News 
Nominations for the 2020 Spirit of CFA Awards have now opened.
The awards, first held in 2018, recognise the exceptional achievements of CFA volunteers and staff across nine categories (further details below) that align to the CFA values and the contributions they have made to CFA, local communities and the state of Victoria. The Spirit of CFA Awards are supported by the Victorian Government’s Valuing Volunteers Program.
Local communities, organisations, government agencies, brigades, districts and regions are welcome and encouraged to nominate a CFA individual or team for one of the nine awards. In particular, the Spirit of CFA Awards have the ability to recognise some of the quiet achievers who go about their work without any thought of being recognised.
Applications are open from 29 September 2019 and close on 3 January 2020, with the winners to be announced at the Spirit of CFA Awards ceremony in May 2020.
To be eligible for the awards, the nominees need to reflect CFA’s values and have made a significant contribution to CFA and the community within the past two years.
Click here to nominate a worthy recipient for the 2020 Spirit of CFA Awards or go to https://www.cfa.vic.gov.au/about/spirit-of-cfa-awards
Nominations close at 11.59pm on 1 March 2020.
Update 16/01/2020: due to the high level of operational activity the deadline for nominations has again been extended to Sunday 1 March 2020. With some incredible stories coming from this year's fire season, this is a terrific opportunity to recognise those people who you think make an incredible contribution to CFA.
For more information contact This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
The nine categories of the awards are:
1. Youth Award (individual award only)
The Youth Award acknowledges CFA members between the ages of 11 and 25 who inspire others through their commitment to their brigade and community and consistently demonstrate collaboration, initiative and leadership.
This award is open to all members between the age of 11 and 25 at the time of nomination.
2. Seniors Award (individual award only)
The Seniors Award pays tribute to CFA members over the age of 60 who inspire and mentor others through their commitment to their brigade and community and consistently demonstrate collaboration, initiative and leadership.
This award is open to all individuals over the age of 60 at the time of nomination.
3. Living the Values Award (individual award only)
The prestigious Living the Values Award honours CFA members who have and continue to exemplify CFA’s values. Nominees promote safety at all times. They show respect, empathy and understanding. They act with integrity, honesty and fairness. Nominees also work collaboratively, maintaining open communication and responding and adapting to change.
This award is open to individuals of all ages, locations and roles.
4. Excellence in Community Engagement Award
The Excellence in Community Engagement Award recognises CFA members who have worked collaboratively to develop and apply innovative approaches to community engagement. Their dedication to safety and resilience has created meaningful and lasting relationships and results.
This award is open to individuals and teams of all ages, locations and roles.
5. Inclusion and Fairness Champion Award
CFA’s Inclusion and Fairness Champion consistently demonstrates honesty and fairness. They are a champion for equality, diversity and inclusion by challenging the status quo and breaking down the systematic barriers to inclusion and diversity. The CFA member encourages mental health awareness and promotes both physical and mental safety and wellbeing.
This award is open to individuals and teams of all ages, locations and roles.
6. Excellence in Partnership Development Award
Excellence in Partnership Development recognises CFA members who engaged with other agencies and community organisations before, during and/or after an emergency. By collaborating with key stakeholders, nominees have improved the efficiency of emergency management arrangements in the brigade and local area to meet stakeholder and community needs.
The award is open to individuals and teams of all ages, locations and roles.
7. Excellence in Interagency or Group Cooperation Award
The Excellence in Community Interagency or Group Cooperation recognises members who engage with all emergency management agencies before, during and/or after an emergency. By building partnerships, sharing knowledge and working in collaboration, nominees promote and practice interoperability to ensure the needs of the community are met.
This award is open to individuals and teams of all ages, locations and roles.
8. Excellence in Capability Planning Award
The Excellence in Capability Planning Award acknowledges the contribution made by CFA members in ensuring we have the capability and resources to keep the community sage. By showing leadership in planning and preparation and encouraging the development of our people CFA will meet community needs now and into the future.
This award is open to individuals and team of all ages, locations and roles.
9. Excellence in Innovation Award
Excellence in Innovation celebrates CFA members who lead transformational change to our services, systems, governance and processes to improve service delivery outcomes, meeting organisational and community needs – now and into the future.
This award is open to individuals and teams of all ages, locations and roles.
