CFA loses “several thousand” operational volunteers on training hurdle
CFA management has dismissed volunteers who failed to meet three training requirements. But was it fair in the midst of COVID-19 restrictions?
THE CFA has stripped “several thousand” CFA volunteers of their operational status, after it ruled many had failed to meet minimum training requirements in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown.
Traditionally it was left to CFA volunteer brigade captains to determine who could jump on the truck or not, as an operational volunteer.
But a CFA spokeswoman said that during 2019-20, “there was a shift in the classification of several thousand members from operational to non-operational”.
“This change reflects the reclassification of some members who had not completed critical safety training required by the CFA Chief Officer, or who no longer wished to respond to emergencies for a range of reasons.”
Prior to the 2019-20 fire season, the then CFA chief officer Steve Warrington declared any members responding on the fireground must have completed critical safety training for:
WILDFIRE minimum skills (once-off foundation training, online and in-person).
HAZARDOUS trees (to be completed every three years, online).
VEHICLE entrapment drill (to be completed annually, in-person).
But while volunteers were supportive of training their advocacy group have argued imposing the three new training package requirements in the midst of COVID-19 lockdowns was unfair.
“Brigades were not allowed to conduct one of the key aspects of the minimum requirements (Burnover drill) during COVID lockdown and stage 3 restrictions, therefore volunteers should not have been disadvantaged during that period,” Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria executive Adam Barnett said.
“We support the minimum training requirements. (But) we do not support arbitrary dates being set for CFA management to then administratively and unilaterally transfer a volunteer from operational to non-operational.
“Brigade Captains are responsible for their members and this kind of transfer should only be done at the express request of the Captain.”
However the CFA spokeswoman said the new training requirement had been imposed “after several years of communications, strongly encouraging members to have completed the packages for their own safety.
“CFA’s Chief Officer has been clear over a number of years prior to the reclassification that member safety is of the utmost importance and anyone responding on the fireground must have completed the required training packages.”
“This change in member classification has not affected CFA’s capacity to respond to incidents and major emergencies.”
However the CFA failed to detail just how many operational volunteers have been transferred to support roles, simply stating it was “several thousand”.
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