A hard hitting article by the extremely knowledgable Vic Jurkis. Please read ….
Trees, Climate Myths and Mismanagement
Understanding Post Trauma Outcomes
As a volunteer firefighter, you may have experienced exposure to many stressful events while carrying out your duties. These stressful events, such as working on dangerous and unpredictable firegrounds during bushfire threats, can have an impact on the way we feel. The ways in which people experience and process their involvement in such events affect many aspects of their lives.
Victims of New South Wales Rural Fire Service
The Victim summaries contained in this document are from volunteers and staff who have bravely contacted the author to express their distressing and desperate plights. What is clear in every case is that the New South Wales Rural Fire Service (RFS) knowingly showed an arrogant disregard of its duty of care as an employer. It, the RFS, fosters a culture where reports of Bullying, Harassment, Discrimination and Sexual Misconduct were ignored, suppressed or dismissed. Complaints and grievances are systematically lost and investigations delayed and incompetently mishandled to the point complainants simply give up and leave the service. Retaliation is a common occurrence for victims of the RFS. It is common for a complainant to be the subject of a new counter complaint especially when the original complaint is about a Captain or other senior member of their Brigade.
Martin Tebbutt’s campaign for a fire break
We highlight farmer Martin Tebbutt’s fight with the NSW state bureaucracy for the right to clear a fire track around his property.
In our summary we examine the issues surrounding the Bushfire Envirjonmental Code, which is in need of a complete revision.
Bullying, Harassment and Discrimination in the RFS
The VFFA made a submission to an Upper House inquiry into Emergency Service Agencies on the 23rd of July 2017.
In that submission, the VFFA highlighted the following key issues:
• RFS failure to properly engage local knowledge.
• Prevalence of bullying, harassment and discrimination in the RFS.
• RFS disciplinary procedures do not provide appropriate procedural fairness and impartiality and have been developed in a way that appears to favour the salaried NSW RFS staff, not the volunteer.
• Nepotism, Favouritism and Similar Forms of Discrimination.
The VFFA also pushed for relocation of the RFS Headquarters to a regional area to break the city centric and ‘Boy’s Club’ culture that had developed.
A total or 27 recommendations were made to the NSW Government by the Legislative Council, Portfolio Committee No. 4 – Legal Affairs.
The NSW Government response was disappointing without any significant actions by the NSW RFS until the most recent display of interest by the current RFS Commissioner, Mr. Rogers.
News Roundup May 4th
It’s great to see so much Hazard Reduction taking place all across the state and we’ve summarised some of the stories reported in the last week.
Bullying & harassment remain in the news and the Sydney Morning Herald quoted VFFA President Mick Holton as saying it was a step in the right direction, but we’re not there yet.
David Littleproud tells us he is disappointed that only NSW & Tasmania have supported the Royal Commission recommendations.
Addressing public inquiry recommendations – Emergency response agencies
The Auditor-General for New South Wales, Margaret Crawford, released a report today examining how effectively NSW emergency response agencies address public inquiry recommendations.
The audit found that agencies’ governance arrangements to address public inquiry recommendations have important and consistent gaps.
News Roundup 20th April
Early Sunday morning Shoalhaven Heads RFS was called to a fire in a property on Coolangatta Road.
This is one of a number of stories from around teh state in this weeks News Roundup.
Funeral Arrangements for Peter Joseph Cannon OAM
Dearly loved husband of Valerie.
Much loved father and father-in-law of Adam, Megan and Mitch, Todd and Clare, and Wade.
Adored Poppy of Tahlia, Max, Joey, Edith, Lucy, and Harriet.
The Cortège is appointed to leave St James’ Catholic Church, Peak Hill after a Requiem Mass commencing at 10.00 am, on Friday, April 23rd, 2021, for interment in the Catholic Portion of the Peak Hill Cemetery.
In lieu of flowers, Donations to the peak Hill Hospital Auxiliary will be gratefully accepted at the service.
The Passing of Mr. Peter Joseph Cannon OAM
This is a very sad day for the Volunteer Firefighters Association of NSW with the passing of our Founder and inaugural President of ten consecutive years.
Mr. Peter Joseph Cannon OAM passed away overnight at Peak Hill Hospital having been born there on June 15th 1950.