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Note from VFBV CEO Andrew Ford:
The Emergency Management Commissioner, with in-principle support from the Minister and Premier, has released a draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement for consideration and feedback from VFBV and volunteers.
The VFBV Board and CEO were invited to provide comments on an initial draft and are happy to report that essentially all of our early feedback has been incorporated into this current draft.
CFA volunteers already place a high value on the existing CFA Volunteer Charter and legislative backing that supports it. The draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement wording and the formal commitment from Craig Lapsley as Emergency Management Commissioner, and on behalf of the Government as Chair of the Minister’s Volunteer Consultative Forum, has confirmed that the intent of the Emergency Management Volunteer Statement is to strengthen and complement the existing CFA Volunteer Charter, which will continue as an enduring commitment between Government, CFA and VFBV on behalf of CFA volunteers.
As VFBV Chief Executive Officer, my broad view is that the draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement is a positive and reinforcing commitment by the Victorian Government and Emergency Management Sector to consult and engage with volunteers in emergency management on matters that affect them.
VFBV has been requested to provide further feedback and ideally endorsement of the Statement before 17 July 2015. I think this Emergency Management Volunteer Statement is a positive initiative and invite your comment and/or suggestions for refinement, prior to VFBV providing final advice to the EM Commissioner on 17 July.
Andrew Ford
Chief Executive Officer
Click here for the draft Emergency Management Volunteer Statement and the online feedback form.
