VRA on RFS network

RFS, SES, SLSA, VRA, SJA
news
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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by news » Fri Aug 25, 2017 12:17 am

JAFO wrote:
news wrote:WA Fire & Emergency Services (DFES) units might all be govt owned but are not forced or controlled by state govt. Many units are funded by local govt(124 units in WA) including a very large amount of assets. The final decision on what the unit does sits with the local govt not DFES.

There are many stations where BFS, SES and paid firefighters co-exist in the one building just fine.....

P.S Due to social media policy, I can't make further comments :mrgreen:
News or what ever your name is . . .

NSW is not that different from WA, in that up to 10 - 15 years ago the NSW RFS and SES were all mostly funded and controlled by Local Councils, with a big portion of the RFS Zone funding being collected through Local Councils through the Bush Fire Levey placed on Council Residents Rates, with State Government funding and providing State, Regional and Zones Staff to provide Service Administration, Logistics and Training support.

So the VRA, is solely automatic from any Government Bodies . . . the ability to have them come under a Government Authority or Group is not as clear cut as you may think it is.

The is a "Non Government Organisation", apart from the yearly Grant from the NSW Government that only just covers Squad Insurances (including mine), the VRA has NO State or Local Government funding provided at all officially, all funding for the Service Administration, Logistics and Training support is funded through Squad Membership Fee's, ponsorship's (NRMA was a big Sponsor a few years ago), Community Grants etc . . . all the VRA Policies, Procedures, Guidelines and SOG's to comply with State Government Acts & Regulations have been developed over the years by the elected VRA Squad Volunteer's into the State Managment Group . . . no Paid Staff at all.

So again, the ability to have them come under a Government Authority or Group is not as clear cut as one would think it should be, and even the idea of the VRA being granted access to the RFS Radio Network would have thrown up some legal hurdles and Government Red Tape, not to mention funding issues arrangements of radio equipment etc. But given the VRA's recent intervention within the RFS with regards to Rescue Accreditation . . . maybe some kind of MOU or Cooperation between the two have been formulated to benefit both Orginisations that is exceptable to the Government.
I understand what your saying and respect your service to the community however I respectfully disagree with some of the above comments. if a Jewish Ambulance Service(PRIVATE organisation for a specific community group) has been granted access to the NSW Government Radio Network for many many years now; the argument about legal hurdles and Government Red tape is a non existent argument....

It's great that the VRA are a community group that has elected Volunteers to the "state management group". I would argue why this is even an acceptable in 2017. Why should the community and other organisations be expected to fundraise and find money to pay for a service that should be provided by the state government as a basic community service when there are very well paid staff in government that can easily cover these duties in addition to what they are doing now ?

I struggle to understand why should a volunteer group funded partly by bunnings sausage sizzle donations and a lot of volunteer training/office/admin time have to go and gain road rescue accreditation to save rural community lives when we have from memory something like 26 fixed speed cameras generating $19.729 million dollars in NSW state government revenue(FY2016)?.

Cheers, News

Scotty
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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by Scotty » Fri Aug 25, 2017 10:27 pm

news wrote:I understand what your saying ... NSW Government Radio Network for many many years now; the argument about legal hurdles and Government Red tape is a non existent argument....
I think you still miss his point.

The fact the radio network is Government 'operated' isn't relevant. It is, and always has been, open to non-Government users who can show a legitimate need to use it. The Jewish ambulance service is certainly not the only non-Government user on the network.

His point related to your claim the VRA should go under another Government service banner similar to the WA model.

The fact is the services under the one banner in WA were/are all Government services, so could be merged into one Government agency. The VRA is not a Government service so cannot be merged as you suggest.

The question should be why are a non-Government volunteer service, such as the VRA, who receive no ongoing funding and have no ability to access or train in the latest equipment and techniques still permitted to perform duties (such as RCR) that are so vital - but that is likely a can of worms and not a topic for this forum. :)

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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by Scotty » Fri Aug 25, 2017 10:27 pm

news wrote:I understand what your saying ... NSW Government Radio Network for many many years now; the argument about legal hurdles and Government Red tape is a non existent argument....
I think you still miss his point.

The fact the radio network is Government 'operated' isn't relevant. It is, and always has been, open to non-Government users who can show a legitimate need to use it. The Jewish ambulance service is certainly not the only non-Government user on the network.

His point related to your claim the VRA should go under another Government service banner similar to the WA model.

The fact is the services under the one banner in WA were/are all Government services, so could be merged into one Government agency. The VRA is not a Government service so cannot be merged as you suggest.

The question should be why are a non-Government volunteer service, such as the VRA, who receive no ongoing funding and have no ability to access or train in the latest equipment and techniques still permitted to perform duties (such as RCR) that are so vital - but that is likely a can of worms and not a topic for this forum. :)

news
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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by news » Sat Aug 26, 2017 5:49 pm

Scotty wrote:
news wrote: The question should be why are a non-Government volunteer service, such as the VRA, who receive no ongoing funding and have no ability to access or train in the latest equipment and techniques still permitted to perform duties (such as RCR) that are so vital - but that is likely a can of worms and not a topic for this forum. :)
yes totally agree here!!!!

there is no reason why the govt could not simply advise the VRA that they will take control of these activities with full funding and training as they should be provided as core community activities. The VRA guys could simply move across to this fully funded and supported service.

The communication systems, equiptment, training material, courses and 24/7/365 call centre is already in operation.

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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by JAFO » Thu Aug 31, 2017 10:46 am

news wrote:there is no reason why the govt could not simply advise the VRA that they will take control of these activities with full funding and training as they should be provided as core community activities. The VRA guys could simply move across to this fully funded and supported service.

The communication systems, equiptment, training material, courses and 24/7/365 call centre is already in operation.
Mate, seriously . . . you really have no idea about NSW Emergency Services funding.

30 years ago the Fire & Rescue NSW (NSW Fire Brigades) were so much more richer then they are today, with 70% of their funding straight from Insurance Companies . . . why? . . . because they were not a government authority but were their own stand alone body until their Bord of Directors were officially sacked and the Service was absorbed by the government to became a Government Service in 1990 . . . and they only get a fraction of that Insurance Companies 70% funding today, with all that 70% Insurance Companies Funding going straight into government revenue . . . so today, very limited money for training, Off-shift Primary Rescue Training Courses axed, very limited money for equipment, Station's getting closed when a Firefighter calls in Sick etc etc etc.

NSW has 3500 Permanent Full-time Career Firefighters employed by Fire & Rescue NSW . . . on any given day you have 1250 of theses Permanent Firefighters able to be Re-Called to duty to keep Fire Stations open, man spare appliances for major emergencies such as bushfires . . . and yet they are not, the Government and Department quite happy to risk Firefighters and public safety to save money.

The Government and Department is quite happy to shut Retained Fire Station anywhere in the State for a Day rather then Re-calling One (01) Off-duty Firefighter back to duty and pay them over-time to sit at a Ratained Fire Station rather then that community to go without their local fire crew.

And take a good look at the NSW RFS and SES . . . both Government funded . . . both greatly funded by Community fundraising and donations. It's only those RFS Stations in well populated areas that are funded well, due to the Bush Firefighting Leeve collected by local councils that go straight back into that RFS Zone, go out West of the State and see the difference in RFS Station equipment and service delivery where you only have 2 or 5 houses in a 20squ kilometer area . . . stuff all funding for those RFS Volunteers . . . many have to purchase their own PPE.

Up to 5 years ago, NSW SES was probably the Worse state in Australia for SES Funding, many SES Vehicles were 2nd or 3rd hand vehicles purchased by local councils and given to their SES units . . . half the states SES Fleet wouldn't have even meet basic OHS Standard for Stowage and Crew Safety. It's only due to the SES State HQ being able take greater control of SES Units, and the fact they were able to secure government funding to modernize the state's SES Fleet that many communities are now receiving modern SES Vehicle in the first time of Units history.

And then take a good look at Ambulance Service of NSW . . . and just how much . . . especially in Regional and Country towns . . . just how much community fundraising is done and donations received to equip local Ambulance Crews with vital life saving equipment.

In many VRA Squads across the state, many of these VRA Squads are better equipped and better trained then their government counter parts, because they are seen as a vital service by their local communities. It's not a matter of them just merging . . . many have very tight ties with their communities and their communities see them as a vital community organization . . . you just have to look at the coastal areas to see another vital VRA Member . . . the NSW Volunteer Marine Rescue . . .

You need to really open your eyes mate . . . the Government dosn't care about funding our Emergency Services fully . . . if they did, that 70% insurance Funding they collect . . . in today terms . . . it would probable fund all our NSW Emergency Services correctly and still some.
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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by JAFO » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:23 am

Funny . . . they had the chance to Fund all NSW Emergency Services with the move to change the Insurance Company Fire Service Levee to the New "Emergency Service Levee" . . . but they stuffed that up as well when they got too greedy. The current "Insurance Company Fire Service Levee" had been in operation for well over 120 years and had funded the NSW Fire Brigades well over that time. The inclusion of that Levee being collected at the same % rate from all Properties in NSW . . . not just insured properties as was the case . . . would have netted the government more then enough to fund the NSW Emergency Service probably twice over . . . but they got greedy and stuffed it up . . . .
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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by Longreach » Thu Aug 31, 2017 11:18 pm

And then take a good look at Ambulance Service of NSW . . . and just how much . . . especially in Regional and Country towns . . . just how much community fundraising is done and donations received to equip local Ambulance Crews with vital life saving equipment.
Really??? Maybe 30 years ago.

They changed there name a couple of years ago too. They're now known as NSW Ambulance.

And like a lot of other topics on this forum its once again going off topic.

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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by Scotty » Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:38 pm

JAFO wrote:You need to really open your eyes mate . . . the Government dosn't care about funding our Emergency Services fully . . . if they did, that 70% insurance Funding they collect . . . in today terms . . . it would probable fund all our NSW Emergency Services correctly and still some.
On the contrary, I would suggest ALL Government emergency services in NSW are very well funded, regardless if the funding comes from levies or consolidated funds and regardless of them being permanent or volunteer services. In 2011 emergency services in NSW were by far the best funded in Australia, and I doubt this has changed over the last 6 years.

To suggest policies and procedures in place within an organisation are a result of the Government 'not caring', when those very policies and procedures are written by the organisation, doesn't really make sense. The powers that be within that organisation should be the ones taking the hit.

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VRA on RFS network

Post by Scotty » Fri Sep 01, 2017 2:41 pm

JAFO wrote:You need to really open your eyes mate . . . the Government dosn't care about funding our Emergency Services fully . . . if they did, that 70% insurance Funding they collect . . . in today terms . . . it would probable fund all our NSW Emergency Services correctly and still some.
On the contrary, I would suggest ALL Government emergency services in NSW are very well funded, regardless if the funding comes from levies or consolidated funds and regardless of them being permanent or volunteer services. In 2011 emergency services in NSW were by far the best funded in Australia, and I doubt this has changed over the last 6 years.

To suggest policies and procedures in place within an organisation are a result of the Government 'not caring', when those very policies and procedures are written by the organisation, doesn't really make sense. The powers that be within that organisation should be the ones taking the hit.

But yes, this is well off topic.

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Re: VRA on RFS network

Post by citabria » Fri Sep 01, 2017 5:33 pm

This thread is heading towards being locked if it can't be kept on topic please guys.

:)

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