Thread: Bush Fire Brigade

Originally Posted by dullbird

actually I did the RFS induction the other day which gives us the card and the ability if safe enough to enter a fire ground..

for us its about going in to move/ rescue animals stock that kind of thing.

It was a really good course well worth it and I learnt so much that can just help me if we were to be subject to a bush fire at our house

Sorry to say Lou living at Thirlmere it's more a case of 'When' not if.
Make sure you have a bushfire survival plan for your family.

Martyn
RFS member since 1971.

Bushie you wernt up in the mountains at the HR today were you

Originally Posted by THE BOOGER

Bushie you wernt up in the mountains at the HR today were you

Not me

I was driving Newcastle back to home mid morning today. We were making our own smoke today .

Martyn

Originally Posted by numpty

Was a member of the NSW Bushfire Brigade from 1977 to 1992, then moved to Qld and (sorry to all those Nth of the border) at that time Qld was so far behind, I didn't wish to belong.

Have been a career (?) Aviation Firfighter since 1987 and will be moving again shortly and intend taking up with the Rural Fire Service once again.

And I'm older than the HH's.

Well passed my ABK [Aviation Basic Knowledge] exam as well as Safety Induction [O H & S]. All members of our Northern Rivers Support Brigade have to do Safety Induction, even though many have been members for decades.

Glad to see a number of forum users are in brigades, but my urging people to think about joining one was written for those who are not involved, not for those who are already involved, or have retired from their brigade [though those who have retired due to health reasons could perhaps find other areas, such as communications that they still could do].

Last season our Norther Rivers area sent members out of area, to another NSW area, to help this other area to fight fires. In that particular area they had only one woman doing communications for the whole fire district. After doing a 19 hour shift she packed up and went home--wise move, she could have made fatal mistakes if she kept going. So some areas desperately need more support Volunteers.

But in that other area we had members of our Northern Rivers communications team out on trucks fighting their fires, who were then called back in to there headquarters to take over all the communications. It was a bit of a shambles as this other area were not organised, did not even have basic resources like T-cards available to the communications team.

A number of our volunteers said they would never go back to that that particular NSW Country area to fight fires again, as they were so disorganized and inefficient, to the extent that they made it dangerous for our teams.

But that NSW area is an exception. Our communications team has been training people from other districs, to bring them up to standard. [personally I could not make the last communications workshop, as it was on the day of the week when I am never available for training, but we are planning another Communications Workshop, and I hope to get to that next one.]

So many fire areas are in desperate need of help. Great for all you guys who are in well organised brigade areas--mainly areas that have regular big fires, but sadly way too many other areas are not organised--or do not have sufficient volunteers.

Except for our RAFT team, our Northern Rivers team are well organised--our RAFT has only seven members, and you have to be very fit, etc. for that Remote Area Fire Team.

Northern Rivers have sent teams down to Canberra, Victoria, Snowy Mountains, and Sydney, etc. fires in the past, so we are willing to help other areas. But do expect basics to be available.

Originally Posted by Treads

I have a regular scribe now as the workload for one Group Officer is too much. When I was the DivCom at the Brooms Head Fire last year I had a driver and a scribe.

Trying to control strategies and movements of 25 tankers + having 7-8 aircraft available means a high workload. I had 2 Sector commanders; however one was somewhat lacking in experience, which hindered me.

It's good that some people who would not generally be front-line firefighters are getting in and helping in these support roles

You have one of our ex-vols up there as your CSO

Oh, and it's been the Rural Fire Service since 1997, not the Bush Fire Brigades

This was also written for People of this forum outside NSW, where they do not call it RFS. But I appreciate your input.

Oh and I think sitting in a group vehicle next to a group officer will be great job.

Originally Posted by numpty

Was a member of the NSW Bushfire Brigade from 1977 to 1992, then moved to Qld and (sorry to all those Nth of the border) at that time Qld was so far behind, I didn't wish to belong.

Have been a career (?) Aviation Firfighter since 1987 and will be moving again shortly and intend taking up with the Rural Fire Service once again.

And I'm older than the HH's.

Hope you move to our area then--we would love your input.

Originally Posted by JohnF

A number of our volunteers said they would never go back to that that particular NSW Country area to fight fires again, as they were so disorganized and inefficient, to the extent that they made it dangerous for our teams.

I'd like to know which Zone you speak of, although I have my ideas

You can PM me the answer if you like

Originally Posted by Treads

I'd like to know which Zone you speak of, although I have my ideas

You can PM me the answer if you like

PM sent.