Fires services Victoria: CFA in deplorable state of uncertainty

Implementation of fire services legislation must be put on hold until all parties have input, argues Geoff Forman.

I WRITE as captain of Molyullah Rural Fire Brigade to express our community’s support for VFBV chief executive Adam Barnett’s statement about the deplorable state of uncertainty the CFA and its commanders, staff and volunteers are facing.

This uncertainty is due to a lack of communication on outworking of changes to fire services in Victoria.

The Andrews Government has steamrolled major legislative reform to Victoria’s Fire Services, with assurances that CFA, its staff and volunteers, through VFBV, would be included and consulted in the progress towards the legislative outcomes.

We agree there has not been enough or timely consultation with CFA and its volunteers and endorse VFBV’s action issuing a media release to inform the Victorian public as to this side of the story that affects most of those in fire services.

When freedom of opportunity for open discussion and inclusiveness is given to all parties, trust, respect and co-operation are the outcomes.

Changes and adjustments can be made in that environment by the willingness of all parties to adjust and compromise. Where such an open environment does not exist, or worse, appears to be deliberately avoided, the outcome cannot possibly hope to produce a friendly, stable and accepting workplace where clear lines of communication are a key part of daily and emergency regime in our organisation.

The confidence of volunteers in Benalla Group and Molyullah Brigade for accessible and stable chain of command from these reforms is low and the flow-on effect of our commanders being only seconded from FRV instead of belonging solely to the organisation they serve will be destabilising.

It will cause uncertainty in both giving and receiving of command for all parties.

The government’s continued “on message” line of promotion to the Victorian public about the need for reform of fire services reflects that firefighters are let down by outdated management and governance structures’.

But there is no mention that the proposed system of governance, where CFA staff and commanders will be paid by one organisation and serve another is anything other than an outdated model.

The Andrews Government promised full, open and inclusive consultation with volunteers in working from legislation to reform.

We believe this absence of promised consultation with volunteers and VFBV means implementation of the legislation should be halted until all parties are included and allowed input.

• Geoff Forman is Molyullah Rural Fire Brigade captain

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