Hero CFA volunteers fear phasing out as United Firefighters Union muscles in

ONE of the heroes of a defining Black Saturday photograph has spoken out about his fears for the future of the Country Fire Authority.

Gary Cheesman, Matthew Smythe, Ian Maxfield, Reg Murrill and Bruce Jewell.

• Fireys’ pay deal remains on table

ONE of the heroes of a defining Black Saturday photograph has spoken out about his fears for the future of the Country Fire Authority.

Gary Cheesman was with his Drouin West mates fleeing a massive inferno at Labertouche when they were snapped by Herald Sun photographer Alex Coppel in 2009.

Now Mr Cheesman has voiced his alarm at moves by the United Firefighters Union to take more control of the CFA, potentially marginalising the volunteers who fought the fires that ravaged Victoria, claiming 173 lives.

“It’s going to be devastating for the local brigades and some will lose members,’’ he said.

“It seems a lot of volunteers are going to get phased out or get shafted.

“It’s the camaraderie that’s so important and that’s why we do it.’’

A CFA truck heads away from a giant blaze near Pakenham during the Victorian Black Saturday Bushfires. Picture: Alex Coppel

The UFU and the State Government are in enterprise bargaining agreement negotiations with a draft of the agreement for CFA-paid firefighters including demands for the UFU to take control of many CFA roles.

Hundreds of firefighters in CFA trucks took to the Melbourne streets last Saturday to voice their outrage.

Other volunteer firemen with decades of CFA service told the Herald Sun they were concerned for the future of the CFA, and that they were proud to serve their local districts and help people.

“It’s voluntary but we do it for the benefit of the community,’’ said one farmer who has been a CFA member for more than 40 years.

“Where would Victoria be today without the 60,000 CFA volunteers?”

Ross Olden, captain of the Kongwak CFA whose crew was captured in the image that appeared on the front of the Sunday Herald Sun the morning after Black Saturday, said he hoped for an early resolution to the negotiations.

“Our brigade, like so many others in our district, totally supports the idea of one CFA — that is, paid and volunteer firefighters. We have different skill sets.’

“In urban areas, you need paid firefighters to fill that role and in the rural areas the volunteers fill a vital role.”

He said that volunteer numbers were dropping, mainly because of the urban population drift.

“People need certainty. We know and recognise that paid firefighters need to get their EBA sorted out but hope that some of what they are asking for doesn’t affect volunteers.’’

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