Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria lobbies state MPs for action to strengthen the CFA

Politicians are being urged to put their kind words for heroic CFA volunteers into action, with calls to put their money where their mouths are and fund much-needed equipment.

Victoria’s volunteer firefighters are urging support for their lifesaving efforts be turned into action on replacing ageing trucks, improving training and ending bullying and harassment.

The Herald Sun can reveal Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief Adam Barnett has written to every state MP as parliament returns today, calling on them to repay the service of volunteers this summer by fixing major issues facing the CFA.

“Volunteers appreciate your kind words and are extremely grateful for the sentiments behind them,” he said in a six-page letter.

“Their hope is that you will similarly work with us to improve arrangements, strengthen CFA and repay their sacrifices in partnering with them to build safer and more resilient communities.”

CFA volunteers who have been on the frontline in East Gippsland this summer. Picture: Alex Coppel.

Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said she had agreed with the VFBV that consultation and engagement with volunteers on training and resources would occur after the fire season.

“While travelling across fire grounds this season I’ve been so impressed by every firefighter I have met — volunteer and career — whether they are with the CFA, MFB or FFMV,” she said.

Problems outlined by Mr Barnett include:

THE number of volunteer firefighters is “now at its lowest level in history” in Victoria.

A FLEET of fire trucks that is one of the oldest in Australia, with many vehicles more than 30 years old.

INSUFFICIENT ongoing funding and a reliance on one-off grants, with volunteers also required to raise money to maintain their equipment and fire stations, something “no other workplace would tolerate”.

INADEQUATE training programs which have left volunteers “deeply critical and highly dissatisfied”.

A LACK of support to “investigate and weed out instances of systemic bullying and harassment”, with a volunteer ombudsman suggested to provide external oversight and appeal mechanisms.

Ms Neville said volunteer numbers had “remained stable for years” and that 5400 people had expressed interest in joining the CFA.

“There has been outstanding cooperation and interoperability across fire agencies and emergency services this season,” she said.

“I want to thank our volunteers for their work over the bushfire season and their ongoing commitment to their communities.”

But with the impending creation of Fire Rescue Victoria, which will take all Victorian career firefighters and make the CFA a volunteer-only organisation, Mr Barnett said there was “deep concern” about how the new structure would work.

He said there had been isolated examples this summer of paid firefighters refusing to work under CFA volunteers in leadership roles.

“If the culture of segregation is allowed to prosper, and volunteer experience or leadership is allowed to be systematically dismissed, the fragile relationship and respect between volunteer firefighters and career staff intended to work together will deteriorate,” Mr Barnett said.

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief Adam Barnett. Picture: Supplied

Volunteers were also anxious about whether the CFA chief officer would be able to refuse the secondment of FRV staff even if they had “exhibited blatant anti-volunteer behaviours in the past”.

Mr Barnett said VFBV was committed to “working in good faith” on the restructure, which kicks in from July, but said it was clear “many may have underestimated the complexity of how particular future arrangements would work”.

He warned Victoria’s frontline volunteer force “may continue to be diminished” if volunteers did not have “meaningful roles” once FRV was set up — a problem particularly as fire seasons get longer and more intense.

“Fire and emergency agencies are now required to operate under effective veto and consult and agree clauses that by design exclude all other parties and stakeholders,” Mr Barnett wrote.

“Recruitment, retention and respect go hand-in-hand with ensuring Victoria has a volunteer pool strong and resilient enough to meet future peak load demands.”

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After tension between the VFBV and the Andrews Government in the past, Mr Barnett said he was committed to “working constructively with all sides of parliament”, adding that the organisation’s relationship with Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville was “much improved”.

He said there was “considerable work and challenges ahead” and “cool heads” were needed.

“So many volunteers place their lives on the line throughout the fire season and throughout the year because they love their communities, both near and far,” Mr Barnett wrote.

“They do not want to be paid. But they want the trucks, equipment and training they need. They want their brigades to flourish and capacity and encouragement to grow. They want their voices to be heard.”

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Originally published as Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria lobbies state MPs for action to strengthen the CFA