Keeping
focused on Building a Better Brigade
The
Workplace Culture Survey closed on Friday 26 February and I thank
everyone who participated as your feedback is instrumental in setting
the direction for future programs and initiatives. KPMG would like to
discuss the initial findings with focus groups of staff across the
organisation in order to gain further information about the survey
data. KPMG will hold the focus groups externally and will not use any
participant’s names or identifying information in their reporting.
I
am determined to continue building a safe, respectful and supportive
culture at the NSWFB; a culture of which we can all be proud. However,
I cannot do this without your help. Please consider if you can take
the time to be a part of the focus groups and help Build a Better
Brigade. Please see the focus
group sessions flyer from KPMG
(PDF) for further information and registration details.
Recovery
Kit
On 9 March at 18
Glebe, Acting Deputy Commissioner Mark Brown, along with
representatives from GIO, one of our major community partners,
announced the launch of the NSW Fire Brigades Recovery Kit. The
Community Engagement and Development Unit worked with operational
staff to develop this new resource for firefighters to distribute to
people impacted by fires in the home.
The resource consists
of two parts: firstly, an ‘After the fire’ brochure designed to
provide information for the victims of fires to assist with their
recovery. Secondly a separate tear-off ‘How to prevent fires’
information sheet which is to be distributed to neighbours and other
onlookers in order to provide them with fire safety information. The
recovery kit is the first of its kind for Australian fire services and
will be distributed to all stations in the coming week.
Influenza
vaccination program
In
line with our commitment to provide a healthy and safe workplace, the
NSWFB will again be implementing a voluntary influenza vaccination
program for staff in 2010. Research shows that the flu vaccination is
an effective preventative strategy for limiting the chronic and longer
term effects of influenza, reducing the spread of the virus, and
decreasing lost work time associated with illness. Vaccination clinics
will be held in most Metro and Regional Zones and in the main NSWFB
centres from mid-April. Further details will be available on the
intranet in the next few weeks.
Australasian
Police & Emergency Services Games
The 13th Australasian
Police & Emergency Services Games were held in
Hobart
, between Saturday 20 and Saturday 27 February. This is the
first time these games have been hosted in
Tasmania
, and by all accounts the event was a resounding success. There
were over 1200 competitors entered in 46 sporting events, which I'm
told is more events than the Olympic Games! The scheduled activities
ranged across archery, angling, cricket, cycling, golf, hockey,
netball, power lifting, sailing, shooting, snooker, softball, soccer,
squash, volleyball, and many more.
NSW received numerous
medals across a variety of activities, including: aquathon, beach
volley ball, duathlon, hockey, indoor rowing, open water, soccer,
swimming, touch football, and triathlon. The men’s soccer team won a
silver medal despite being the oldest aggregated team! Most
notably, Supt Ken Murphy took out 13 medals in single and team
swimming events across the range of styles. Congratulations to
all; I’m sure you enjoyed the event in the true spirit of
sports and camaraderie! Keep an eye on the intranet for an
update on the games.
EVENTS
Seniors
Fire Safety reminder
We’re gearing up
for another busy Seniors Week (21-28 March) with kitchen and seniors
fire activities planned across the state. If you haven't already, get
behind the NSWFB’s seniors
fire safety campaign and spread life-saving fire
safety messages with the template
media release (Doc) for local media.
Fire stations will receive the new DVD resource, SeniorEd and new
SABRE brochures in the lead-up to Seniors Week.
Earth
Hour – firefighters working to deliver sustainable future
The fourth year of
Earth Hour is taking place on Saturday 27 March, between 8.30pm and
9.30pm. The Earth Hour concept, originally conceived in
Sydney
,
Australia
in 2007, is now a global event involving 50 million people in 35
countries, organised by the World Wide Fund for Nature. This
year, almost 100 iconic landmarks around the globe will be turning off
their lights and non-essential electrical appliances, to help raise
awareness about the need to take action on climate change.
In
Australia
, electricity consumption is the biggest contributor to global
emissions and we can all play a small part in working towards making a
big change for the future of the planet. I've registered the
NSWFB's commitment by signing up for Earth Hour at www.earthhour.org.au
and I encourage you to participate at work and home, by switching off
all non-essential electrical appliances, computer screens, lights, and
any equipment not required for emergency response or safety reasons.
Harmony
Day
On 21 March, Harmony
Day will be held to celebrate
Australia
's commitment to harmony and mutual respect in a culturally diverse
nation. We are committed to the principles of Harmony Day, and
uphold the objectives of engendering respect and stamping out racism,
prejudice and intolerance. We are all members of the community
and believe in the principles of fairness, equality, justice and
friendship.
The NSWFB and the NSW
Adult Migrant English Service are hosting a Harmony Day event at
Belmore
Park
near Central Railway Station from 10am to 2pm on 17 March. Four
hundred people from diverse backgrounds and cultures are expected to
attend, and the NSWFB will be conducting FireEd and RescueEd displays
and presentations, to provide safety messages and information to the
community members from CALD backgrounds. For further details, click
here.
INCIDENTS
Fatal
house fire at Seven Hills
Just before 0300
hours on Wednesday 3 March, crews from 43 Seven Hills, 57
Wentworthville and 97 Huntingwood were called to a house fire in Seven
Hills. Fire crews arrived in just over eight minutes and reported that
a fire was well advanced at the rear of the house and a separate
construction behind it was totally involved, with flames extending
through the roof. The blaze was brought under control and extinguished
within 45 minutes, however one occupant, an elderly woman sadly died
as a result of injuries sustained. A report is being prepared for the
Coroner.
2nd
Alarm fire at Minchinbury
At 1326 hours on
Wednesday 3 March, a 2nd alarm fire occurred at a factory in
Minchinbury. Mt Druitt crew were first on scene within just seven
minutes and discovered that a fire had started within a spray booth in
the factory. Fortunately the building’s sprinkler system had
activated and was successful in containing the main fire to one
section of the factory complex. Crews from 32 Mt Druitt, 97
Huntingwood, 63
Blacktown
, 43 Seven Hills, 86 Penrith and 63
Blacktown
successfully contained the fire to one corner of the building within
half an hour. Fifty workers were evacuated safely and no injuries were
reported.
Motorcycle
and surfboard shops destroyed in Nowra
On Sunday 7
March, the
Princes Highway
and surrounding streets were closed down by a large fire involving a
motorcycle shop and an adjoining surfboard shop in Nowra. The fire
broke out at about 1330 hours and was fuelled by a range of highly
flammable products inside the motorcycle shop. Black smoke spread
across several streets and a health alert was issued on the local
radio advising people to remain indoors. There were also fears of an
acetylene cylinder explosion. Traffic in the area was gridlocked for
several hours as crews from 405 Nowra, 224
Berry
, 503
Wollongong
, 488 Shellharbour, and 346 Kiama combined with several RFS crews and
battled for over two hours to bring the blaze under control. Both the
motorcycle and surfboard shop were totally destroyed by the fire.
RUMOUR
MILL
Rumour:
Is it true that the fatigue management project is currently on hold
even after many firefighters completed the online survey into this
critical health and safety initiative? This project was launched late
2008 and still we have not seen any outcomes from it.
Response:
The working group on fatigue management has been looking at
the issues for the past 12 months and is seeking some
additional expertise to ensure any proposals are both practical and
effective. The NSWFB is currently negotiating with an industry
expert with the aim of engaging their expertise to further progress this
issue.
Rumour:
Is it true that the Working at Heights training program has been
suspended? This training was publicly announced in October 2009 with a
commitment to train all metro firefighters by November 2009. What has
happened to this important safety training program?
Response:
The Auto-stop which is an integral component of the
training has been withdrawn from service pending negotiations between
Health Services and the manufacturer. As soon as a resolution
has been reached the training will recommence.
Rumour:
Is it true that applicants for retained firefighter positions only
have to have a motorbike learner permit, but an applicant for a
permanent firefighter position must have a P2 car licence? Why is
there an inconsistency, especially when there is already a shortage of
retained firefighter motor drivers that often results in overtime?
Response:
An element of the recruit training program for permanent firefighters
is the upgrading of motor vehicle licences to Medium Rigid so that
permanent firefighters are able to drive our appliances. Under
RTA rules and regulations, only P2 motor vehicle licensed drivers are
eligible to undertake the assessment items required for this upgrade.
The current Phase 1
and Phase 2 training programs for retained firefighters does not
include motor driving so there is no requirement to upgrade to the
Medium Rigid licence. As such, there is no P2 requirement and other
independent reliable transportation measures, such as a motor-cycle
licence are currently considered when an individual applies to become
a retained firefighter. When a retained firefighter undertakes the
motor driving course there is a requirement that they have a minimum
of a P2 licence as with permanent firefighters.
Rumour:
Is it true that USAR 5, the NSWFB’s international air-transportable
cache, was not in a condition to be deployed to
Chile
and remains in an undeployable state even though the NSWFB is
currently on international rotation?
Response:
No, this is not true. The cache is ready for international deployment,
but has been reduced to a medium USAR Task Force capability due to
re-supply issues after the Samoan deployment. (A Heavy USAR Task
Force can still be deployed within NSW and
Australia
.) On two occasions the NSWFB was placed on standby and prepared a
Medium USAR Task Force capability and a remote medical treatment
facility for immediate deployment to
Chile
if requested, but the tasking orders did not eventuate.
Rumour:
Is it true that the construction of the training props at the
Ingleburn Rescue Section have been delayed indefinitely and that USAR
courses will not be held this calendar year to produce additional Cat
2 operators?
Response:
No. The training prop is a complicated piece of engineering,
designed to simulate a collapsed structure of numerous levels.
It must incorporate such features as leaning walls, car parking areas,
trenches and confined spaces and be capable of repetitive use in
cutting and breaching exercises that could place unusual and abnormal
stresses on the structure. Although it is only a prop, the NSWFB
is obliged to ensure that this structure meets all OHS requirements
and complies with building standards. USAR Cat 2 courses are still
scheduled to be held in 2010.
Rumour:
Is it true that the Senior Rescue Instructors at the Rescue Section
are no longer deemed competent to teach USAR and as such, firefighters
from the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service are being used to
teach on the next NSWFB Course?
Response:
The NSWFB’s obligation as a Registered Training Organisation
requires that our trainers are certified as Instructors. To date
this has not occurred with USAR training. In the spirit of
inter-service collaboration, the NSWFB is seeking assistance from the
SAMFS to obtain this certification.
Rumour:
Is it true that the NSWFB is planning on scrapping Operational Support
Level 3 positions and replacing them with ranked positions
(Inspectors) as has happened recently at the Rescue Section?
Response:
There are no plans at this time to vary the Award provisions applying
to the selection of Operational Support positions. That said,
there are a number of Operational Support positions that
understandably require senior operational management experience, and
this is more readily found within the Inspector ranks.
COMMISH’S CORNER
Commissioner’s e-mail: Commissioner@fire.nsw.gov.au
Cora Sarmiento, Commish’s PA: 9265 2930
PACSU: fax 9265 2882
Commish’s Corner Rumour Mill: 9265 2627
To contribute a story to the intranet, please contact Public
Affairs Officers: (West) 9265 2613, (South) 9265 2802 or
(North) 9265 2631