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CFA split: Worry over SES rescue rolesState Emergency Service volunteers fear an exodus of members if United Firefighters Union career firefighters take control of road accident rescue across regional cities and outer Melbourne. By Portal Admin - 8th June 2017 - Back to News Currently 102 highly trained VICSES volunteer crews are responsible for road accident rescue across the state, including most of the regions covered by the CFA’s 35 integrated stations.
But VICSES volunteers say they risk being stood down from attending accidents, once the Government hands the CFA’s integrated stations to the new "career staff only" service, Fire Rescue Victoria.
Warrnambool VICSES unit controller Giorgio Palameri said volunteers would leave the service if responsibility for road rescue was handed to Fire Rescue Victoria and its career crews at former CFA stations.
Mr Palameri said SES volunteers were aware of clauses in the controversial enterprise agreement the UFU tried push on to the CFA last year, which demanded all career firefighters be trained and engage in road accident rescue.
"The majority of members are in the SES because of their role in road rescue," Mr Palameri said.
"If they (volunteers) can’t do road rescue, they’ll leave and we won’t be able to respond to storms and floods in the same way."
The enterprise agreement, which was backed by the Andrews Government, included the following clauses on road accident rescue:
"HEAVY pumpers shall be recognised as a rescue appliance at motor vehicle accidents that require extraction of victims.
"THE CFA will train all firefighters and officers in RAR (road accident rescue) to achieve a recognised qualification agreed between the parties.
"TRAINING for heavy pumper response in the above capacity will be developed, implemented and delivered to all CFA career firefighters within 18 months of the agreement being signed."
Portland VICSES volunteer Charlie DeBono, who has spent 36 years serving his community, said he had raised his concerns with Emergency Management Commissioner Craig Lapsley over the risks to SES volunteers and the cost of duplicating the road accident rescue service. "We have a $370,000 (SES) truck down here with all its equipment," Mr DeBono said. "Are they going to buy another $400,000 one in Portland, when we have just 8000 people?
"I’m really concerned which way it’s going to go. The union has been well and truly looked after by (Premier) Daniel Andrews."
One emergency services insider told The Weekly Times: "Clearly, if these responsibilities are taken away from volunteers it will erode the CFA’s and SES’s surge capacity. Are FRV going to do floods and storms as well?"
Mr Lapsley said: "Road crash rescue arrangements in Victoria will continue under the new fire services restructure with CFA and the new FRV providing road rescue in conjunction with SES.
The Firefighters' Presumptive Rights Compensation and Fire Services Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2017 — due to be debated in Parliament this week — gives FRV power to "provide road accident rescue services".
The Government is rushing the legislation through Parliament, with Emergency Services Minister James Merlino arguing the CFA’s 35 integrated stations and career firefighters must be transferred to FRV before the start of the next fire season.
The Metropolitan Fire Brigades' career firefighters will also be transferred to FRV, sidelining the current MFB board and management, who have spent months resisting UFU demands to sign a new enterprise agreement.
Mr Merlino, Mr Lapsley and CFA chief officer Steve Warrington have been touring Victoria to reassure CFA and SES volunteers their roles and responsibilities will be unaffected by the FRV takeover. Volunteer leaders from across North East Victoria said their message to parliamentarians was to slow down the process "(as) we all need to consider the impacts, as yet unknown, and together produce reforms that can be broadly supported".
Western Victoria Upper House MP James Purcell, whose vote is crucial to passing the Bill, said he had not formed a position.
He said the Coalition was pushing for a vote in the Upper House this week, on referring the Bill to a committee of inquiry. "Even if I don’t vote for an inquiry this week, it doesn’t mean I won’t once the Bill reaches the Upper House (most likely on June 20-22)," Mr Purcell said.
Source: www.gippsland.com Published by: support@gippsland.com
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