By CAM LUCADOU-WELLS
Volunteer and staff firefighters at Hallam CFA say they stand united despite a three-year industrial “firestorm” between the CFA, the United Firefighters Union and the State Government.
As an “integrated” brigade, professionals – represented by the UFU – and volunteers fight blazes side by side.
Volunteer firey of 10 years Raj Faour said that will continue despite the political “mess”.
In recent days, EBA negotiations have spilled over, pitting the UBU against the volunteer firefighters’ body Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria.
It has led to the Government’s ousting of Emergency Services Minister Jane Garratt and the unseating of the CFA board.
Mr Faour said clauses giving UBU the power of veto on attending fires was not a cause of concern and that it actually helped to ensure there were adequate resources for each incident, he said.
“It’s unfortunately all over the news and the media.
“It’s causing a divide between volunteers themselves, the staff and volunteers, but things are good down at our station.”
He said he stood “firmly behind” the State Government, which has moved to replace the CFA board.
“I just want to get it sorted. It needs to be resolved yesterday.”
Volunteer of 12 years Lieutenant Dave Rose said he was disappointed by Premier Daniel Andrews’s intervention, which was effectively “taking sides”.
“This attitude that he’ll solve the problem makes matters worse.”
Mr Rose said the brigade was managing the “firestorm” by being “interested but not involved”.
“We don’t want to end up in heated discussions about things.
“We still want to work fires together and don’t want people remembering you said something that upset them.”
Mr Rose said the message to the community was: “Even though there’s a firestorm going on around us, we have a job to do.”
Leading firefighter David Black, also a UBU delegate at the brigade, said the Government’s intended sacking of the CFA board was “one of the big steps forward for the CFA”.
He cited the board’s handling of serious health risks at Fiskville training ground and adverse findings by the Fire Services Review.
“Both the volunteers and (paid) members at Hallam believe the CFA is a somewhat dysfunctional organisation and has been for a long time.
“There’s a toxic culture between management and people on the ground.
“Hopefully this will create a new environment where staff and volunteers are recognised equally.”
He said staff and volunteers at Hallam still had a “sound working relationship” but the “demonising” of staff firefighters risked souring ties with volunteers and neighbouring volunteer brigades.
“We want to stop being used as a political football. We don’t want the demonising to continue.”
He said the Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria and the Liberal state and federal parties were “painting the (EBA) issues in a different light to what they actually are”.
“The Liberal party have made this issue bigger than Ben Hur.”
