UPDATE 19 January 2016: ORDERS HAVE NOW CLOSED

ANNOUNCEMENT 16 October: On behalf of CFA and VFBV it is with great pleasure that we announce the availability of CFA’s new Digital Scanners.

*** A copy of this letter and paper order forms have been posted with our October mailout. Digital copies of all forms are attached below. *** 

As you are more than likely already aware, CFA and VFBV through the Joint Communications & Technology Committee and CFA’s Business Services Team have been diligently working on a replacement Listening Set since 2010, with the knowledge that as CFA’s radio network transitioned to digital frequencies on the P25 digital network, almost all current analogue listening sets and scanners being used by members would become redundant. Acknowledging the significant expense that new digital capable devices represents to members, and the important role they play in many Brigades, we have been jointly working on not only a replacement scanner, but a subsidization program that would assist members with their replacement.

After an exhaustive tender, trial and selection process, the Uniden UBCD436-PT digital scanner has been selected. This will be amongst one of the first scanners available in Australian that support P25 Phase 2 digital communications, which future proofs the device as Victorian Emergency Services transition to Phase 2 P25 in the future. The scanner is backward compatible, is capable of receiving analogue and current Phase 1 P25 digital radio traffic and will come preprogramed with the current CFA/DELWP radio channel plan.

As this scanner is not currently available via retail channels, and is being manufactured and sold exclusively to CFA members before a public release next year – retail pricing is not yet available, however it is expected to retail within the $500 – $700 per unit range.

In order to provide Brigades with equitable and fair access to these units, CFA and VFBV have developed a subsidy program that will provide all brigades & groups access to a limited number of heavily subsidized units. Through a combination of project funding and a successful joint CFA/VFBV application to the VESEP program, $3 million dollars has been set aside to subsidize units for members. To ensure equitable access to this funding, brigades will have access to a guaranteed minimum of 8 units per brigade at a one off subsidy price of $150 per unit, plus postage and handling, with the subsidy budget picking up the difference. ($296.75) This effectively represents an approximate 70% discount for members. Groups will be provided with a guaranteed minimum of 2 units per group.

The 8 units per brigade, and 2 units per group will be reserved and put aside for brigades/groups to access. You will have 90 days to claim and order/pay for your reserved units at the heavily discounted price, and they will be dispatched as per the attached schedule as orders and payment are received. At the end of 90 days, any units that have not been taken up will then be re-released into the general pool, and will be equally allocated to brigades and groups based on their 2^nd Tier pre-orders. If there are any remaining units, these will then be advertised, and made available to individuals on a first in first served basis until all remaining units have been exhausted.

Once the subsidization budget runs out, (expected early 2016) additional units will be made available to individual members at a cost price of $446.75 plus postage and handling.

As these units are being manufactured by Uniden exclusively for CFA, there are long lead times on orders placed with the manufacturer. Units are being received into Australia as they come off the manufacturing line. The first 3,500 units are due to arrive in the country by the 1^st November, with a second and third order of units totallying another 2,500 units arriving late December and February. Again, in order to provide all brigades with equitable access to units as quickly as possible, brigades will be able to access their 8 guaranteed units in two batches. The first 3 will be dispatched immediately upon your order and payment being processed, with the remaining 5 being dispatched as soon as subsequent units arrive in the country, and dispatched in the order that orders/payment are received. Group units will be dispatched upon order and payment being processed.

It will be left to the discretion of your brigade/group to determine how the digital scanners will be distributed amongst members, and the brigade/group may determine to purchase the subsidized units from brigade/group funds or request individual members to reimburse the brigade/group for their scanner. During the subsidization program, orders will only be accepted from brigades and groups. As soon as the subsidization program is finished (expected early 2016) scanners will be available for purchase by individual members at cost price.

Payment for the first 8 scanners must accompany your brigade’s order. Cheques and money orders must be made payable to “CFA”. Payment for the first 2 group scanners must also accompany group orders..

If your brigade/group wishes to pay by direct deposit into CFA’s bank account, please indicate where shown on the order form and once your order form has been received, CFA will issue you with an invoice that will contain the direct deposit bank details for you to pay for the order. (If paying this way – you must wait for the invoice to arrive before making payment.)

CFA brigades who are still operating under their own brigade ABN and are registered for GST will need to be processed separately, and will need to wait for a Tax Invoice to be issued by CFA for the total amount payable. If you are unsure if your brigade is still operating under its own ABN, please contact the VFBV office and we can assist with your enquiries. (There are currently only 33 brigades in the state still operating under a brigade ABN – and your brigade secretary/treasurer should know.)

VFBV is providing the administrative support for the processing of orders, and as such all orders should be returned to VFBV for processing. VFBV will process and lodge all orders with CFA within 48 hours of our receiving them. Brigades will be sent an electronic confirmation of your orders lodgement.

Any questions or queries should be directed to the VFBV Office on (03) 9886 1141 or via email to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. 

Scanners are not endorsed for operational use, and are no replacement for an official CFA Tait portable/mobile radio. Digital scanners have no send capability, and can only listen in on communications.

This program would not have been possible without CFA’s support and approval, and VFBV wishes to thank CFA for the establishment and support of the subsidization program for the benefit of members.

Download a copy of this letter here

Download a Brigade Order Form here

Download a Group Order Form here

Download the FAQ's here

Download a sample Order Form here

Download Scanner Spec Sheet here

Frequently Asked Questions

1. Can we order less than 8 units?
Yes. Brigades are guaranteed to have access to a minimum of 8 subsidized units put aside for them and available up until the 15th January 2016. You can order less than eight, but postage and handling will remain at $35 for any number up to 3 units, and a second postage and handling fee of $45 for any number of units between 4 and 8.

Groups can also order less than their guaranteed 2 units, but again the postage and handling fee will remain at $35 for dispatch of the guaranteed units.

2. How will we know how many subsidized units we can have above our initial allocation of 8? (Tier 2)
We won’t know how many are available until the 25th January 2016. This is to ensure all brigades have equal time to order and pay for their initial allocation. After the closing date of the 15th January – any units not taken up by brigades through the Tier 1 process, will then be made available in the Tier 2 program. We will then divide this total number of units left over by the number of brigades and groups requesting Tier 2 units, and that number will then be allocated proportionally amongst the Tier 2 orders until there are no subsidized units remaining.

On the 25th January, brigades and groups will be advised how many of their Tier 2 orders can be honoured, and payment will then be requested. Brigades and groups will have until the 1st March to pay for these units.

3. Are Tier 2 orders binding?
Yes. Even though you won’t have to pay for these units until we know how many are available, we will have to treat all Tier 2 orders as binding in order to know how many we can allocate to brigades and groups. You should assume that you will be asked to pay for every unit you indicate on the Tier 2 order form.

4. Who will own the units?
This is a brigade/group decision. If the brigade purchases the units using brigade funds, then they will be owned by the brigade/group and can be allocated at the brigade’s or group’s discretion.
Many brigades/groups are likely to request that individual members purchase the units at their own expense, in which case brigades/groups will determine how to prioritize the limited number of subsidized units available, but once the member reimburses the brigade/group for the unit cost, the device will then become the property of that individual.

5. How should we prioritize members if more than 8 members want to pay for a scanner?
This is a brigade decision. The brigade may elect to implement its own ranking system which might prioritize members based on their role within the brigade or group, and what benefit that member’s possession of a digital scanner would have on the brigade.

6. What if a member does not want to order through the brigade/group and just wants to buy one themselves?

Individual members will not have access to units at the subsidized price unless the full allocations to brigades and groups are not taken up. However, individuals will be able to purchase units at the full cost price when they become available. Individual orders will be treated the same as any Tier 3 orders and will be processed only after the end of the subsidization program, which is expected to finish early 2016. The manufacturer will not have any additional capacity until the end of the subsidization program, as it is expected that demand through the subsidization process will deplete all available stock.

Non CFA members will need to wait until the product is released at the retail level, which will be at the manufacturer’s discretion and is unlikely to be until well after CFA’s internal distribution program is completed.

7. Why can only brigades or groups order them?
This scanner has been developed specifically for CFA members and there is a limited budget for how many units can be subsidized by CFA. We are expecting demand to exceed supply, and are therefore relying on brigades and groups to be best placed to determine priority based on benefit to the overall community/brigade/group.

8. Can Headquarters and Coastguard brigades apply?
Yes. All registered CFA brigades and groups may apply. This includes registered Headquarters brigades and registered CFA Coastguard brigades.

9. Can Forest industry brigades apply?
No.

10. Why have groups been provided with a smaller number of guaranteed units?
For two main reasons. The first was to maintain parity and proportion with the units offered to brigades when considering membership/role numbers. The second reason being that groups received a priority allocation well above brigade allocations in the allocation of CFA Tait radios during CFA’s radio replacement project. On average, each group in the state received an allocation of 10 CFA Tait radios for use by group personnel.

11. Why will only 3 units be dispatched straight away?
These units are being manufactured exclusively for CFA. It currently takes 120 days from when CFA places an order, and when that unit is then available in the country. 3 units per brigade has been determined by how many are in the country and are available now, with additional units being dispatched as they come off the manufacturing line.

12. I own a small business. Can I purchase these units for re-sale?
No. These units are only available exclusively for CFA members until early 2016.
These units are likely to be offered to the public through the manufacturer’s normal wholesale and retail channels at some point in the future, but is unlikely to occur before the end of CFA’s distribution program. Any decision to offer the unit to the public will be solely at the discretion of the manufacturer.

VFBV welcomes the appointment of former DCO Joe Buffone as CFA’s new Chief Officer, due to take up the role in November.

Mr Buffone is currently the Deputy Commissioner of Risk and Resilience for Emergency Management Victoria (EMV). He has also served as Deputy Emergency Services Commissioner for Victoria, and performed a series of senior roles with CFA in the wake of the 2009 fires and the Victorian floods of 2010-11. He has been a CFA volunteer for more than 15 years.

Joe Buffone will succeed CFA Chief Officer Euan Ferguson. Euan will be remembered as a hands-on Chief Officer, who took up the role in 2010 after 10 years at the head of South Australia's Country Fire Service and led CFA through a time of considerable change, including the effects of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and the move towards a more interconnected Emergency Management Sector.

So it’s with sadness that I recently learnt of my unsuccessful application for the role of CEO at CFA, and will therefore depart CFA.  This is a matter that I’ve discussed with the Acting Chair, and I believe it’s the right approach at this time.

I have always been proud to tell people I work for the Country Fire Authority and I will look back at my years here as the best in my working career.  I can honestly say that I owe an enormous debt of gratitude to CFA.

The reason I have loved working at CFA has been the people – underpinned primarily by our volunteers - who are at the heart of the organisation. We couldn’t exist without them and this State would be the poorer without the selfless dedication to service displayed each and every day.

It’s been a pleasure to serve you as an Executive Director and more recently as the CEO in the pursuit of our mission.

During my time at CFA, we have endured significant challenges, such as Black Saturday and the subsequent Royal Commission.  We have been the subject of many inquiries and reviews and will continue to be, nevertheless I have been proud to be part of an organisation that’s been able to critically look at itself and find ways to improve and become stronger for the benefit of not only our own people, but for the people of this State.

We have always been, and will continue to be, leaders in our communities and collaborative partners in the emergency services sector more generally, and I am exceedingly proud of our many achievements in the face of the challenges and uncertainty.  Change however is a constant, and I am sure the future will be faced with the same determination and assurance as we have provided in the past.

I want to thank the Executive Leadership Team for their unconditional support, as well as the encouragement and guidance I have received from former Chair Claire Higgins and the CFA Board.  I also want to thank the people with whom I have worked closely, for their loyalty and devotion to service.  I leave CFA with a significant sense of appreciation and fondness.

I will be finishing at CFA on Friday, 6 November.

CFA invites you as a new Member to complete the online induction at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/induction

The induction program takes about an hour and will assist you with:

• becoming familiar with CFA, our structure, vision, mission and values;
• learning about our past, present and future;
• understanding potential hazards volunteers can face and the support available to members; and
• recognising the importance of your role.

Thank you for your commitment. We hope your experience with CFA will be a long and rewarding one.

If you have any questions, please contact Volunteerism on 1800 232 636 or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CFA has issued two new Operations Bulletins and an updated index of Operations Bulletins.

The new bulletins are;

• 003/2015 Mercury Incident, and
• 004/2015 Light Tankers built from 2009 onwards, Medium and Heavy Tankers (excluding the 4.4RS) built from 2012 onwards and some specialist support vehicles can potentially cause fires in fire dry fuels when performing a diesel particulate burn whilst stationary

You can download the Operations Bulletins and the Index below.

VFBV MEDIA RELEASE Thursday, 13 August 2015

The CFA volunteers’ association says 202 CFA Brigades are about to get great news about brand new fire trucks and equipment from this year’s Volunteer Emergency Services Equipment Program (VESEP).

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) CEO Andrew Ford said news of the successful grants was announced this morning by the Minister for Emergency Services, the Hon Jane Garrett MLA.

“VESEP is a great program, this year over 200 CFA Brigades across the state will receive a share of $7.1 million in funding,” Mr Ford said.

“In addition, there was $1.9 million approved for other initiatives including funding for cold climate gear designed for volunteers attending callouts like road accidents and searches in inclement weather, where the CFA volunteers’ familiar yellow overalls don’t provide sufficient protection from the rain or cold,” he said.

“VESEP is really popular with CFA volunteers; we helped to design it, so it is low on paperwork and lets the Brigade pick from a list of trucks, equipment and fire station improvements that they can put to work for their local community”.

“The grants reward the countless hours volunteers spend in their communities raising funds for life saving equipment, and match local fundraising two for one, so a Brigade can apply for anything from a few hundred dollars for a chainsaw to $100,000 for a fire truck or specialist vehicle,” he said.

“The Brigade can choose a vehicle, operational gear, training equipment or a building project that suits their fundraising capacity and serves the local community’s needs,” Mr Ford said.

VESEP grants fund a wide range of useful projects and gear for CFA Brigades, including;

- Operational gear, such as chainsaws, pumps and generators,

- Vehicles and appliances, such as Field Command Vehicles, fire trucks and rescue trucks, and

- Improvements to fire stations, such as refurbishments like training and meeting rooms.

The $12 million VESEP program is also open to local volunteer groups from organisations including the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard (AVCG), Life Saving Victoria (LSV), Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES).

“VESEP is a good example of how involving front line volunteers from the design stage of a program can make it a success that adds to the ability of local Brigades and other emergency units to protect the community,” Mr Ford said.

VFBV urges local Brigades to think about a VESEP application for next year, and provides useful tips and case studies in the VFBV VESEP Application Support Toolkit available online at www.vfbv.com.au to help with local Brigades’ applications.

CFA Brigades protect 60% of suburban Melbourne, regional cities and all of country Victoria, every day and night of the year.

NOTE TO BRIGADES - Considering applying for a VESEP grant in a future funding round?  Click here for VFBV's useful tips and case studies from past successful applications to show you how it's done.

A new digital scanner has been selected to replace existing listening sets at CFA brigades, with an order now placed with the supplier.

The Uniden UBCD436HP-ES digital scanner was selected after an exhaustive 18-month selection process.

The scanner was subjected to a thorough technical testing process before samples of the scanner were provided to VFBV representatives across the state for field trials.

After considerable consultation between the CFA Evaluation Team and the VFBV representatives, the Uniden scanner was evaluated as being the superior product offered during the tender process.

CFA has signed a contract with Preston-based Pacific Telecommunications - the Australian distributer for Uniden scanners. Uniden is gearing up for production, and delivery is planned for the end of October 2015.

CFA understands the selection process for the new digital scanners has led to frustration among some CFA members. The rigorous selection process has revealed that the selected digital scanner is the best product currently available and has features that will enable it to be used with future developments in CFA’s radios including transition to P25 Phase 2 technology.

The new digital scanner will be delivered pre-programmed with the current CFA/DELWP radio channel plan. These scanners are capable of receiving analogue and digital radio traffic and meet all of CFA’s technical requirements for a digital scanner.

CFA is working with VFBV to determine a process for equitable distribution of the scanners across all CFA brigades, along with implementing a subsidy to lessen the financial impact. Further details of the distribution and subsidy will be provided when they are finalised.

You can see the CFA announcement on CFA News & Media.

A new digital scanner has been selected to replace existing listening sets at CFA brigades, with an order now placed with the supplier.

The Uniden UBCD436HP-ES digital scanner was selected after an exhaustive 18-month selection process.

The scanner was subjected to a thorough technical testing process before samples of the scanner were provided to VFBV representatives across the state for field trials.

After considerable consultation between the CFA Evaluation Team and the VFBV representatives, the Uniden scanner was evaluated as being the superior product offered during the tender process.

CFA has signed a contract with Preston-based Pacific Telecommunications - the Australian distributer for Uniden scanners. Uniden is gearing up for production, and delivery is planned for the end of October 2015.

CFA understands the selection process for the new digital scanners has led to frustration among some CFA members. The rigorous selection process has revealed that the selected digital scanner is the best product currently available and has features that will enable it to be used with future developments in CFA’s radios including transition to P25 Phase 2 technology.

The new digital scanner will be delivered pre-programmed with the current CFA/DELWP radio channel plan. These scanners are capable of receiving analogue and digital radio traffic and meet all of CFA’s technical requirements for a digital scanner.

CFA is working with VFBV to determine a process for equitable distribution of the scanners across all CFA brigades, along with implementing a subsidy to lessen the financial impact. Further details of the distribution and subsidy will be provided when they are finalised.

You can see the CFA announcement on CFA News & Media.

FROM THE CFA CHIEF OFFICER

   - Please contact CFA if you have any queries

Recent safety advice has prompted DELWP and CFA to immediately recall DY-MARK Mine Marking aerosol paint used to mark hazardous trees on the fireground and during planned burning operations. 

This recall is being undertaken as a safety precaution following a risk assessment on the contents of this aerosol paint.     

It has been determined DY-MARK Mine Marking Aerosol contains methylene chloride which has been listed in Safe Work Australia’s Hazardous Substance Information System as having ‘carcinogenic potential’. DY-Mark aerosols are included in Hazardous Tree Marking Kits which are standard in most firefighting appliances, particularly those in regional areas.

To ensure we maintain the health and safety of our members, the use of this product must cease immediately and all cans recalled. It is to be removed from all CFA vehicles and stored away from any access areas.

Each brigade should return these cans of paint to their district headquarters where they will be transferred to be destroyed in a safe and environmentally responsible manner.

In general, the use of the paint would be very uncommon within CFA. It is used to mark hazardous trees in open, ventilated areas and CFA members would also be wearing PPC and therefore be protected from exposure to the spray. A safe alternative is being investigated as a replacement.

While this product is commercially available and widely used across various industries, as a further precaution medical advice was obtained which has indicated:

• that there is minimal risk from the correct use of this product
• agencies use this product to mark a tree in the open air where maximum ventilation is present allowing dispersal of any fumes or vapours
• its use involves very short spray bursts to mark the tree.

Further, we will keep brigades informed of this safety recall and share any additional information as it comes to hand.

After a successful response in 2014, CFA is once again asking members to provide their feedback and thoughts on the F&EM Training Strategy and its progress in 2015.

James Stitz, Manager of Training & Delivery said: “This survey is an important part of the annual review to measure CFA’s performance against the Training Strategy.”

The strategy was approved by the CFA Board in June 2013 and released to members in July 2013. Since then Operational Training & Volunteerism (OT&V) has been working hard to deliver on a range of strategy actions.

“I’m seeking five minutes input from everyone to enable us to monitor performance and improve what we do,” Mr Stitz said.

Supported by other data analysis, the survey results will be used to assess performance against the baseline results established last year.

The survey is available for members to complete online (https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/TrainingStrategySurvey2015). Alternatively, members may also download and print a paper copy of the survey from Brigades Online (at Training > Strategy > F&EM Training Strategy). The survey is currently open for your input, and will be closed midnight Friday 31 July 2015.

Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) is the State Convenor for the awards this year, the awards are open to local emergency projects and applications are open now.

The national awards, now in their 16^th year, recognise and promote initiatives that help make our communities safer, stronger and better prepared to manage natural disasters.

Victorian winners last year included the Violet Town CFA Red Bucket and Know Your Neighbours program, the St Andrews 2014 Fire Preparedness Calendar, the ‘Are U Ready – surviving small business disaster’ publication, Emergency Support Team – Emerald Pilot Project and the Hume Region Corrections Victoria – Emergency Response initiative.

Applications are judged at the state and territory level and winners become finalists for the national judging. There is also a photography award for photos that communicate work in disaster resilience.

Click here for full details on the Emergency Management Victoria website.

Representatives of all Brigade Auxiliaries and Support Groups to are invited to attend the 9^th State Conference at Tabcorp Park, 2 Ferris Road, Melton South on Saturday, 8 August 2015.  

The Conference starts at 10 am (Tea and coffee will be available from 9 am).

Whilst the Conference Agenda has not been finalised, the following presentations are proposed:

• Ms Claire Higgins, CFA Chair
• Ms Christine Nixon
• Ms Kate Harrap, Acting Executive Director, Operational Training & Volunteerism
• Ms Toni van Hamond, Assistant Director, National Disability Insurance Scheme
• Open Forum

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 This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

VicRoads has tentatively committed to changes to its licensing arrangements that should make it easier to train and assess CFA volunteers.

The decision includes changes to the driver training course to incorporate a section on load securing that would potentially halve the licence test time for volunteers.

Further changes could lead to CFA conducting the licence testing.  CFA will investigate these options and determine a phased approach to improving driver training and testing for members.

The VFBV/CFA Joint Training Committee delegates see this as a positive and asked CFA to move forward with improving the process so that more CFA volunteers can access driver training and assessment.

The CFA Volunteer Strategy has now been endorsed by the CFA Board, and the VFBV/CFA Joint Volunteerism Committee encourages you to read it (see below to download a copy).

The Strategy lays foundations for how everyone in CFA will work towards ensuring the future capability of community based volunteer emergency services remains strong, whilst encouraging, maintaining and strengthening the capacity of volunteers to deliver CFA services.

VFBV has renewed its request for CFA to prepare an implementation strategy, and Joint Committee delegates have emphasised the importance of using the Chief Officer’s Chain of Command to inform and deliver the implementation down to the District level.  CFA has advised work on implementation plans is progressing, with plans due to be signed off by June 30. The Strategy is available for download below.

Within this theme, survey responses for the statement “CFA provides enough training opportunities in formats, at times and at locations that make it easy for me to participate” have generated the largest gap for the 2014 survey, consistent with having the second largest gap in 2013.

This same statement also received the lowest performance score for any survey statement in 2014 and second lowest score in 2013. The respondents scoring against this statement clearly indicates an ongoing dissatisfaction with the current level of service received from CFA in respect to training.

While written comments for other themes in the survey are brief and sometimes quite individual, the commentary for ‘training by CFA’ is detailed and focussed on common recurring concerns.

These recurring comments refer to a lack of training availability and opportunity, with negative comments on the frequency and timing of courses. Some comments refer to unsuitable training formats and a lack of access to specific training requirements outside of the standard operational training packages, such as leadership training and conflict resolution training.

Written comments also refer to the time taken between attaining qualification and receiving the personal protective equipment required to turn out, once qualified.

Survey responses express this as creating a frustration in volunteers who have made time available to train but are then unable to utilise their training and support their brigade.

These written comments in the training theme are reflective of responses under other themes relating to sense of worth, recognition and treatment of volunteers.

Of the written comments received, few were positive. One of the positive comments reflected an appreciation of the size of the training tasks in CFA and suggested that volunteers and brigades could be more proactive in identifying solutions.

An improvement in performance scores against a stable importance score has seen the gap decrease over the past three years. The biggest influence underpinning this improvement is in the area of leadership training for volunteers, people management and conflict resolution and mentoring.

The difference between gap scores Region by Region for this theme are greater than any other.

South West Region’s positive performance and markedly smaller gap in relation to training may warrant further investigation to determine what is contributing to the success.

Sign up for the 2015 survey

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This theme, more than any other, has generated survey responses relating to specific brigade or individual member issues. Issues raised, include the lack of CFA support for the resolution of management issues at brigade level, a high level of CFA staff turnover at Region and District level impacting on support to brigades and budget cuts impacting on resources for volunteers.

Survey comments for this theme are consistent with previous themes in relation to perceived differences in the level of support provided by CFA to paid and volunteer members, and the general feeling that CFA volunteers are being treated as ‘second class’.

Other notable survey respondent comments include a desire to see more CFA staff working in support of brigades rather than in CFA headquarters on projects, a concern regarding the lack of training for volunteers in administrative roles, and a number of comments that CFA is too focussed on the metropolitan area and not providing sufficient support to regional Victoria brigades.

Whilst performance has improved over the past three years (6.4 to 7.0) resulting in a smaller gap, importance has remained consistently high, reinforcing the fact that support from CFA remains a high priority for volunteers.

The gap improvement from 2.5 to 2.0 is driven by improved performance across all statements within the themes. Statement performance scores all improved between 0.2 and 0.7 in 2014 as compared to the 2013 results.

The statement “CFA paid personnel in my local brigade/district area are committed to supporting and empowering volunteers” improved in performance score by 0.7 from 2013 to 2014 – the equal highest statement performance improvement in the 2014 survey.

There are minor variations in the Region scores as compared to other themes. As previously discussed in the Cooperation theme observations for Regions, further analysis of the factors influencing these results may reveal more valuable information.

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UPDATED 10 April 2015 - Answers to volunteers' questions

Download the FAQ sheet below

CFA has moved to drop the service award upgrade kits that have been in use since 2008 - volunteers reaching milestones such as 15, 20 and 25 years’ service will now receive a complete new service medal, ribbon bar and lapel badge to replace their old one.

The upgrade kits required the member to have a new bar sewn onto their existing medal ribbon, and were seen by many members as an inappropriate way to recognise such significant service to CFA and their communities. 

VFBV has been working with CFA for some time now, advocating our desire for the awarding of complete medals and not expecting members to sew on their own medal bars.  VFBV is grateful to CFA for approving this request, and agreeing to fund it, as we believe this change to be a significant improvement to the way long serving members are recognised.

This change will be automatic for all new medals awarded as of now.

For any questions or feedback, email: cfa‐This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or call 1800 232 636.

Frequently Asked Questions (Provided by CFA)

From the 1^st May 2015, members eligible for Service Awards (including Life Members) will now receive a full award set in place of the service award upgrade kits which were introduced to CFA in 2008.

1. Will members who have their medals court mounted need to have them re-mounted every five years to incorporate the newly award medal?

No, members will not have to have their medals re-mounted. Medal mounting companies may purchase clasps for the main size medal directly from CFA at $2.00 each +GST. This would mean that the member could keep the newly presented award set in full. The medals which are mounted can then be updated with the clasp of the appropriate years of service.

Rosettes for the ribbon bars are also available for purchase at $1.10 each +GST.

2. Will members be required to return their previous medal?

No, members who have previously received CFA Service Awards or Life Member award may keep them and do not have to return them to CFA. Upgrade kits that were previously awarded will not be recalled.

3. Will other members get my second hand award set?

No, second hand award sets will not be presented to members. Each member is eligible for a new award set at each anniversary date.

4. Do members have to remove their previously awarded service medal?

Yes, Brigades are required to ensure that members remove past service awards at the presentation of the new service award. In accordance with CFA tradition, the new award/medal replaces the previous service medal. It is not appropriate to wear multiple CFA service medals at the same time.  Further information on wearing honours, please refer to the ‘How to wear Honours and Awards’ booklet which is available through Brigades Online.

File path: Brigades Online > Brigade > Service History & Awards > About the Awards

5. Will members who have previously received the upgrade kit be retrospectively awarded a full award set?

No, Members will receive the full award set at their next anniversary date from 1^st May 2015 onwards. Members are to continue to utilise the upgrade kits until they will be awarded the full award set at their next anniversary date.

VFBV MEDIA RELEASE 26 March 2015

Downloads below - the closure announcement, VFBV's response and VFBV's submission to the Fiskville Inquiry

FISKVILLE MUST BE REPLACED, SAY CFA VOLUNTEERS

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV), the association representing CFA volunteers, says the closure of the Fiskville training facility is a blow for firefighter training in CFA, and will leave a major hole in the State’s capacity to train Victoria’s firefighters.

Firefighting involves inherent dangers and unpredictable hazards.  In an organisation like CFA, training is critical. Fiskville was a critical component of Victoria’s emergency service training network, and its closure will leave a significant gap.

VFBV President Hans van Hamond AFSM said CFA volunteers want to know there is a plan to replace the large scale and sophisticated training capacity Fiskville has been providing. Easy, frequent and cost effective access to training is critical for fire services, particularly organisations such as CFA.

“VFBV’s major concern through the Fiskville saga has been the safety of all CFA members, but now that the facility is closed, there must be serious and immediate attention paid to meeting the training needs of CFA’s tens of thousands of firefighters,” Mr van Hamond said.

“Fiskville has had a critically important role in CFA’s network of facilities, training local Brigades in that part of Victoria and providing live-in training and specialist programs for CFA personnel from all over the state,” he said.

“Even the recent temporary closure of the facility has led to some Brigades having to travel three to four hours away to visit a training facility with spare capacity.”

CFA’s large, geographically dispersed workforce and the volunteer-based nature of that workforce means that training needs to be available as close as possible to the volunteers’ home location, and where there is a need for multi-day training, long duration experience simulation or learning, accommodation facilities become a necessary component of the state’s training capability.

There is much public attention and emotion now involved with the Fiskville facility, but regardless of how these factors weigh into ultimate decisions, several things are certain;

• Any training ground used for hot fire or other training must be safe to use
• Investment to replace Fiskville’s significant state training capability will be required, as the rest of the fire services training network will not cope with the overall training load
• Firefighters who currently rely on Fiskville as their local training facility must have locally available access to state of the art training
• Support for any members who have been exposed to health hazards at Fiskville must continue; the closure of the facility does not mean their needs are at an end.

“CFA Brigades protect 60% of suburban Melbourne, regional cities and all of country Victoria every day and night of the year, and Victorians have a right to expect that their volunteers can access and continue to be trained to the professional standards to which the community is entitled,” Mr van Hamond said.

Download the State Government's media release here.

Download VFBV's media release here.

See CFA's announcement, with contact numbers for support services and the Fiskville Enquiry Hotline here.

CFA has announced that water sampling has concluded at Fiskville and the results are expected within the next week.

Click here for more details, including and the Fiskville Enquiry Hotline and Members Assistance Program numbers, on the CFA website.

New additions to CFA’s Template Toolkit will help you with fundraisers, community meetings, letters, recruiting and publicity.

They include;

• A new Events Materials Booking System
• Updated letterheads
• Poster, flyer and media templates
• Style guides for design and writing
• Media release and agenda templates
• ‘How To’ and help guides

Check them out at CFA Online, at;

 http://cfaonline.cfa.vic.gov.au/mycfa/Show?pageId=corporateMaterials

and

http://cfaonline.cfa.vic.gov.au/mycfa/Show?pageId=templateToolkit

VFBV and Brigades were involved in initial design stage of the CFA Template Toolkit, which contains a variety of items that are useful and easy to use.

You are invited to:

‘Jubilation’ Christmas event, 12-14 December

Please join us to celebrate the spirit of Christmas at this inaugural event at Docklands.

What makes this such a special Christmas event is that the organisers from Destination Docklands have decided to use this as an opportunity to thank CFA’s members, by raising money for CFA’s Volunteer Fund.

The benefits for CFA are two-fold:  not only will CFA members be acknowledged for the work they do; it is also a chance for us to promote summer fire safety messages to a Melbourne audience ahead of the holiday season.

A CFA Zone will be set up with activities including trivia, rescue demonstrations, junior brigade running drills and hose rolling, and Australian Volunteer Coast Guard members will also be exhibiting their boats. So come down and support those participating. Or, if you’d like to help out on the stand, please email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by next Tuesday.

Other free activities include:

• Live music (including Kayla Dwyer, CFA member from Koroit, The Red Austins)
• Santa and Captain Koala appearances
• Roving entertainers
• Markets
• Lighting show

Dates:   Friday 12, Saturday 13 and Sunday 14 December

Time:    5pm – 10pm each day

Where:  Harbour Esplanade, Victoria Harbour Docklands, Melbourne

Members would remember in the October edition of our Newsletter & the Fireman, the advice that elastic waisted bushfire PPC was available that had been specifically designed to suit female members who may have difficulty wearing braces. This advice followed discussions between VFBV and CFA’s CEO and Chief Officer, who assured us that female members could exchange their existing PPC as a basic entitlement and that it would not be subject to District approval.

Following our article, VFBV received calls from female members who had tried to access the new PPC from their local CFA stores, only to be turned away. Advice given to members has ranged from – it is only available to new members, it is only available if you can demonstrate your existing PPC is unserviceable or damaged, or that it is not available due to budget cuts.

VFBV has been advocating for female fit PPC since 2004, and our position has always been female members are entitled to garments that have been specifically designed to cater for their needs and comfort, and they should not need to justify nor fight for what should be a basic entitlement. The Chief Officer has agreed, and was shocked at what was occurring in some Districts.

VFBV knows that it often takes time for CFA policy messages to filter down through Regions and Districts. We also know that sometimes volunteers get the run around at the local level when Regions or Districts put their own interpretation on corporate policy and apply their own extra barriers and red tape. This is not acceptable to us, and thankfully nor to CFA Executive. After hearing VFBV’s concerns, the Chief Officer has reissued a Memo to all District Offices and OM/OO’s instructing that female fit bushfire PPC is available to all new members, and current members may exchange their existing ensemble. Current members do not have to wait until their current PPC reaches end of life.

A copy of the Chiefs memo is available below. Any members who have difficulty accessing female fit PPC through the Districts are invited to contact the Chief Officer directly, who has promised to follow up any instances personally. You can email him directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Details can be found http://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/news/reminder-of-female-ppc.html

Consultation with CFA members throughout November has been active with a number of regional forums held across the state.

Feedback from member has also been provided via email, mail and CFA’s website. Contributions are still encouraged, with the deadline extended to 19 December 2014.

Member feedback has also been provided through a new online service for CFA which allows members to share their views, provide comments and join discussions online. The link is:

http://cfa.engagementhq.com/cfa-draft-volunteerism-strategy

Regional forums have been great, with a diverse range of views and ideas being shared. Some of the key themes discussed have included:

• Attracting and retaining younger members
• The importance of good leaders and great ‘people skills’ at CFA, across all levels
• Declining community understanding of volunteer brigades and shared responsibility for fire risk
• How to measure ‘success’ of the Strategy at brigade level
• The need to make sure that the Strategy is ‘more than just words’
• Valuing senior members and retaining their skills and experience
• The impact and expectations of time available for training – keep it simple
• Trusting, respecting and utilising volunteers
• The role that CFA and government can play in fighting for and investing in volunteerism
• The importance of letting local brigades serve local communities in the best way for that community
• Getting the culture of CFA right
• Working with employers – addressing declining employer support for volunteer activity
• The need for a modern approach to CFA’s brand in the community

At the end of the consultation period, outcomes will be collated and shared, and will go on to shape development of the final strategy.

The final Strategy will be presented to CFA’s board in early 2015.

Quizzed today on ABC radio about the prospect of merging CFA and MFB to save money, Minister Wells answered that this will not be contemplated by a Coalition Government.

Although consistent with previous Government commitments from both Coalition and Labor, this is reassuring news.

There was extensive discussion at the Bushfires Royal Commission about the disastrous effect merging CFA and MFB could have on Victoria’s volunteer capacity.

The CFA Chief Officer has written to all OM’s and OO’s requesting they advise Brigades to revert to the old “Member Registration” forms until further notice.

VFBV raised its concerns with the new membership application forms that have been sent to Brigades over the last four weeks, and in particular the implied process new members were instructed to follow with regards to the completion of mandatory medical forms, which not only applied to new members – but also all transferring members, including junior members.

On the forms, members are requested to choose from a tick list of 20 medical conditions which are so broad, that it potentially meant most new members would have to pay for a medical professional to complete the two page form and sign a detailed declaration before CFA would accept lodgement of the new application forms. In an environment that is supposedly seeking to remove red tape, the new process was a major setback to volunteerism, and placed an unreasonable delay and cost back to community members wanting to join their local Brigade.

The Chief Officer has committed to engaging with VFBV over its concerns, and to conduct a review to address those concerns. Brigades are advised to revert to the existing member registration forms and process until further notice.

MEDIA RELEASE - Sunday, 15 June 2014

The CFA volunteers’ association is calling on all Victorians to sign a petition to help firefighters to get fairer and simpler cancer compensation.

Speaking at a rally of hundreds of CFA volunteers at Scoresby on Sunday, Andrew Ford of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (pictured) said the volunteers are campaigning to get rid of an unfair barrier that prevents firefighters from getting the compensation they have been promised.

“We have been working with the Government and opposition parties for several years, but firefighters who suffer from cancer that’s related to their firefighting services are still facing an almost impossible barrier, right when they are sick and most in need of help,” Mr Ford said.

“The problem is in proving the cancer was work related, whether it be for a volunteer firefighter or one of their career colleagues,” he said.

“Unlike a broken bone, cancer can take many years to appear, leaving the firefighter with the nearly impossible task of proving that one particular incident caused the cancer.”

“It effectively says you are entitled to the compensation, but when you get sick, you can’t have it,” Mr Ford said.

The CFA volunteers are now collecting signatures for a statewide petition, calling on the Victorian Parliament to change the law so the onus of proof is reversed.

“Certain types of cancer are known to be more common in firefighters, and we need Victoria to follow the lead of the Australian, Tasmanian, West Australian and South Australian

Parliaments in recognising those 12 cancers and presuming them to be work related if the sick firefighter has sufficient years of service,” Mr Ford said.

“The firefighters’ cancer law would relieve the sick CFA volunteer of the almost impossible task of proving the cancer was work related, and would allow them to concentrate on their treatment and recovery, instead of a lengthy court case,” he said.

“As the CFA volunteers’ association, Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria is distributing the Firefighters’ Cancer Petition to every district in the state, and we call on every Victorian to sign the petition and show support for the volunteers who do so much to protect the community.”

The Firefighters’ Cancer Petition calls on the Victorian Parliament to introduce legislation based on the Australian Parliament’s legislation, listing 12 known firefighter cancers, with equal coverage for volunteer firefighters and their career colleagues.

You can download the petition and learn more about presumptive legislation, the firefighters’ cancer law, at the CFA volunteers’ website; www.vfbv.com.au

CFA Brigades protect 60% of suburban Melbourne, regional cities and all of country Victoria, every day and night of the year.

CLICK HERE to download a copy of the petition kit, including instructions for its use and a leaflet explaining the issue to the public.

CLICK HERE to read more about the Firefighters’ Cancer Law and how you can help

Two years ago, CFA asked members what their communications preferences were. The results of that survey led to a number of improvements including the regular inclusion of Regional Director columns in Brigade magazine and the introduction of an online version of the magazine.

Communications technology is rapidly evolving, especially with the revolution in smart phone use, so CFA is going back to members to ask again how they wish to be kept informed and which content they find useful.

The online will take 5 minutes to complete, and the responses collected will help CFA better understand the communication needs of staff and volunteers.

The 2014 survey is now available here:www.surveymonkey.com/s/Comms2014

The survey will close on Monday 4 August, and, a printed copy will be included in the winter edition of Brigade magazine.

CFA Electrical Safety Advisory Group

VFBV has been invited to nominate 3 members to be part of a CFA Electrical Safety Advisory Group.

This small working group will provide advice on electrical matters that impact CFA, including but not limited to;

•          Firefighting training materials
•          Railway electricity procedures
•          LV fuse removal
•          De-energizing electrical systems (solar etc)
•          Standards for 240v wiring, systems and appliances on operational vehicles
•          Generators, Invertors & UPS’s

As this is a specialist group, it is desirable for our nominees to have the following attributes;

•          Current operational member/activity (aware of fire ground practices)
•          Extensive background in the electrical industry
•          Access to email & internet (a lot of work of this group will be done via electronic means)

Please pass this information on to members you feel might like to be involved in this advisory group, and ask them to send VFBV an Expression of Interest, detailing their Name, Brigade, and any background information/work history that they feel would benefit them in this role. Send EOIs to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. by Monday 16 June please.

Every brigade should be talking with the community and local MPs about funding to bring CFA’s ageing frontline fleet up to date.

We’ve taken a good step forward on fleet funding, but the job is not yet finished.

State Government’s announcement of $29 million for 78 new trucks - mostly the new Medium Tankers which were designed with VFBV and volunteer involvement - was great news but the funding boost only lasts for one year.

Hundreds of frontline CFA trucks are over the 20 year age limit that is common practice among Australia’s fire services, and there needs to be an ongoing replacement program and reliable ongoing funding to enable CFA, brigades and the truck manufacturing industry to plan ahead.

VFBV is keen to continue working with all political parties towards a long term fleet funding solution, and your Brigade’s representations at the local level will help keep the issue uppermost in MPs’ minds.

See VFBV’s News Note for MPs on Fleet Funding for all the facts and figures, available for download below.

MEDIA RELEASE - 1 MAY 2014

$29 MILLION FOR CFA FIRE TRUCKS IS GOOD NEWS - VOLUNTEERS

The CFA volunteers’ association says today’s announcement of $29 million and 78 new trucks for volunteer Brigades is good news for CFA volunteers.

<Click here to see video from the official announcement>

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV) CEO Andrew Ford says the trucks are being directed to the right end of the fleet.

“Seventy-four of the new trucks will be modern medium tankers, which were designed with VFBV and volunteer involvement and will go to volunteer Brigades in country Victoria and the outer suburbs, where the need is greatest,” Mr Ford said.

“Volunteers have been working hard to inform State MPs on the need for CFA’s fleet of front line fire trucks to be brought up to date, and today’s announcement is a welcome sign that we are being heard,” he said.

“Seventy-eight new trucks and $29 million dollars is a good start, and VFBV is keen to continue working with Government towards a long term solution to the ageing of the fleet.”

CFA’s fleet of 2,200 front line fire trucks is well maintained, but currently includes more than 500 that are over the 20 year age limit that is common practice among Australia’s fire services.

“With a fleet that size, there needs to be an ongoing replacement program and reliable ongoing funding to enable CFA, Brigades and the truck manufacturing industry to plan ahead,” Mr Ford said.

“CFA volunteers will be pleased with today’s announcement, it is a sign that the Government is listening, and a good start towards an ongoing solution that better protects the Victorian community,” he said.

Victoria has 60,000 CFA volunteers in 1,200 Brigades, protecting 60% of suburban Melbourne, regional cities and all of country Victoria every day and night of the year.

See below to download VFBV’s Fleet Funding News Note for volunteers, issued 1 May 2014 and the earlier VFBV News Note for MPs - the briefing sent to all Victorian Members of Parliament.

UPDATED 13 MAY 2014

A CFA Act amendment Bill currently before Parliament will refine the appointment process for CFA Board Members to give CFA a skills-based Board rather than one based on representation of stakeholders.

<See below for official advertisements and role statements for nominees>

The changes to the CFA Act are designed to ensure the CFA Board has the skills and expertise required to operate as a high performing Board.

They recognise and reinforce the importance of the Board possessing strong knowledge, expertise and understanding of CFA volunteerism.

Significantly, the changes also recognise VFBV’s crucial role, by retaining our role of submitting a panel of names from which four of the nine CFA Board members will be selected by the Minister.

Retaining volunteer involvement at CFA Board level is important for all CFA volunteers and a terrific achievement for VFBV, signifying respect for the role that VFBV performs.  VFBV and the Government are the only bodies named in the proposed amendments to the CFA Act as nominating CFA Board members.

The proposed change to the CFA Act reaffirms the role of volunteers at every level of CFA’s decision making, and is in line with VFBV’s thinking that an extensive knowledge and experience of volunteering and working with volunteers is one of the essential skills for any potential CFA Board Member.  A CFA Board with strong volunteer knowledge and experience is essential.

The change in the CFA Act would look for a number of skills and abilities in CFA Board members, including; “knowledge of, or experience in, commercial, technical, operational, legal or financial matters;” and “expertise in fire services, emergency management, land management or any other field relevant to the performance of the functions of the Authority.”

In introducing the Bill, Police and Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells has told Parliament;

“The bill will transform the existing CFA board appointment process by requiring that board members have one or more of a series of critical skills, knowledge or experience, while continuing to recognise that the CFA is essentially a volunteer based emergency service.

“It is important that the CFA board has strong volunteer expertise, knowledge and an understanding of CFA volunteerism.

"To guarantee such familiarity, knowledge and understanding of CFA volunteerism four members of the CFA board will be nominees of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria.”

The Bill provides for four CFA Board members, being “two volunteer members of brigades predominately serving urban communities;” and “two volunteer members of brigades predominately serving rural communities”, “to be appointed from a panel of names nominated by the Board of Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria”.

If you or someone you know has the skills, experience and knowledge to make a difference on the CFA Board, now or in the future, please contact VFBV on (03)9886 1141 or at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

CFA AND VFBV BOARD VACANCIES

VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADES VICTORIA

ADVISES OF CFA BOARD VACANCIES

CFA legislation provides for four of the CFA Board’s Members to be appointed from a panel of names submitted by Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria.

A CFA Act amendment Bill currently before Parliament will refine the appointment process for CFA Board Members to ensure the CFA Board has the skills and expertise required to operate as a high performing Board.

The changes recognise and reinforce the importance of the Board possessing strong knowledge, expertise and understanding of CFA volunteerism, and also seek to ensure the CFA Board has skills knowledge and expertise in commercial, financial, legal, public administration and emergency services, with the requirement that nominees have one or more of the skill requirements outlined in the legislation.

The terms of CFA Board Members Paul Denham and Don Robertson expire in August 2014, creating two vacancies on the CFA Board to be nominated by VFBV, one being a representative from a brigade predominantly serving urban communities and one being a representative from a brigade predominantly serving rural communities as per the CFA Act.

CFA volunteers who believe they have the skills, experience and capacity to make a contribution to the CFA Board, and ensure that the CFA Board has strong volunteer expertise, knowledge and an understanding of CFA volunteerism, are invited to apply to fill these vacancies.

From applications received and following interviews, VFBV will submit a panel of names to the Minister for Police & Emergency Services.

The CFA Board meets on a monthly basis and also operates a committee system which could require a commitment of one half day per month.  Attendance at official functions is also expected.

The appointment to the CFA Board would be for a period of up to three years; the retiring members are eligible for re-appointment.

Remuneration for a member of the CFA Board is $17,314 p.a.

A Role Statement is available on the VFBV website or available from the VFBV office. For other relevant information, interested volunteers should contact VFBV – contact details below.

Applications including a current resume must be lodged with VFBV by COB on Monday, 16^th June 2014, to:          

VFBV, P O Box 453, Mt Waverley Vic 3149 

Tel:  9886 1141; Email:  j.laingThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Board Members of Volunteer

Fire Brigades Victoria (VFBV)

Invitation to apply

Four VFBV Board vacancies – for a 2 year term until 1^st October 2016

Closing date for written applications is Monday 11^th August 2014

VFBV advances the interests of all Victorian fire brigade volunteers and advocates on their behalf to CFA and other key stakeholders. The VFBV Board drives policy development based on volunteer input and is involved in management of issues of central importance to all CFA volunteers.

Vacancies for Four Board Members will arise when the terms of Andy Cusack, Nev Jones, Bill Maltby and Bruce Pickett expire on 1^st October 2014.  

The term of appointment will be for two years and applications are invited from interested volunteers to be considered for these vacancies.  The retiring members are eligible for re-appointment.

The role of a VFBV Board Member involves contributing to VFBV direction, performance and policy discussion at Board Meetings, networking with others about policies and issues management, and not only making decisions but being prepared to actively advocate for the benefit of all CFA volunteers and ultimately the Victorian community.

A Board Member Role Statement including the key selection criteria is available from the VFBV office or website www.vfbv.com.au

This is an honorary position; no honorarium is paid.

If you are motivated by the prospect of making a difference for CFA volunteers, then send your written application addressing the key selection criteria in the role statement, plus an outline of your CFA activity including the names of two referees.

Applications must be lodged with VFBV by Monday 11^th August 2014.

to:        VFBV, P O Box 453, Mt Waverley  3149

            Tel:  9886 1141;    Fax:  9886 1618

            Email:  j.laingThis email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Applications now open for CFA Challenge 2015 - a 12 day leadership development program for members aged 16 and over. Apply by 30 June. 

The Challenge 2015 program is conducted over twelve days from Saturday 10th January 2015 to Wednesday 21st January 2015 and provides CFA members with the opportunity to realise their leadership potential.

The initial three day classroom based personal development program will equip participants with personal skills that will enable them to understand communication preferences, personal emotions, reactions in people, and accept individual differences within their teams. By setting goals, understanding stress reactions and setting team values, the program enables participants to bond as a team and operate in a safe environment to maximise their learning potential and make the most of their time on the Challenge program.

Participants will then spend seven days in the Victorian bush completing a demanding, adventure based leadership and team development program, consisting of team building and adventure based activities including:

•              Bushwalking
•              White Water Rafting
•              Abseiling
•              Caving
•              Orienteering
•              Rock Climbing
•              Canoeing

The Challenge 2015 program will provide participants with the opportunities to:

•              Clarify personal values, and discover more about their potential;
•              Develop leadership skills and attributes;
•              Confront and overcome self-imposed limits;
•              Learn how to better relate to others;
•              Enhance self-motivation and personal performance; and
•              Be a supportive and creative team member.

See below to download CFA's update on the Latrobe Valley Open Cut fires

It is with great sadness that Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria has heard of the passing of former CFA Chief Officer and long serving CFA volunteer Brian Potter.

Brian was a gentleman, a friend to the volunteers, a respected front line firefighter and a significant reformer of Victoria’s CFA. 

He was a long serving volunteer with the Upper Ferntree Gully, Ferntree Gully and Langwarrin Fire Brigades.  As volunteers, we are proud to have counted him among our number.

As Chief Officer of the CFA, Brian Potter left a legacy of a better fire service for Victoria; he was instrumental in the introduction of the AIIMS system that is the basis of modern Incident Management Teams, and many other fundamental improvements.

He retired from his career employment with CFA in 1991, but was held in such esteem that he was brought in as an expert advisor following the major fires of 2006-07 and 2009.

Having volunteered since 1958, Brian maintained an active involvement in CFA throughout his life and was still an active volunteer with the Langwarrin Fire Brigade in recent years.

In his later years, in defiance of his own illness, Brian Potter was a valuable spokesman for the campaign run by VFBV and the UFU for better access to cancer compensation for CFA volunteers and career staff who suffer cancer as a result of their front line service to the community. 

VFBV extends the condolences of all CFA volunteers to Brian’s family and friends.

CFA invites all members to respond to its Training Strategy Implementation Survey.

The Strategy, and a hard copy of the survey, can be downloaded from Brigades Online (Training > Strategy > F&EM Training Strategy).

The survey will be open until 31 March, 2014.

Click here to take the survey, which will take about five minutes to complete.

CFA Sunday will be on 24 November – at the end of Fire Action Week which starts on 17 November.

More than 120 Brigades have registered so far (25 October).

Headquarters is supporting Brigades with CFA publications and giveaways, some financial assistance, information to assist with local media interviews, fliers, posters and backup support and advicefrom CFA's Communities & Communications team.

Brigade registrations close on Friday 1 November.

CFA will publish a map on its website, showing the locations of all participating brigades and the details of their events. The CFA Sunday information page is at www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/cfa-sunday/

Brigades can register at - https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/CFASunday2013registration

Dear CFA volunteer

As our local communities change and often become more diverse, we need to find ways to help Brigades adapt to these changes. This is why the Engaging Diverse Communities Project Team is seeking interest in establishing a CFA Diversity Network.

The network would give interested CFA members:

•     A deeper understanding of the issues facing diverse communities

•     Practical skills and knowledge needed to engage with diverse communities and

•     Help create welcoming environments where diversity is celebrated within Brigades

And of course, this aims to help Brigades and communities become more resilient!

The Aim of This Survey

We know you’re probably sick of surveys but we really hope you’ll take a few minutes to complete this one as we’re keen to take direction from CFA members on where we go with the Diversity Network. Your responses will be kept confidential.

You can access the survey by clicking on this link.

The survey will be open until the end of September 2013 so please take this opportunity to have your voice heard before then.

If you experience problems completing the survey, or have any questions about the Diversity Network, please do not hesitate to contact Debra Salvagno: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Thank you for taking the time to complete the survey!

Why be involved in the Network?

By being involved in the Diversity Network you will have an opportunity to focus on this important area of community engagement. The Network will bring members together to share ideas and learn how to actively engage with the diverse members of our community.

The Network will be supported by staff working on the Volunteer Support Program in the Engaging Diverse Communities Project.

By being involved, you can help create and promote an atmosphere in your Brigade that values diversity, and where all members are treated with respect and dignity.

How involved you are is entirely up to you!

The CFA Project Expo is an event for CFA members, their families and the organisation’s major stakeholders.  It will showcase more than fifty projects, initiatives, pilots and vehicles.

Where: Whitehorse Club, East Burwood, 298-336 Burwood Highway (close to CFA HQ).  Most displays will be inside the main hall with trucks and equipment outside in the carpark..

When:  14 October, 10.30am and 3.30pm

More information:  contact Sonia Maclean:  This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

•         It will be an informal day for our members to get together, have a look at the big picture of what’s going on around CFA, and talk about areas of interest.

•         Projects are an important part of the way CFA does business and in particular the way CFA brings about change.

•         A program of short presentations and demonstrations (to be held adjacent to the main display area) will be advertised closer to the event. 

More than 50 exhibitors will include:

•         Specialist Response Vehicles

•         Scoresby Hoselayer Project

•         Regional Radio Dispatch

•         Volunteer Support Project

•         Various equipment and PPC

•         Member ID Project,

•         Volunteer Workforce Management

•         Region-based community safety initiatives.

Getting to the Whitehorse Club

By car: turn off Burwood Hwy - ample parking is available at the venue.

By public transport: number 75 tram from the city

By foot from CFA Headquarters: walk through the car park to the rear of Building 8/4 and past the basketball centre. 

CFA has now opened its Online Career Firefighter Recruitment database, accepting candidates for Career Firefighting positions for start in mid-2014.

CFA advises that they are looking for people who are community-minded and fit, who want a challenging, rewarding and exciting career.

The current list of Career Information Sessions has been fully booked - please watch the CFA webpage for announcements about extra sessions over the next few weeks.

CFA intends to close applications on Friday, 11 October at 4pm.

For more information, visit the Career Firefighter Recruitment area of CFA’s website www.cfa.vic.gov.au

SEE BELOW FOR CFA'S 11 SEPTEMBER MEDIA RELEASE

CFA recruiting career firefighters

CFA is looking for fit, enthusiastic women and men to join the ranks of its 693 career firefighters

who work shoulder to shoulder with the organisation’s 57,000 volunteers.

With growing demands on CFA’s services in Melbourne and large regional centres, more

career firefighters are needed to support volunteers to deliver vital emergency services.

Applications to become a career firefighter have opened at www.cfa.vic.gov.au, with information

sessions to be held around the state in coming weeks.

Successful applicants will begin a 16 week intensive training course in early 2014.

Chief Officer Euan Ferguson said fighting bushfires was just one part of CFA’s role.

“Career firefighters work around the clock alongside volunteers at more than 30 integrated

stations in Melbourne and regional Victoria,” Mr Ferguson said.

“They protect a million homes and businesses from fire and flood, conduct road rescues and

respond to hazardous materials incidents.”

The recruitment drive is part of the Victorian Government’s Project 2016, a response to

recommendations of the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission.

“In addition to Melbourne, career firefighters are stationed at places such as Geelong, Bendigo,

Ballarat, Warrnambool, Mildura, Shepparton, Wodonga and Traralgon just to name a few.”

“Many people don‘t realise that more than 3.3 million Victorians, including 2 million

Melbournians, come under the protective umbrella of CFA.” Mr Ferguson said.

Over recent years CFA has seen an unprecedented investment in personnel, vehicles and fire

stations, including the recruitment of more than 158 new career firefighters since 2011.

Mr Ferguson said the recruitment drive was also an opportunity to build more diversity into its

ranks, and in particular, increase the number of women career firefighters.

“While CFA is very diverse in some ways, particularly its volunteer base, there is an underrepresentation

of women and people from culturally diverse backgrounds throughout the

organisation,” Mr Ferguson said.

While age is no barrier, applicants will need to meet high standards of fitness, strength and

endurance in addition to the ability to work as part of a strong team in difficult circumstances.

Applicants must also be prepared to relocate to one of CFA’s integrated fire stations across

Victoria. Anyone contemplating a career as a CFA career firefighter can test their suitability at

http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteer-careers/suitability-test/

.

Changes to CFA

 Limited time for volunteers to comment

STORY UPDATED 6 AUGUST: 

Under the name of Creating our Future Together, CFA is proposing significant changes to the way the Regions work and CFA supports Brigades.

CFA is calling for feedback and has now extended the deadline for comment on the proposals to Friday, 30 August, after VFBV expressed concern that volunteers were not being given sufficient time to hear about the changes and consider them.

The proposed changes include; 

• Reorganising Districts in to five Regions instead of the current eight
• New Assistant Chief Officers in the roles of Regional Director/Regional Commander
• Changes to the roles of Brigades, Groups, Districts and Regions
• Changes to the way Brigades are supported
• Allocation of resources by workload, not location

CFA says the changes are intended to improve support to Brigades and members, reduce red tape and enable better service delivery.

Please familiarise yourself with the proposals, help spread the word among your fellow volunteers and provide any comments by Friday, 30 August.  See below for links to CFA’s information.

If you have any concerns or comments, please raise them through the methods made available by CFA, talk to your State Councillors, call the VFBV office or email This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

The CFA CEO explains the proposals under Creating our Future Together in his blog, here.