generally thought to be in decline in Australia, these often-simplistic measurements often hide what’s really going on in the detail. For example, recent longitudinal studies often don’t separate out the COVID period and lockdowns that made many volunteering opportunities impossible and wiped out most of the “formal” volunteering sector during these periods.

These prophecies also ignore the fact that our form of volunteering – emergency service volunteering – accounts for just a tiny little fraction of total volunteers – so the potential pool of volunteers is still massive providing we look after them and meet their volunteering “needs”.

The COVID period of disruption proved what many of us have said for a very long time. Protect emergency service volunteering – as once you lose something as valuable as our volunteering culture – it is very hard to get it back. And while arguably CFA volunteers were able to participate in some activities during the COVID years – many discovered just how pervasive their volunteering had become over other facets of their lives. It’s not unusual for this to be a bit of a light bulb moment for some who now desire a more balanced work/life balance.

But there is also some positive in this.

This reckoning has occurred across the entire population, not just among CFA and other emergency service volunteers - and it has changed the way people want to volunteer, and what they want to get out of their volunteer experience.

The most common motivation popping out of research is many people are looking for opportunities to make a difference. They want to help people; they want to make a difference; and they want to do things that have social impact. And with more limited time on their hands with dual income families and cost of living pressures etc. people want their volunteering time to be not only impactful but efficient.

On the one hand – CFA provides a wonderful opportunity for people who want to make a difference. We literally change lives each and every day. By our very being – we literally respond to peoples’ calls for help and are often with them on the worst days of their lives. There are few vocations that are not as impactful nor rewarding as CFA.

But how do we fair on the “efficient” part of that equation. Being a CFA volunteer is not exactly time efficient. Factor in the lengthy application process, onboarding, minimum training, mandatory skills maintenance and a lot of hurry up and wait, and we don’t tick all that many boxes.

The good news for us is most people understand that if they want to be involved in a role as hazardous and impactful as that of a CFA volunteer, there is a certain amount of “overhead” that comes with that. CFA remains a very attractive organisation of choice for the first-time volunteer. This is evidenced by the high number of expressions of interest that flow in each and every year. After large summer campaigns, literally thousands of EOI’s flow in from well intentioned people wanting to pitch in and give us a hand. These aren’t evenly distributed, and the more remote brigades frequently miss out.

I only half-jokingly opined to a CFA executive recently that given all the hoops we place in front of an aspiring CFA volunteer just to get into the organisation – we really should award them a medal on day one just to acknowledge their persistence and tenacity in actually getting through it all.

This is evidenced by the massive disparity between those that express an interest and those that actually join. While the numbers fluctuate, I estimate on average only about one-fifth to one-quarter of expressions of interest actually translate to a completed application. I have cautioned many a Minister about jumping up in Parliament to extoll the thousands of people signing up to join CFA during a campaign fire. Usually timed to dodge criticism around falling vol numbers, this mirage of applicants quickly disappears when tracking the actual number of applications completing their enrolment process.

And can anyone really blame them? While the cynic in me thinks that the application process is a very good test for aspiring applicants, as really – if they are not willing to jump through some hoops to get into the organisation at the start of their career – God help them when they realise how many more hoops will remain for the rest of their involvement just to stay. Maybe its better they learn the lesson up front and set their expectations accordingly?

But when you think about it – that’s a pretty lousy excuse for a system and model that seems to delight in testing the human limits for patience and tolerance. A recent review of a nine-page medical form gives me the impression that the only Victorian likely to be worthy of membership these days is off training for the Olympics. We’ve got to do better.

Which gets us to the retention side of the equation. I saw this dilemma on full display when I observed a recent news article in a regional newspaper appealing to members of the community to get involved. The stories pointed out the excessive red tape and bureaucracy, the journalist pointed out that due to inadequate government funding the fire truck was now 30 years old and CFA can’t afford a new fire shed for them, even though the current one has no toilet. Quite correctly they pointed out how difficult it was to attract new members, especially more diverse members when people have to use the paddock or public toilet block up the hill just to go to the bathroom. The article then invited people to apply.

It’s not the brigade’s fault they are in this position. Here we have a crucial emergency service starved of funding that leaves these civic minded community champions out in a tin shed with aging equipment, and dare I say – an aging workforce. Is this not the embodiment of the ultimate disrespect that government has for its volunteer emergency services? Who thinks this would be attractive to today’s youth?

This is the impossible position the government is putting brigades and CFA more generally into. How do we possibly attract new members when budgets are being slashed and burned? It’s not exactly a great advert when we can’t afford new trucks, or new stations and we are forced to continually ration out protective equipment and clothing to try and make it go around. While government MPs sweat about 15 year old FRV trucks yet ignore 34 year old trucks rusting away in CFA sheds, and where a paid firefighter gets an automatic allocation of multiple sets of PPC, uniforms, gloves and individual portable radios for every seat in the truck, volunteers are forced to make do with much less each and every time. Despite being ten orders of magnitude larger than the paid service, CFA receives just one third of its funding and all the cuts that go along with that, rationing every glove, boot, chainsaw and hose.

For example, the new radios recently announced are fantastic – but we can’t even afford to pop a portable radio in the truck for every seat in the cabin like our sister service does. So again, CFA is forced to make do and ration them out under fancy sounding terms like “risk assessment” and “operational justification” that if we’re lucky will allocate three portables for every five seater truck, which given the incident controller often requires two – paints the picture of what volunteers have to put up with on the fireground.

And while CFA often gets blamed for these type of policy positions – what else can it do with such systemic under funding? And for those in any doubt, I will continue dropping these little budget facts in every newsletter for every week that cuts continue to be made to CFA, in the hope you will continue to raise it with your local member of parliament and keep raising it until CFA’s budget is restored.

So when people ask me if we have a recruitment problem or a retention one, I go back to my analogy of the chicken or the egg. While it may sound trivial – there is a complex story in each. I think the recruitment problems are easier to solve. This explains why recruitment is often the first thing under siege governments usually latch onto. They are quick and results are fast. But just adding more meat to the sausage machine is not the answer if the sausage machine is broken. We have to fix the sausage machine first.

At time of writing, thousands of CFA volunteers are preparing to fundraise for the Royal Children’s Hospital. Our members will selflessly rattle tins, give up a long weekend and stand on intersections to raise millions of dollars for some of Victoria’s most vulnerable children. They will then return to raising funds for their own community’s fire station, trucks and gear. They will do so while protecting their communities and responding to all manner of emergencies that will arise over the Easter long weekend, and beyond - just like every other day of the year. They will do so proudly, and humbly.

This is the epitome of a CFA volunteer. Our reason for being. Just wanting to help others. It shouldn’t have to be this hard. Victorians rely on us, and our fight for fairer funding isn’t for us – it’s for them.

State champions crowned
Over two weekends in March almost 1,000 competitors contested the 2024 State Urban and Rural Championships in Mooroopna.

Melton A had two successful weekends, winning the Grand Aggregates at both the Urban Junior and Senior Championships. While the Rural Senior Championship saw Eldorado win both the Division 1 and Division 3 Aggregate’s while Truganina A took out the Division 2 aggregate. For the Rural Junior Championship, Ascot & District won both the 11-13 years and Grand Aggregates while Napoleons-Enfield A took the honours in the 11-15 years aggregate.

The Torchlight Procession was this year held in Mooroopna with the new LED powered torches replacing the traditional kerosene torches with Melton continuing their success taking out first place with 98%. Full results from all four State Championships can be found on the VFBV website or on pages 10 to 12 of this months edition of Fire Wise and on the VFBV website.

Of course, the State Championships wouldn’t be possible without the 200 judges and officials who volunteer their time over the two weekends to ensure that the championships are run at a high standard for all competitors involved. VFBV also passes on our appreciation to the competitors, coaches, supporters and families of the competitors who keep the competitions going, as well as all CFA staff who contributed to the success of the championships.

A special thank you also to the Mooroopna State Championships committee for their hard work in preparing the competition venue for the Championships alongside the Greater Shepparton City Council who continue to support the Championships.

VFBV’s competition committees will be meeting in the coming months to review this year’s Championships. If any brigades, competitors or spectators have any feedback they would like considered by either committee please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Affiliation
Thank you for members’ strong show of support!

Again in 2023/24, CFA Brigades and Groups showed it is more important than ever that volunteers have a strong, united, independent and credible voice with 95% of Brigades demonstrating strong support for VFBV’s important work representing and advocating for all CFA volunteers. Thank you to all brigades and groups who affiliated last year.

In the coming weeks, Brigade and Group secretaries will receive the 2024/25 renewal notices for your Brigade/Groups’ VFBV Affiliation and Welfare Fund subscriptions with a due date of 30th June, 2024.

The Board is determined that brigades/groups should benefit from the strong governance of the association and have found efficiencies to allow the reduction of the affiliation rate from $84 to $75. The price set when the rural and urban associations joined together in 2013/14.

To thank Brigades and Groups for their support, those who pay VFBV affiliations before 30th June will be automatically entered into a draw to win one of four extremely worthwhile prizes valued at approximately $4,000. Prizes have, for the fourth year running, been donated by GAAM Emergency Products and Powdersafe and we sincerely thank them for their continued support. A flyer detailing prizes on offer will be included with your renewal notices.

As well as affiliating, we strongly encourage Brigades to subscribe to the VFBV Welfare Fund. The Welfare Fund is a capital fund and an exclusive benefit to affiliated members with VFBV funding all the administration and operating costs ensuring 100% of funds received go directly to CFA volunteers experiencing personal hardship.

The VFBV Welfare Fund provides small grants up to $5,000 to assist volunteer members and long service ex-members. The Welfare Fund has distributed more than $2.5 million dollars since its inception.

SOP Feedback

A reminder that we are seeking feedback on various Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are out for consultation. The Driving SOPs will close for feedback shortly. An additional 13 SOPs have been modified and are now available for review.

These are SOP 3.01 Management of Junior Members; 5.05 Use of CFA Equipment; 7.01 Local Procedure Development; 7.05 Water Supplies for Firefighting; 7.07 Station Siren Use; 8.01 Incident Controller and CFA Agency Commander; 8.04 Transfer of Control; 9.13 Keeping Logs and Documents; 9.16 Media Management; and 9.18 Use of Personal Mobile Devices During Incidents.

Given the importance of SOPs in CFA’s operational doctrine, VFBV encourages all senior volunteers to make themselves familiar with the proposed changes and provide feedback ASAP.

Please visit the VFBV website to access drafts and change logs to help guide your feedback.

VFBV Board Vacancies 

Vacancies on the VFBV Board will arise when the terms of four VFBV Board members expire on 1 October 2024. Of the four members whose terms are expiring, two are eligible for re-appointment.

VFBV invites applications from any CFA volunteer who is motivated by the prospect of making a difference and believes they have the skills to contribute to VFBV Board.

The role of a board member involves contributing to VFBV direction, policy determination and monitoring the performance and governance of the Association. This includes actively contributing to policy discussion, consulting with CFA volunteers and contributing to the identification and management of strategic issues.

VFBV is seeking applications from gender and culturally diverse candidates in addition to a diverse range of skills and experience including applications from diverse brigade types and classifications.

Members should familiarise themselves with the VFBV Board member role statement and key selection criteria available from the VFBV website or via the office at (03) 9886 1141.

Applications close on Monday 2 September 2024.

CFA Annual Firefighter Memorial Service

This year’s Annual Firefighter Memorial Service will be held on Sunday 5th May to honour firefighters who have lost their lives in the line of duty.

The service will be held at the Victorian Emergency Services Memorial in Treasury Gardens, East Melbourne and will begin at 2pm.

Family members and friends, CFA and VFBV executives as well as government representatives will come together to lay wreaths, light candles, remember lives and honour the personal sacrifices and commitment firefighters make each and every day.

Junior CFA members will also attend the memorial service and will be actively involved throughout the ceremony by assisting wreath layers and patrons.

The Annual Memorial service is a free event, to attend please RSVP to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone 0428 406 012 by Monday 22nd April.

Mental Health Matters Workshops
The Emergency Services Foundation (ESF) is again offering mental health matters workshops to emergency service volunteers across Victoria.

This year ESF will travel to regional areas to deliver the 2.5 hour workshop at a time that suits the brigade and volunteers.  The Mental Health Matters workshop is a free, no pressure, conversational workshop with a focus on involving partners and family members in the workshop.

Topics covered in the workshop include: what is mental fitness; identifying the signs and symptoms; who is in your support crew and where to get help; stigma around mental health; and how to effectively ask R U OK?

For more information or to register your interest in holding a workshop, visit the ESF website.

VEC – Local Council Elections

The Victorian Electoral Commission (VEC) is seeking local people to help run the 2024 local council elections in specific regional areas.

Applications are open for join the VEC as a senior election official who take on specialised election management roles during election events.

For more information or to see a list of areas where the VEC is seeking senior election officials please visit the VFBV website.

Applications close on Sunday 7th April 2024.

Fire Wise – April 2024 online only edition

The April 2024 edition of Fire Wise has been published online only, this edition and past editions are available from the Fire Wise website.

You can support Fire Wise and the role it plays as an independent voice in keeping volunteers informed by becoming a subscriber. To become a subscriber visit the Fire Wise website or contact the Managing Editor of Fire Wise, Gordon Rippon-King either by phone 0402 051 412 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.   

Recent articles on the VFBV website
Open for consultation dashboard

Victorian Electoral Commission

2024 Bushfire and Storm Recovery Resources

Feedback Requested – Standard Operating Procedures (Various)

Feedback Requested – Standard Operating Procedures (Driving)

VFBV Board Vacancies - Invitation to Apply

2024 State Urban Senior Championship Results

2024 State Rural Junior Championship Results

2024 State Rural Senior Championship Results

2024 State Urban Junior Championship Results

International Women’s Day 2024

Presumptive Legislation Update

Enjoy the VFBV monthly newsletter?
If you enjoy reading the VFBV newsletter each month, why not share it with your fellow volunteers?

Either share this page with others who may enjoy the articles or encourage other volunteers to sign up to receive their own copy via email each month here.

Want to read the VFBV 2-minute briefings from the CFA/VFBV Joint Committees?
The latest edition along with previous editions can be downloaded from the VFBV website here.