OPEN FORUM WITH URBAN BRIGADES
A successful Open Forum meeting with representatives of urban brigades was held on Saturday 8th April 2006.  Those attending were given a summary of the Association's activities over the past 12 months and were able to raise issues or concerns directly with the Executive Members of the Association.
 
Issues raised by brigades and which the Association will be following up with the CFA include:  BASO’s being seconded to undertake work for the Regions; BASO’s availability to assist integrated Brigades; part-time nature of Region 15 storeperson; are structural turn out coats only being issued to members with BA accreditation?; lack of training materials (FGP’s and CD) for new tankers being delivered; FEM issues eg. lack of standard accounting reports, clients dropping out of the system, reports in differing order etc.; development of a process to advise members when skills maintenance is required; inconsistent method of Integrated Brigades supporting volunteer brigades; out of date information on Brigades On Line; recommendation to reinstate Regulation 55 to enable brigades to remove non-attending members from its roll; need for an improved system for dealing with volunteers or prospective new members who have a medical condition; lack of follow up on Observation Reports.

CFA BOARD APPOINTMENT
Captain Peter Marke has been advised by the Department of Justice of his re-appointment to the Board for a further term of 3 years.  The Association congratulates Peter on his re-appointment.

CFA LONG SERVICE AWARD
The Association is to advise the VFBV Awards Working Party of the rejection by the majority of brigades at the Open Forum of the medal ribbon for a proposed new CFA Long Service Award being in the checker board design and of its wish for an alternative ribbon to be designed.

BRIGADE KEY CABINETS
The Association is to advise the CFA that there should be a consistent system of protecting the integrity of brigade key cabinets and suggesting where brigades were allocated pagers, that a pager message is automatically activated when the key cabinet is opened by unauthorised persons, together with an alarm being activated at Country CAD.  If a brigade has not been issued with pagers, the siren to be activated.

JOINT MEETING OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEES
A joint meeting of the VFBV Board, VRFBA Executive Committee and the VUFBA Policy Committee is to be held at Bendigo on Saturday 27th May 2006 to discuss some of the issues involved in the next stage of the development of VFBV.  Some of these issues include Constitution, size of Board, method of raising issues, system of representation and elections.

STRUCTURAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING
The Association is to raise with the CFA the inconsistency across the State in the issue of structural protective clothing once members have attained their minimum skills. 
This matter appears to be a particular problem in the Wildfire with Low Structure brigades, however, some brigades in other risk classifications are also having difficulty in having structural protective clothing issued.  (A similar issue was raised at the Open Forum).

Items Raised with the CFA on Behalf of  Regional Councils etc.:
•    clarification on how auxiliary accounts should be treated as part of brigade overall funds;
•    the need for Regions to co-ordinate and follow up the Observation Reports;
•    the re-convening of the Joint Training Committee;
•    details of how brigades will participate in future on Municipal Fire Prevention Committees;
•    suggestions to manage the issue of Brigade Key Cabinets;
•    recommendation that service awards be presented by Area Managers, Operational Officers or at a Brigade's discretion, its senior Brigade Officer;
•    future use of the current structural jackets;
•    current information be accessible to volunteers via Brigades On Line;
•    clarification of directive to not allow brigades to visit kindergartens for fire prevention training;
•    delays in processing membership applications;
•    improvement of radio channel 202;
•    an alternative hat to the peak cap;
•    possibility of portable fridges being included in future tanker design;
•    a policy on the life expectancy and testing regime for urban and rural helmets;
•    concerns at the secondment of BASO’s;
•    structural gear for new firefighters once they receive low structural accreditation and the lack of consistency across the State;
•    investigate alternative cheaper suppliers of uniform trousers;
•    supply single fly ladders with the NSW type pumper;
•    agreed list of modifications for the Heavy (mid mounted) Pumper and review costs involved;
•    Championship issues: Pumpers and service hydrants being provided for Pumper Event; incorrect information in CFA Circular regarding Discipline Contest judging point 9; request magnetic event signs be replaced with LED screens and include teams with the fastest time; witches hats at start of Torchlight Procession; liaison with CFA regarding OH & S issues at Championships.

CFA has Responded to the Association in Respect of the Following Matters:
•    action to improve the allocation of appropriate PPE within CFA;
•    CFA's decision not to continue to keep brigades informed of the progress of Emergency Alerting System (EAS) project;
•    current Recruiting Program;
•    future use of current structural jacket;
•    a database of CFA approved equipment;
•    method of reviewing the draft C.O. SOP’s;
•    procedures in the event of a terrorism incident;
•    identification of crew leaders;
•    the Ladder Risk Assessment Working Party;
•    Class A Foam system;
•    improvement of radio channel 202;
•    indexation of Brigade Allowances and payment on a standard date each year;
•    absence of training being provided in respect of O H & S 3.01.

CHAMPIONSHIP ITEMS:

NEW EVENT
The new event trialled at this years Senior State Championship is to be introduced into the 2007 Championships.  The event will be a 5 competitor event using a Pumper, water drawn from a hydrant, two 38mm hose lines with one line being carried up a ladder to strike the disc at the top of the ladder staging.  A ladder harness will be used to carry the hose up the ladder.  The rules for the event are currently being prepared.

ELEVATION AND RELEGATION
Following the 2006 State Senior Championships, the Association has approved of the following elevation and relegation of brigades for the 2007 Senior Championships:
    Elevated from B Section to A Section:   
        Euroa, Morwell, Pyramid Hill.
    Elevated from C Section to B Section:   
        Golden Square B, Kyabram, Sorrento.   
    Relegated from A Section to B Section:   
        Kooweerup, Swan Hill, Traralgon.
    Relegated from B Section to C Section:   
        Bacchus Marsh/Gisborne, Ballarat, Warracknabeal.

Whilst the above is in accordance with the accepted system of elevation and relegation, the Association will review the grading of any team when requested.

TEAM OF THE YEAR
Following the 2006 State Senior Championships, the Association has nominated as the ‘Team of the Year’:
Dominic Keating (Maryvale), Shane Flowers (Maryvale), Andy Waterson (Dandenong), Tom Waterson (Dandenong), Adrian Jones (Noble Park), Steve Ellis (Creswick), Mark van Hamond (Wendouree), Mark Foster (Pyramid Hill), Coach – Barry Doye (Golden Square).

COACHES SCHOOL
A Coaches School is to be held at Fiskville in September.  The Association is encouraging all coaches to attend.  This year the school will be conducted over one day only (Saturday 16th) but attendees will be invited to arrive on the Friday evening.  The school will be “hands on” and experienced coaches will be on the coaching panel.  The school will be for senior and junior coaches.

It is also intended to conduct a school over the same weekend, for First Aid officials who officiate or intend to officiate at competitions and Championships.

P E DAVIS, Secretary
Web Site:   www.vicnet.net.au/~vufba/ 
E-mail:   vufba@vfbv.com.au