Tag: Media Release

VFFA response to the NSW Upper House Inquiry into Bullying and Harassment in the NSW Emergency Services

Articles Bullying and Harassment Enquiries and Recommendations Legal Media Releases Putting the RURAL back into the RFS Single Fire Service Commissioner Volunteer Representation No Comments

The Volunteer Fire Fighters Association (VFFA) President Mick Holton says he is encouraged by the release of the NSW Upper House report, entitled Emergency Services Agencies NSW.

The report focused heavily upon bullying and harassment in the NSW Emergency Services.

“The report confirms what many NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) volunteers have known for a long time – that bullying, harassment and abuse of power is occurring in the RFS” said Mr. Holton.

“The VFFA recognises the courage of RFS volunteers and salaried staff in coming forward and working with the Portfolio Committee No. 4 – Legal Affairs, during this Upper House inquiry.”

“Volunteering with the RFS should be non-threatening, respectful, safe and free from all forms of bullying and harassment.”

“All volunteers have the right not to bullied or discriminated against in the RFS” said Mr. Holton.

“We are pleased to continue to lead and to participate in efforts to support volunteers who have suffered bullying and harassment in the RFS and will continue to challenge and call out this unacceptable behaviour,” said Mr. Holton.

The VFFA welcomes the release of the report and calls on NSW Government and the RFS to adopt all the recommendations of the Upper House Inquiry into Emergency Service Agencies.

Major Reform is Required.

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VFFA response to the Bega Valley Fires Independent Review

Enquiries and Recommendations Land Management Media Releases Single Fire Service Commissioner 3 Comments

The Bega Valley Fires Independent Review was commissioned by the NSW State Government in response to public pressure and media interest in the Reedy Swamp Fire that occurred on 18 March 2018, and subsequently impacted on the township of Tathra.

The media reported a long-standing turf war between the two predominant fire services in NSW and the Minister for Police and Emergency Services responded with an announcement that Mr Keelty will be conducting a full review for the government so that we don’t get these questions in the future.

The VFFA welcomes any opportunity to openly and transparently review and debate topics that impact upon public safety and the provision of emergency services to the people of NSW.

This post contains the VFFA response to this review other related documentation.

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The VFFA welcomes changes to the Emergency Services Levy

Articles Media Releases 4 Comments

The Volunteer Fire Fighters Association (VFFA) congratulates the NSW State Government on the news that an Emergency Services Property Levy will replace the current insurance based model.
This is a much fairer system of collecting funds for firefighting and state emergency services in NSW, it will spread the financial burden of the emergency services levy, and means that the majority of property owners will pay less.

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Safety Advice – Possible toxic canisters washed up on our beaches

Announcements Media Releases WHS No Comments

Australian-Maritime-Safety-Authority

Media Release – Dated 17th September 2015

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Poison canister warning

The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) is warning members of the public of the potential dangers posed by toxic canisters that have been reported washing up on Australian beaches.

Since February 2012, emergency services have received reports from the public of small unlabelled canisters washing up along the coast in the Torres Strait, Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia and Tasmania.

In the last few months reports have been received of canisters washing up in the Western Cape York region and in Yeppoon in Central Queensland.

The canisters contain a rat poison known as ‘aluminium phosphide’, a white to grey solid which is hazardous to humans. When the canister is opened, the powder reacts with moisture in the air to release phosphine gas, which is also highly toxic to humans. The gas has a strong odour that can smell like garlic, rotting fish or urine, but it can quickly dull the sense of smell.

Exposure can cause symptoms such as headaches, nausea, vomiting, difficulty breathing, dizziness, tightness of the chest, diarrhoea, fluid in the lungs, liver/kidney damage, and in severe cases death.

The gas is also flammable and can spontaneously ignite causing burns or small explosions.

Most aluminium phosphide is imported into Australia from China and Africa, and the unused nature of the canisters suggests they have come from an unreported shipping cargo loss sometime before February 2012.

Queensland and New South Wales Fire and Emergency services have dealt with over 40 canisters washed up since 2012.

AMSA will continue to monitor the situation and provide technical advice to local hazmat and emergency response services.

The canisters are silver in colour and approximately 22 centimetres tall. They have a tapered top with a screw in lid.

Although most canisters are airtight, there have been examples where the seals were broken, presenting a serious danger.

Canisters should not be moved or opened and any sightings should be reported to emergency services on 000.

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VFFA response to the Wambelong Fire Inquiry

Announcements Enquiries and Recommendations Media Releases Volunteer Representation No Comments

The President of the Volunteer Firefighters Association (VFFA), Mr. Peter Cannon OAM , has welcomed the findings and recommendations of the NSW Upper House Inquiry into the Wambelong Fire, released today, as a positive step towards a system that will deliver far better outcomes for bushfire management and suppression for NSW and the Coonabarabran community.

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Green Tape Prevents Volunteer Rural Firefighters from Reducing Bushfire Risk

Media Releases 37 Comments

VFFA Media Release – 3rd September 2013

The Volunteer Firefighters Association (VFFA), the body representing the Voice of Volunteer Rural Firefighters in NSW refutes the claim by green alarmists that climate change is the cause of the recent bushfires in New South Wales.

It’s ridiculous to blame climate change when we know there has been far worse bushfires stretching back to the earliest days of European settlement in Australia including the Black Saturday Victoria 2009, NSW Bushfires 1994, Ash Wednesday Victoria 1983, Blue Mountains NSW 1968, Black Tuesday Hobart 1967 and Black Friday Victoria 1939, said Peter Cannon, President of the VFFA.

The VFFA is angered by comments from the green lobby groups that tackling climate change was more important than prescribed burning of forest fuels to reduce bushfire risk. The real blame rests with the greens and their ideology as they continue to oppose and undermine our efforts to conduct hazard reduction in the cooler months and to prevent private landowners from clearing their lands to reduce bushfire risk.

Hazard reduction is the only proven management tool rural firefighters have to reduce the intensity and spread of bushfires and this has been recognised in numerous bushfire enquires since the Stretton enquiry into the 1939 Victorian Bushfires.

The amount of ‘green tape’ we have to go through to get a burn approved is beyond frustrating; says Peter Cannon. The VFFA is calling on the NSW State Government to reduce the amount of green tape involved in planning and conducting hazard reductions, so that our Volunteer Firefighters can get on with the job of conducting fire prevention works in the cooler months to prevent the inevitable summer bushfire disasters that are now becoming a more regular feature.

The NSW State Government must also provide sufficient funding for bushfire hazard reduction works on a planned and sustained basis, including the creation of asset protection zones and upgrades of all fire trails in high bushfire risk areas.

Remember that it’s far more cost effective, say around 66 to 100 times more cost efficient, to prevent wild fires through hazard reduction than it is to have reactionary fire response, which is what we have at the moment. With the great number of lost homes and decreasing property values through these wild fires, what then will the total fiscal amount be…….when it could have all been prevented by effective Hazard reduction!

To increase the area treated by prescribed burning on bushfire prone lands from the current level of less than 1% per annum to a minimum of 5% per annum, as recommended by the Victorian Royal Commission and many leading bushfire experts.

Hazard Reduction by prescribed burning has been identified as a key management tool to reduce the intensity and spread of bushfires in national bushfire enquiries since the 1939 Stretton Royal Commission. In this regard the VFFA supports:

  1. Strategic and targeted hazard reduction by prescribed burning to reduce forest fuel levels and bushfire threat to human life (including fire fighter safety), property and the environment in areas identified as high bushfire risk.
  2. Bushfire risk management planning approach based upon the ‘Canobolas’ Model in NSW.
  3. Integrated hazard reduction by prescribed burning and complementary methods such as slashing, grazing and cultivation.
  4. The provision of adequate recurrent state and commonwealth funding to rural fire agencies, land management agencies and local government for the creation and maintenance of asset protection zones and fire trails in high bushfire risk areas on a planned and sustained basis.

Ongoing relevant research on fire behaviour, prevention and management and the effects of fire on biodiversity through the bushfire Cooperative Research.

Mr. Peter Cannon
President
VFFA

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