CFA volunteers to undergo mandatory driver training

All volunteer firefighters will have to complete four to five days of training within two years, if they want to drive brigade tankers.

CFA volunteers must complete another 21 hours of training to drive their brigade’s tanker with lights and sirens to an emergency, in addition to a VicRoads truck licence.

Volunteer firefighters face having to undertake 21 hours of training before they can drive tankers and other CFA heavy vehicles to emergencies, using lights and sirens.

Up until now volunteers were only required to hold a heavy vehicle license from VicRoads, with brigade captain’s given the discretion to endorse their ability to respond to code one emergencies or direct them to undertake further CFA training.

But the CFA has rolled out draft driver endorsement operational procedure 12.08, which calls for all volunteer drivers to complete its 21hr course within the next two years.

Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria chief executive Adam Barnett said the CFA was only able to run 250 drivers through its existing course last year, “meaning we estimate it will take more than 20 years to get members through the course with current capacity”.

“This training is above the requirements drivers have already done to attain their current truck licenses through VicRoads,” Mr Barnett said.

“Not even drivers who drive trucks for a living are considered adequately trained in CFA’s view, with CFA insisting they also do the course.”

CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said “we appreciate many of our volunteers particulary in rural and farming communities hold heavy vehicle licences and drive heavy vehicles as part of their day-to-day activities”.

But he said the CFA must ensure it had the appropriate internal operating procedures and training in place to satisfy heavy vehicle regulations.

“It is well known the risks of driving an emergency service vehicle under code one (lights and sirens) conditions,” Chief Heffernan said.

“CFA has received extensive feedback from volunteers on the draft SOP and is currently making changes based on the feedback to date. In particular the level of training required, method of delivery, accessibility and course duration.

“CFA hopes to further provide details of the proposed changes upon finalisation of the consultation.”

Brigades said members were already struggling with the current training workload, especially older members, while new recruits were being turned off signing on.

Casterton CFA volunteer Lee Condon said “we struggle to get volunteers in the door now” and have “quite a few turn around and walk out” when told they must complete 26 hours of training before they can get on a truck.

Dunrobin volunteer Kelvin Bateman said “at the moment volunteers have no time to do it (training), with the year we’re having”.

“People are more worried about getting a bit of hay for their cattle than training.”

Mr Barnett said “CFA volunteers need to do training in their own time, often after hours and after work on evenings and weekends – missing out on valuable down time and time with family”.

Results from VFBV’s volunteer survey indicate training remains the area CFA volunteers are the most dissatisfied with, with volunteers marking CFA’s performance on ‘training opportunities in formats, at times and at locations that make it easy for them to participate’ the equal worst score across the entire survey – demonstrating widespread dissatisfaction.

Mr Barnett said volunteers continue to express deep concern that additional red tape and the introduction of additional mandatory requirements are continuing to make CFA volunteering harder and harder and just putting people off.

“Volunteers want to make sure training is commensurate with the role, and that CFA recognises their current skills and experience, instead of lazy one size fits all solutions that ignore people’s previous experience,” he said.

“It is really insulting to volunteers who have been driving for decades that apparently all that time and experience counts for nothing in CFA’s eyes.”