The Volunteer Support Program is designed to provide support direct to volunteers to enable them to make the most of their contribution to the community’s safety.
It is now in the discovery phase, in which CFA is looking to volunteers to identify goals and activities that will produce practical results for communities they protect.
The Victorian State Government introduced the four year, $44.5 million CFA Volunteer Support Package in 2010. The package includes funds for volunteer support resources to…“…work directly with Victoria’s volunteer fire fighters to give them the support they need to perform at their best. This valuable support of our volunteers underpins the viability of the CFA and allows Victoria’s fire fighting agencies to focus more on protecting the state from threat of fire.”
CFA’s Executive Leadership Team (ELT) approved the Volunteer Support Program in December, 2012. Its resources will be predominantly field based, and will report to a central Program Management Office (PMO) at CFA Headquarters. Extensive collaboration between CFA and VFBV in developing the various themes and projects in support of volunteerism has resulted in the recent progress of this important program.
PROGRAM DESIGN
The program is divided into three themes which will cover specific areas of work (Volunteer Development, Volunteer Sustainability & Volunteer Support) and will be linked into current practices and local priorities in CFA.
The Program of Works will report to CFA and stakeholders as a single project.
The three Volunteer Support Program themes are:
Volunteer Development Program
1. Volunteer Leadership
2. Volunteer Wellbeing
3. Volunteer Training & Assessment
Volunteer Sustainability Program
- Statewide Recruitment, Retention & Recognition
- Engaging with Diverse Communities
- Growth & Decline
Volunteer Support Program
- Volunteer Best Practice & Information Sharing
- CFA Alumni (The scoping of this possible project)
- Member 1800 Help Desk (Also for scoping)
RECRUITMENT NOW UNDERWAY
In early 2013, CFA began the recruitment of the Program’s initial resources, with the search for a Senior Program Manager, three Project Managers, 12 Project Coordinators and six Project Officers.
HOW WILL THEY WORK WITH VOLUNTEERS?
In the opening phase of the project, CFA is researching what volunteers need and how to use the resources most effectively to meet those needs. It is relying on CFA volunteers to identify the objectives and desirable outcomes.
It is vitally important that during this ‘discovery phase’ of the program, individual volunteers, Brigade BMT’s, Groups, VFBV District Council Executive members and community groups get involved and make the most of the opportunity.
WANT TO BE INVOLVED? VFBV will post more information and contact details as they become available from CFA.
