WA Radio Scanner Users' Group

Just out of interest, do volunteer Firefighters in WA have to do a yearly fitness test?

Eastern states volunteers have to pass a basic fitness test each year before each fire season.

What Eastern state volunteer brigades require you to pass a fitness test? What does this test involve? Thanks

ACT and as far as I am aware NSW RFS.

I know to become a NSW Retained Firie (VFRS equivalant) you have to pass a full physical and medical tests before being offered a job at your local station. Hose drags, 8.7 on the beep test etc. Details on this can be found here:

http://www.fire.nsw.gov.au/page.php?id=817

Once you got the job, as a 1st year firie you get $29 each fortnight as your retainer ($754pa) then $28.97 per hour for 'working'. You get paid for drill nights, incidents and maintenance around the station. I'll expand on these.

Incidents: There is no group calling just an SMS to advise that you have a job and report to the Station (now it’s hard to pick your calls). You get your details via the radio and off you go. If you missed the trucks, you write your name in the book and go back home. While in bed nice and warm on a cold winters night, you will still get paid until the trucks return to the station (which is normally the long way home via Macca's for a coffee).

Maintenance: Basically this is anything to do with the upkeep of yourself or the Station. Weekly BA checks, washing the trucks, physical fitness, Admin duties (ie sitting around and waiting for jobs). Most blokes rock up on Saturday morning, wash the trucks, go for a famil drive around the local area (ie go to the shops to buy lunch), do some 'admin', BBQ for dinner and go home early evening - and pocket 12 hours pay at $28.97 per hour.

But... just like out paid brothers, its kinda expected that you put in since you are getting paid. Just like us Volunteers, if you are available for a job, you head down to the Station however... if you don’t meet your quarterly quota of jobs, you get the sack with no questions asked. If you dick around, don't do what you are told, cause trouble etc you get written warnings.

A few retainers that I know very easily make $20k per year just by attending a few jobs and a drill night each week. It begs the question that could the WA Government do more to support us Volunteers since our counterparts over East can easily make $20k while we do the exact same job for the love of our community?

If I had the choice of battling a large factory fire with a Retained or Volunteer, I would chose the WA VFRS any day. We want to be there to look after our community and not just the pay check (but that would be nice too)

Moderate is 3.2km in 30 minutes with an 11kg pack or weight vest
Arduous is 4.8km in 45 minutes with a 20kg pack or weight vest.

To be active on a truck you must qualify at moderate at a minimum.

Who are those fitness standards for? Sounds like the SAS entry test.....

ACT Rural Fire Service.

To be operational in a turn out crew you must pass the fitness test before each season.

Sounds like a walk in the park compared to the SASR selection course. On average 84% of candidates don't pass and they are already military trained when they start the course.
I passed out just watching them on that SBS TV documentary.

I think it's fair for volunteers to have a reasonable level of fitness when operating on a fire ground.

For VFRS there's only a form at the application stage in which medical conditions need to be listed. Other than that there are no fitness tests, either initial or ongoing, save for the fact that prior to being operational you have to do demonstrate certain competencies such as rolling/laying out hose, retrieving items from the appliance etc. I guess it's really in one's own interests to maintain a reasonable level of fitness.

Personally I'd rather not be paid, I'd much rather see that money spent on equipment and training. Some sort of exemption from the Emergency Services Levy would be a nice gesture though

NSW RFS CABA operators need to pass a medical every 6 months and RAFT crews at beginning of season (I think), there are basic fitness standards for everyone else but I don't know what they are or how much they are enforced. I know there wasn't a lot of emphasis on them when I was active. I think that CFA have a fitness test on entry or every year too?