State faces severe bushfire season

Jonesy · Post by **Jonesy** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:37 pm

I agree totally, but we can only do the best we can with what we have. I spent 5 years in Tassie an where the WA service is now is where they were 5 years ago. However, equipment has got better, training is slowly improving.

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Firey79 · Post by **Firey79** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 3:47 pm

Observer,

I have no idea which brigade you are with. therefore I dont know the level of training that you do.

I am with the Roleystone brigade and while we trained each time we came on crew, a couple of our more expereniced members relised that there was a gap in the level of training that we were doing between the crews and therefore started a set training night each week to bring all our members skills up to par.

What I am saying is that do not wait for FESA to put notices up for training courses they are running. Get your more experenced members to run drills to kept your skills up. Fesa where they can will provide you with training aids as they have for us.

Remember out on the fire ground all we have is the guys and girls that are standing beside us and that is good enough reason for me to make sure that I know that my skills up to par so I wont let them down.

This is not a dig at you or any vollie for that matter, this is just how I feel we all should be thinking.

Cheers

Bigfella78 · Post by **Bigfella78** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:02 pm

Firey79 wrote:Observer,
Remember out on the fire ground all we have is the guys and girls that are standing beside us and that is good enough reason for me to make sure that I know that my skills up to par so I wont let them down.

I agree. You have to be responsible for your training and the training of your Crew.

Chance favours the prepared mind.

Jonesy · Post by **Jonesy** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:08 pm

The thing that scares me the most is being tasked onto a job and not knowing if the other crew in teh sector know what the hell they are doing. Been in the situation where people have frozen when the got think, and later addmitted they had now idea what they were doing.

I am not saying that I am fantastic and know everything, that would just be a stupid statement to make, but knowing that far to many near misses have occured due to inexperience scares the out of me. Especially when you crew with someone who you have never turned out to a call with and you dont know if they will freeze on you or not, its a scare situation when you are trying to save your own and someone elses due to their inexperience. (this did not happen in WA, happened in eastern states at a significant fire 20 months ago, extremely hairy situation to be in)

observer · Post by **observer** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:14 pm

Firery79. Thanks for your reply. Could you clarify when you say "as we need to make sure that our training is up there with the best of them as well as our equipment", who is the best of them? My point here is not to have a go at individual brigades or their training structure, but the level of training (and even equipment) provided by FESA.

Fastlane · Post by **Fastlane** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 4:42 pm

observer, seriously, you sound like a broken record, hijacking topics like this. You have problems with what is being provided or what isn't? Take it up with someone who can deal with your concerns. It is getting seriously old here and is achieving nothing, but making you look BITTER.

everyone else, stay safe!!

WPXZBP · Post by **WPXZBP** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 5:24 pm

What Fastlane says is right. Whinging in here about lack of training will achieve nothing. You have to be proactive.

If you have an issue with training then, through your Brigade/Group/Unit office bearers, take it up with your area manager. If that gets you nowhere then take it up with their manager. (We did, and within a couple of days got a training course we required.)

You can also take it up with the Volunteer Firefighter Training Advisory Group - both the BFS and VFRS have representatives on there and you can find out who the reps are by contacting your Association.

Firey79 also gave a great suggestion re: Brigade training. Our Brigade has two training sessions per month and the details are available to all Members. The calendar can also be modified to suit requirements - all Members have a say in what goes into it.

A Brigade is only as good as its Members make it. Sitting there whining will achieve nothing.

Oh, and can we keep the swear words out of here please. We have young people reading posts and use of bad language brings the tone of the board down.

Now, back to the forum topic please.

Firey79 · Post by **Firey79** » Tue Sep 16, 2008 10:14 pm

Good advise from all.

I think FESA put out that warning every year to get home owners thinking about what they can do to protect their properties.

The warning is also there to remind us how important our role is within our communities.

Anyway safe working this coming season and remember putting wet stuff on the red stuff is what we do best.

Cheers.

rambler318 · Post by **rambler318** » Wed Sep 17, 2008 7:11 pm

Firey79 wrote:Good advise from all.

I think FESA put out that warning every year to get home owners thinking about what they can do to protect their properties.

The warning is also there to remind us how important our role is within our communities.

Cheers.

I guess you are not aware that the SDI is at the same point now as we would expect it to be in December. Not good signs at all.

Jonesy · Post by **Jonesy** » Fri Sep 19, 2008 11:35 am

SDI is not the only factor that determines if it is going to be a bad year or not.

Helitak_670 · Post by **Helitak_670** » Sat Sep 20, 2008 9:49 pm

SDI, weather, FDI, DI, all come into effect.

Jonesy · Post by **Jonesy** » Sun Sep 21, 2008 8:37 am

Helitak_670 wrote:SDI, weather, FDI, DI, all come into effect.

An some hot little fingers that like the look of smoke