CFA staff to wear Fire Rescue Victoria uniforms

It’s being likened to “a bloke coming to play for your footy club, but insisting on wearing his old team’s jumper”: Ex-CFA Fire Rescue Victoria staff seconded back to their old brigades will wear FRV uniforms.

Fire fight: The United Firefighters Union has won control of CFA staff selection. Picture: Ian Currie

THE Andrews Government has granted the powerful United Firefighters Union control over who the CFA can employ and the uniforms they wear, under a controversial deal that has just come to light.

That control has been enshrined in a 777-page enterprise agreement the union brokered with Fire Rescue Victoria, which was formed on July 1 by stripping and merging the CFA’s operational staff and 38 stations with the MFB.

The CFA has been required to second the 229 operational staff it lost to FRV back again, but subject to the strict new controls under the UFU-FRV agreement.

For CFA volunteers the greatest symbol of the UFU’s new power is enshrined in Schedule 26 of the EA, which states: “Employees who are seconded to CFA shall wear an FRV uniform while performing their duties in that seconded position”.

SEE THE ENTERPRISE AGREEMENT HERE

Benalla volunteer and CFA group officer Jim Renkin likened it to “a bloke coming to play for your footy club, but insisting on wearing his old team’s jumper”.

“Before (the reforms) we were all working together — one body. But now I think most volunteers will feel like they’re (staff) not one of us.”

Even the CFA’s regional commanders, who are now FRV employees, are frustrated by the move.

FRV commissioner Ken Block has tried to placate concerns by issuing a message to staff stating the uniform requirements “won’t change how highly the community regards their work now”.

“FRV staff seconded to CFA will continue to serve Victoria’s communities and support volunteers with the same commitment and dedication as they have always done, and the uniform worn will not change this”, Mr Block stated.

But North-East assistant chief fire officer Paul King has written to Commissioner Block arguing against the move.

“The CFA brand is well known, respected and synonymous with regional Victoria,” Mr King wrote.

“The assertion that it doesn’t matter what uniform they are in, is not correct.

“There are many parts of Victoria where FRV have no presence and it will be confusing to community, agency partners and brigade members about who the officer wearing the FRV uniform is representing and what their role is. This will be in both emergencies and during normal operations.

“In some more bizarre circumstances there will be an FRV officer in an FRV tabard (vest) representing FRV and another FRV Officer in a CFA tabard representing CFA.”

Mr King said the most serious concern was the FRV badging would create “division and separation”, undermining the value of CFA operational staffs’ role in the community.

“I can’t see what anyone hopes to achieve by this decision,” he said.

“It is certainly the view of my broad network of colleagues, both staff and volunteers that this is an absurd scenario.

“It is considered ludicrous by our agency partners who struggle to comprehend the decision and any benefit that is sought to be derived from it.”

But the 777-page enterprise agreement does far more than demand CFA staff wear FRV badged uniforms.

It strips the CFA chief officer of the power to determine who they can employ, where they will be located, resourced and rostered.

Not only must the CFA ask FRV to fill a position, all candidates must meet “registration requirements (however described) specified by the Firefighters Registration Board”.

It is this board that gives the UFU the power to accept and reject who can be employed by FRV or CFA, given three of its four members are elected by the union.

The Act even states the board “is not subject to the general direction or control of the Minister in respect of the performance of the Board’s functions or duties or the exercise of the Board’s powers”.

Opposition Emergency Services spokesman Nick Wakeling said the latest revelations on the power the union had been granted in the EA showed Premier Daniel Andrews’ war on the CFA continued unabated.

Mr Wakeling said the decision on uniforms was a “slap in the face to our dedicated, passionate CFA volunteers across Victoria.

“Why does Daniel Andrews always pander to his mates in the firefighters union at the expense of CFA volunteers?

If elected in 2022 the Coalition has promised to return the CFA to being an independent, volunteer-based, autonomous fire service.

Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville said “operational staff at the CFA wore the same uniform as operational staff at MFB for many years, prior to the formation of FRV – it didn’t diminish their contribution to community safety in the past and it won’t now.

“It’s important that all career staff who are working with FRV are able to serve under that badge and uniform, just as it is equally as important for volunteers.

She said the fire services reforms and legislation have been clear from the outset – “FRV is a career only firefighting service and the CFA restored to a community based volunteer firefighting service, with FRV operational staff seconded to CFA to provided operational support.

“Both the legislation and the FRV Enterprise Agreement make it clear that FRV secondees are under the order and control of the CFA Chief Officer while they are on secondment.”

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