Approximately 170 volunteers from more than 100 brigades attended and discussed issues of interest or concern and heard reports of actions being taken by VFBV and both Associations over a wide range of topics.

The following issues which were raised at the Open Forum are to be raised with the CFA:

• brigade assignment areas being changed without Captain or BMT’s knowledge;
• review of the definition of dependent for CFA compensation purposes;
• need for an improved system of communicating/notifying volunteers of key information eg. recent Government volunteer recognition initiatives ie. AFL football match;
• to assist in improving the information flow advocate to the Government that a greater priority be given to the extension of broadband into country or remote areas;
• volunteer input into a proposed CFA webmail project;
• provision of internet to fire stations upon request;
• provision of water tanks for fire stations;
• FEM centralised accounting system and generation of reports;
• distribution of material informing brigades on Organisational Form developments;
• timetable for development of SMS system for volunteer mobile phones;
• removal of CDMA network – proposed to occur during summer fire season; also poor coverage in some country areas;
• distribution of CFA diaries;
• female privacy issues whilst on strike teams and PPC for female members.

Other issues raised and discussed during the meeting included:

• progress with the amalgamation of the two Associations;
• compensation lump sum payments to dependents;
• correct manner of wearing Gold Star and Life Member ribbons;
• support for volunteers and employers of volunteers;
• role of OIC of Integrated Brigades under Organisational Form;
• firefighters EBA and impacts on decisions affecting volunteers; 
• ABN and Auditor General recommendations re brigade financial records;
• map books.

Issues relating to the campaign fires are to be referred to a VFBV Summer Campaign Issues Working Party: 

• instances of insufficient transport and some use of non-airconditioned buses during extremely hot weather;
• inefficient allocation of volunteer resources;
• privacy issues for female firefighters;
• CFA debrief process;
• system of numbering or naming strike teams.

At the conclusion of the Open Forum all attending agreed than the meeting was valuable and that another Open Forum should be held in 2008.