CFA stations to be consumed by new Fire Rescue Victoria
Legislation introduced to parliament today will strip 38 integrated fire stations off the CFA and merge them with the MFB will sideline up to 1500 volunteers. Here’s where.
THE CFA is about to be stripped of its 38 integrated stations, sidelining up to 1500 volunteer firefighters.
Under legislation the Andrews’ Labor Government has put to parliament today, the integrated stations will be carved off the CFA and merged with the MFB to form a new career-firefighter body — Fire Rescue Victoria.
The Government is confident it has the numbers to ram the Bill through the Upper House by the end of June.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria has warned the split would sideline volunteers, forcing them out of the new FRV regions and risked undermining volunteer training and support from career firefighters who would be under the control of FRV and the United Firefighters Union.
Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville issue a media release today stating CFA volunteers currently serving at integrated stations would be able to “remain at that station, if they choose to, co-locating with Fire Rescue Victoria services under the altered boundaries”.
But she failed to outline what role these volunteers would play.
Former VFBV chief executive Andrew Ford said CFA volunteers at integrated stations in regional centres and Melbourne’s peri-urban zones would not stay on at a station where they were left on the outer.
“The Government says they’re welcome to stay. But stay and do what?” Mr Ford said.
He said the CFA risked losing volunteers from integrated stations, undermining its ability to rapidly recruit firefighters to combat major wildfires — its surge capacity.
“Every volunteer crew lost from one of these areas, means one less truck on the fire ground,” Mr Ford said.
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The CFA has already lost 3534 of operational volunteers since 2014, or 9 per cent of its active firefighting force.
Opposition emergency services spokesman Brad Battin said volunteers feared they would become no more than “car washers” at their old integrated stations.
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