With the lifting of the ban on False Alarm Notifications (FANs), members are reminded that ONLY the new FANs books (labelled version E on the cover) are to be used. Old versions are not to be used, and the Dept has agreed to issue Version E to stations. If they do not, it will be viewed as a NSWFB self imposed ban on FANs!
In unity,
Darin Sullivan
Secretary – Illawarra Sub Branch
FBEU – State Committee of Management
0422436044
sully@fbeu.net
This is a reminder that in an effort to speed up the process of a recommendation to reduce speed limits around emergency vehicles, members are asked to submit a “Notice of Injury/Near miss” form for EVERY incident they attend on roads. In the advice column, we are advised to write “that the recommendation to the NSWFB and Govt in relation to 40km/h speed limits around emergency vehicles be implemented ASAP”. Your assistance is appreciated. Read more…
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The State Labor Treasurer and former Secretary of Unions NSW, Michael Costa yesterday handed down a budget that delivers a $444 million surplus this year and will cut $845 million in taxes by 2011. The budget also nominates a public sector wages policy of just 2.5% increase in wages per year. Read more…
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A secret Howard Government plan to remove the current state based Industrial Relations Commissions from each of the States has been revealed in Federal Parliament. The plan was spelt out in a tender document issued by the Department of Employment and Workplace Relations (DEWR) seeking costings, plans and modelling of the impact of the changes on Government. Read more…
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It has come to the Union’s attention that MW2 management is now expecting some stations to deliver their own time sheets via a system move ups using station appliances. This practice has been neither discussed with, nor accepted by the Union and members are therefore directed to cease this practice, which is hereby banned until further notice. Read more…
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Over recent years, many members have expressed their concern to us about the Brigades’ changing approach – and growing addiction – to AFA charges. The Department’s increasingly inflexible approach saw a growing number of elderly, poor and disadvantaged being hit by blanket fines for AFA’s which were often beyond their control. Management’s decision to remove the Station Commander’s discretion on whether or not to charge suddenly saw the pensioner who burnt her toast being slapped with the same $250 AFA charge that the corporations copped for skimping on their installation’s servicing regime.
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AFA
Last month the Union wrote to the Department seeking action to further enhance our members safety whilst working on roadways. The issue was raised by members in the Illawarra Sub Branch concerned with the excessive speed of motorists in and around roadside incidents. As a result of the Union’s actions, the Department is now seeking an amendment to legislation so as to impose speed restrictions in such circumstances. In the interim, members holding these concerns are encouraged to submit a Near Miss form through the normal channels. Yet again, the Union had to put speed under the Department to get them to act.
Simon Flynn
State Secretary
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OH&S
Ongoing confusion amongst some permanent members as to whether it was necessary to recall a Station Officer in the first instance for all retained staff shortages has resulted in the State Committee’s adoption of a policy resolution to clarify the matter.
To avoid doubt, the State Committee has now confirmed that:
• If there is only one retained shortage, and a permanent member is covering that shortage, then that permanent member must be of at least Senior Firefighter rank. Note that the member may be, but does not have to be, of Station Officer rank.
• If there are two or more retained shortages, and permanent members are covering those shortages, then one of those members must be of Station Officer rank, but the remaining member(s) may be of any rank.
In the case of solo (only one member required) recalls, the State Committee has resolved that these should be shared on a Zone by Zone basis between Senior/Leading Firefighters and Station Officers on a 75% /25% split. Members should note that the State Committee does not expect recalls to be allocated exactly this way on every occasion. It’s simply a guide – albeit one which management is expected to follow as close as is reasonably practicable.
It should be noted that through this policy, Station Officer members are still guaranteed to allocated no less than 25% of all recalls worked for retained staff shortages (if 1 recall = 25%, if 2 recalls = 50%, if 3 recalls = 33%, if 4 recalls = 25%).
The full State Committee resolution reads as follows:
“That this meeting reaffirms the policy position adopted at the State Committee meeting of 25 June 2004 which determined that Senior Firefighter is considered the minimum permanent firefighter rank capable of performing a solo out-duty, stand-by or recall to cover a retained staff shortage, which by way of clarification means that in the event that only one permanent firefighter is to be utilised in order to cover for one retained shortage then that member must be of Senior Firefighter, Leading Firefighter or Station Officer rank, but if more than one permanent firefighter is to be utilised in order to cover for more than one retained shortage then the first permanent member must be of Station Officer rank and the remaining permanent member(s) may be of any firefighter rank (ie, Recruit, FL1, Fl2, QF, SF and/or LF). In resolving this way, this meeting records its expectation that recalls will be allocated fairly and equitably, which in the case of solo recalls means that Station Officers should be allocated (not strictly, but generally and over the longer term average) every fourth solo recall for a retained shortage within the Zone and that the remaining 75% of those solo recalls should therefore be allocated to Senior or Leading Firefighters and further, that the Department will not always recall Senior or Leading Firefighters in lieu of Station Officers simply to achieve marginal cost savings, just as junior firefighters and officers are not recalled in preference to more senior ranking firefighters and officers now.”
Ongoing confusion amongst some permanent members as to whether it was necessary to recall a Station Officer in the first instance for all retained staff shortages has resulted in the State Committee’s adoption of a policy resolution to clarify the matter.
Read more…
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