Do not sign

Articles Bullying and Harassment 2 Comments

The Volunteer Fire Fighters Association (VFFA) has received legal advice that volunteers should not sign the Volunteer Discipline Confidentiality Agreement form (pictured below).

Whilst it is important to follow the discipline process, it is equally important that a volunteer reserves the right to protect themselves from false and frivolous complaints or allegations.

Click on the image to open a scanned pdf version.

Background Information

The NSW RFS has developed a pattern of bullying and harassment, directed towards volunteers who might dare to take a stand on many issues. These instances are being recorded by the VFFA for future reference and action.

The VFFA is continually receiving calls for assistance with many volunteers choosing to walk away from active roles or leave the service entirely.

It is important to note that a great majority of NSW RFS staff have the best intentions, they treat volunteers well and act appropriately.

Having said that, there is a culture developing that is being built upon the statement: “If you don’t like the way that the RFS is heading…. leave”.

The VFFA has a better idea: “If you don’t like the way that the RFS is heading…. take a stand and share your story”

Share your Story

The VFFA is collecting stories from all over the state. These stories will only be shared publicly with your permission and we are happy to suppress names to protect the volunteer from any further bullying or harassment.

Submission Form
We will need to contact you for validation before we share your story. This step is used to protect volunteers from false or frivolous stories. We also ask that you try to avoid personal attacks, make reference to positions rather than people. You control how your story can be shared using the various options below:

You can share your story using a few options below:
1. Cut and paste your story into the text field below
2. Type your story directly into the text field below
3. Request a call back and we will be happy to call you to for a chat (phone number required)
4. Request other file sharing options

reCAPTCHA is required.

 

Content Sharing

Related Posts

  • Rural Firefighters across Australia experiencing similar issues

    On the 24 Jun 2016, ABC Rural published an article titled "WA volunteer bush firefighters will only support rural fire service independent of Department of Fire and Emergency Services". The article by Belinda Varischetti and Joanna Pendergast included two recorded…

  • Disconnect between RFS management and volunteers

    The suggestion of a disconnect between NSW RFS fire ground management and volunteer members is based upon submissions made by people, including many volunteers.

  • Is Social Media the problem or Lack of Respect?

    The NSW Rural Fire Service published a reviewed Service Standard that relates to the use of Social Media on 23 November 2015. The Social Media Service Standard states that members must not post information on social media which could: a.…

  • Have your say on bullying

    Have volunteers lost control of local firefighting? Who has experienced this type of behaviour on the fire ground? Is bullying and harassment going on in the RFS? Has anyone been directly impacted either personally or knows someone? Have we lost…

2 Replies to “Do not sign”

  1. RFS Staff are also being bullied and harassed.
    Bullying and harassment within the service is being targeted towards anyone who speaks out (staff and volunteers)
    We received information concerning a past RFS employee who was also a long time volunteer. This person has also worked with SMSS and later became a staff member.
    This person (name surpassed to protect the individual) has become a victim of both bullying and slanderous behaviour.
    The VFFA continues to collect this type of information, the RFS needs to tread carefully because these cases represent significant liability risk to the NSW State Government.

  2. Totally agree with the bullying and harassment of members from members of the executive, senior members and with what seams to be support from fire control centres . In the past 19 years of service I need to say that the respect of volunteers is no longer a foresight of some groups in the service

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.