VFBV

It was a nail biter of a finish in the 2016 VFBV Rural Junior Championships, with Springhurst A, Ascot A and Greta A all on 48 points.

Only a countback could separate them, leaving Springhurst the Champion Team for 2016!

There was a great turnout of girls and boys from communities all over Victoria, with 39 Brigades represented by the CFA volunteer firefighters and community leaders of tomorrow.

Each event is designed to build great team spirit, fitness, team skills and capabilities with hoses, pumps and other equipment that make it a useful addition to each Brigade’s regular weekly training regime.

Of course the teams’ performance on the field is not just about making a big effort on the day, but the hours of practise and dedication of Brigades, coaches, parents and families throughout the year to encourage, train and support our young juniors in developing the professionalism that will benefit their communities for years to come.

As always, the success of the championships was also the result of an amazing effort by the organising committee, volunteer judges and officials, support teams and CFA’s hard working DMOs.  Congratulations to all involved.

CHAMPION TEAM (following a countback to determine placings):

To download full results and aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

VFBV State President Encouragement Award: Chiltern A

Stan Ross Conduct Trophy:                                         Sedgwick Brigade                            

Junior Firefighter Sprint:                  

11-13 Years – Female:                    Abbie Hromenko, Huntly

11-13 Years – Male:                         Logan White, Greta

11-15 Years – Female:                    Tiffany Jorgenson, Beazley’s Bridge

11-15 Years – Male:                         Matthew Kerr, Dunrobin/Nangeela

To download full results and aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

FINAL AGGREGATES

11-13 YEARS AGGREGATE

11-15 YEARS AGGREGATE

To download full results and aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

EVENT RESULTS

Event 1A: Low Down Pump & Ladder – 11-13 Years        

Event 1B: Low Down Pump & Ladder – 11-15 Years

Event 2A: Hose & Ladder – 11-13 Years

Event 2B: Hose & Ladder – 11-15 Years

Event 4A: Tanker – Priming, Pumping & Ladder – 11-13 Years

Event 4B: Tanker – Priming, Pumping & Ladder – 11-15 Years

Event 5A: Hydrant & Tanker – 11-13 Years

Event 5B: Hydrant & Tanker – 11-15 Years

Event 6A: Tanker – Drawing Water from Tank – 11-13 Years

Event 6B: Tanker – Drawing Water from Tank – 11-15 Years

To download full results and aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

Dunrobin/Nangeela B had a clear win at the 2016 VFBV Rural Championships, Katunga won the Discipline and the crowd at Colac had a great weekend.

There was real diversity on the field, with young men and women from communities all over Victoria and plenty of team spirit.

The events are based on practical firefighting activities.  As well as camaraderie among the teams, they build fitness, team skills and capabilities with hoses, pumps and other equipment that make them a useful addition to each Brigade’s regular weekly training regime.

The championships also offer one of same benefits as staging a major fire brigade exercise; giving Brigades and volunteers the chance to build the networks that pay off when they work together on large scale bushfires and other major emergencies.

As always, the success of the championships was the result of an amazing effort by the organising committee, volunteer judges and officials, support teams and CFA’s hard working DMOs. Congratulations to all involved.

HIGHEST POINTS OVERALL:        Dunrobin/Nangeela B - 74 points

DISCIPLINE AWARD:                       Katunga Brigade

WINNERS OF THE SPRINTS:         Female Sprint:   Amy Jackson, Willaura

Male Sprint:       Nathan Hooper, Greta

To download full results and detailed aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

FINAL AGGREGATES

DIVISION A AGGREGATE

DIVISION B AGGREGATE

DIVISION C AGGREGATE

To download full results and aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

EVENT RESULTS

Event 1: Low Down Pump & Ladder

Event 2: Hose & Ladder

Event 3: Tanker Hose Reel & Ladder

Event 4: Tanker - Priming, Pumping & Ladder

Event 5: Hydrant & Tanker

Event 6: Tanker Drawing Water from Tank

To download full results and aggregates, visit the Rural Championship Results page here

Tatura A has won the title of Champion Team.  You can download detailed results for every event below.

The Final Aggregate Results are as follows;

DRY AGGREGATE:
1st TATURA A 57 points
2nd SALE A 26 points
3rd KOOWEERUP A 18 points

WET AGGREGATE
1st TATURA A 32 points
2nd MOE A 24 points
3rd SALE A 15 points

UNDER 14 YEARS AGGREGATE
1st TATURA A 61 points
2nd KOOWEERUP A 26 points
=3rd MELTON A & MOE A 14 points

UNDER 17 YEARS AGGREGATE
1st SALE A 41 points
2nd TATURA A 28 points
3rd MOE A 23 points

GRAND AGGREGATE
1st TATURA A 89 points
2nd SALE A 41 points
3rd MOE A 37 points

CFA will participate in the 2015 Australian National Fire Cadet Championships, to be held in New South Wales during the September school holidays.

They are seeking applications from registered junior members aged 14 and 15 years, as well as endorsed junior leaders, to represent CFA at the championships.

Applicants do not require previous championships/competition experience, as the NSW events are not based on CFA running events.

This opportunity will involve members travelling to Sydney to engage in a series of team building and group development activities, as well as participating in the ANFC Championships.

Please see the attached flyer for information on the Championships and application process.

Further information and application forms can be found at http://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/volunteer-careers/junior-volunteers/ or by emailing This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Applications close, Friday 7 August 2015.

Torquay A achieved the highest points overall at the 2015 VFBV State Rural Championships, which brought 600 competitors from 46 Brigades to St Arnaud for the weekend’s competition.

Napoleons/Enfield A won Division A with 38 points and Dunrobbin/Nangeela D won Division C with 42 points. St Arnaud, Strathdownie and Hurstbridge all appeared among the placings, District 22 won the Discipline Award, and Greta runners Sarah Hooper and Nathan Hooper won the sprints.

At the 2015 VFBV State Rural Junior Championships, Willaura A won the Champion Team title and the 11-15 Years Aggregate.

Springhurst A won the 11-13 Aggregate, Slaty Creek won the VFBV State President Encouragement Award, Willaura won the Stan Ross Conduct Trophy, Erin Munro of Dunrobbin/Nangeela and Lachlan Peck of Miners Rest won the 11-13 Years sprints, and Tiffany Bussem-Jorgensen of Beazleys Bridge and: Cooper Nelson or Irrewarre won the 11-15 Years sprints.

There will be a full report in the April edition of the Fireman, there are more pictures on the VFBV Facebook page www.facebook.com/cfavol and you can download the full results from both Championships by clicking here.

Tatura's juniors have dominated the 2015 VFBV Urban Junior Championships at Horsham, with a strong win from Benalla and Drouin/Bunyip.

Click here for full results.

More than 700 junior CFA volunteers from Victoria and WA took part, in events involving fitness, skill and speed with hoses and equipment, and putting water onto a target.

One thousand spectators and supporters were there to see 75 teams from 46 Brigades competing, in events hosted by Horsham Fire Brigade and Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria.

Aggregate results are;

WET AGGREGATE

1^st TATURA A 37 points

2^nd SWAN HILL A 16 points

=3^rd EUROA A & MOE A 13 points

UNDER 14 YEARS AGGREGATE

1^st TATURA A 43 points

2^nd DROUIN/BUNYIP 26 points

3^rd BENALLA 18 points

UNDER 17 YEARS AGGREGATE

1^st TATURA A 29 points

2^nd SWAN HILL A 24 points

3^rd MOE A 22 points

GRAND AGGREGATE

1^st TATURA A 72 points

2^nd BENALLA 28 points

3^rd DROUIN/BUNYIP 26 points

2015 -Champion Brigade Members – TATURA A

Coaches Martin Rennie, Darren Rennie & Damian Briese, and competitors:

Leigh Dann

Guilz Meola

Hayley Rennie

Matthew Rennie

Nathan Rennie

Grady Tyson

Floyd Vincitorio

Jeremey Withal

Click here for the events program, list of competing Brigades, championship rules and media contact detaills.

Volunteerism Joint Committee -2 Minute Briefing 

Issue 6, 11 August 2013

Quick snapshot of the priority issues and actions worked through at the most recent Joint Committee meeting between CFA and VFBV. (Meeting held 11/08/2013)

VOLUNTEER SUPPORT PROGRAM (VSP)

An update was given on the Project, there are numerous projects underway with many small group meetings being conducted which have appeared most successful.  Project plans have been submitted to the steering committee with project staff working hard on the “discovery” phase to see what types and levels of support volunteers require.  By the end of October it is hoped that CFA will begin to form a view of the demonstrated need for permanent resources that will be required after the 1^st July 2014 with the ongoing permanent funding. 

When first launched by the then Brumby Labor Government the Police & Emergency Services Minister announced that the Volunteer Support Program would fund 64 positions to provide direct support for volunteers. CFA and VFBV are working jointly to deliver on this initiative.

Some of the projects underway at the moment are;

• Membership sustainability,
• Not wanting to look at just Operational needs,
• Mix of membership
• How brigades deal with the issues of declining populations or diversity from which to draw future membership?
• The concept of a CFA Alumni, Investigate volunteer (member) support initiatives that other organisations such as Defence Force, Service Clubs, Forums, and Universities have and are using.
• 1800 help number – as a single information portal for member help/queries;
• CFA shop relaunched by December (State Logistics Centre are willing to participate), there would be a small mark up to ensure costs are covered - not to there to make a profit.

VSP officers have been encouraged to contact VFBV State Councillors or District Council Executive if they have issues of "coming" into the district, also let Kate Harrap know if any issues.

CFA VOLUNTEER STRATEGY - DEVELOPMENT

A working party is to be established, with representation sought from VFBV and any volunteer members willing to participate. This is key body of work for CFA and rated a high priority in Jones Report, has prominence within the Fire Services Commissioner’s Sector wide strategy and is also a key project of the Department of Justice under their Valuing Volunteers Program VSP.  VFBV officers and through our Joint Committees are contributing partners in this strategies design and implementation.

As part of the design, CFA will engage other Volunteer organisations (i.e. SES, Surf lifesaving) to ensure complementary programs and themes are developed. Focus will be to embark in one direction with all agencies involved, must also involve VESA with VFBV and any other volunteer representative organisations.

JUNIOR MEMBERS – ID CARDS COMING

CFA ID cards will soon be available to junior members, they will be blue in colour, with the expiry date when they turn 16 years of age.  Further information has been asked for to see if the ID card can also have the name of their brigade on it.

NATIONAL EMERGENCY MEDAL (NEM)

CFA has received 3730 approved medal sets from the Australian Honours and Awards Secretariat in Canberra.  Another 1,000 nominations are still under consideration.  It is likely that the first awards of this batch of medals will commence in September/October this year. 

The NEM Working Party has meet numerous times, looking at planning and conducting presentation ceremonies within each District giving recipients and family and friends the opportunity to attend. CFA is planning for presentations to be performed by a Board member, Executive Director, or Regional Director.

Upcoming State Championships

The 2025 State Championships will all be held in Mooroopna over consecutive weekends in March for the fifth year in a row.

The weekend 22 and 23 March will host the State Urban Junior Championship. The following weekend, 29 and 30 March, will see the State Urban Senior Championship run over both days. While the State Rural Senior Championship will be run on Saturday 29 March and the State Rural Junior Championship on Sunday 30 March. The events for each championship will be conducted separately on their own competition tracks, but alongside each other at the same location, on the same weekend, in what is a showcase of CFA to the wider community.

On the evening of Saturday 29 March, the Torchlight Procession will be held in Mooroopna from 8.30pm with all CFA brigades invited to take part even if they are not competing in the Championships.      

VFBV State Championship History and Introduction

VFBV State Championships are one of Victoria's proudest and longest traditions, running for nearly 150 years with the first State Championship held in Melbourne in 1873, with the volunteer associations running and organising these events some 70 years before CFA even existed.  State Championships have continued annually since 1873 with no state event cancelled due to fire, flood, weather or natural disaster – the only cancellations being due to WW1, WWII and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The establishment of volunteer fire brigades in country Victoria began in 1854 with brigades formally established at Geelong and Sandhurst (now Bendigo). The introduction of hose reels into the Fire Service to assist in getting hose and other necessary equipment to the scene of a fire relatively quickly, was a major catalyst for fire brigade competitions, as we know them. 

The Championships, initially known as ‘Demonstrations’ as they were viewed as a demonstration of firefighting skills, arose from an awareness that fire brigade operational response and training could be enhanced if it was performed in a competitive environment. Brigades soon discovered their training and efficiency improved by engaging in training and competitions with neighbouring brigades, with the State Championship evolving as the pinnacle of the season’s competitions conducted by Districts and Associations across the state.

After the first two Championships were held in Melbourne 1873 and 1874, and given the vast distance many country and regional Brigades travelled to attend the Melbourne events, it was agreed that other venues should have the opportunity of hosting future Championships. This was also seen as a way to fairly distribute the economic benefits of increased tourism and patronage in townships as a result of each year’s competitions, and honoured volunteer firefighters dedication to putting their communities first.

Today, competitions and the State Championships remain an integral part of CFA activities, attracting every year volunteer and career firefighters from across the state and interstate, competing against each other in a range of events designed to hone their firefighting skills and put their skills to the test in a demonstration of their unique life and property saving skills.  Speed and accuracy are vital as the firefighters compete in events using a range of traditional and modern-day firefighting equipment. 

Since 1873 - VFBV (and its predecessor associations) coordinate and arrange all Fire Brigade championships and competitions in Victoria, and selects the venues, approves the events and rules of the competitions, and appoints/supports all track officials and judges for the Championships. Under the CFA Act, we must seek the approval of CFA for each year’s events held within the country area of Victoria. CFA support the running of these Championships through the provision of annual grants to contribute to the running costs of hosting each year’s events, as well as reimbursing competitors for travel expenses to attend the State Championship – in recognition that many Brigades are required to travel hundreds of kilometres to attend each years State Championships.

State Championships allow volunteer firefighters to test their skills and prowess against opposing Brigades in a congenial atmosphere and provides an opportunity to strengthen existing friendships and form new bonds with Brigade members throughout Victoria and interstate.  Unlike a real bushfire or structural fire situation, which often pits firefighters against mother nature and where lives and property are at risk, these drill competitions are more firefighter versus firefighter, and Brigade versus Brigade, which allows for a more friendly opponent than mother nature.

The urban championships in the main involve traditional events and many still include the use of the reel as was the case in the early 1900s.

On the other hand the events at the rural championships which evolved in the 1950's are based around more current fire ground practices and most use either tankers or replica tanker stands for most of their events. Earlier rural championships held competitions such as rope climbs and knapsack races which have now been discontinued in favour of more tanker based activities.

The benefits and objectives of our competitions and State Championships are to:

1. increased operational firefighting efficiency and discipline
   
   
2. develop, maintain and enhance the operational skills of firefighters by providing a competitive environment to promote and hone training and skills maintenance in core and fundamental firefighting skills and practices
   
   
3. develop teamwork and leadership skills of individuals and Brigades
   
   
4. increased health and fitness development and promotion of healthy lifestyle and its correlation to increased firefighting efficiency and effectiveness
   
   
5. promote comradeship amongst firefighters, sense of belonging and networking
   
   
6. encourage family participation and strengthen community engagement and involvement in local Fire Brigade’s
   
   
7. encourage our future CFA volunteer firefighters and provide early exposure to young people to instill a sense of community service and the importance of local Fire Brigade’s
   
   
8. promote a professional image of CFA to the community
   
   
9. instill and promote the Australian tradition of having a go, and doing your best
   
   
10. promote and recognise our future CFA, Brigade and VFBV leaders and celebrate excellence