News

Retained firefighters are not relievers

March 10, 2005

When availability falls below the minimum level required to ‘Safely and Effectively” staff a fire appliance, that station is to be manned by the standby of retained or permanent firefighters as per award provisions and In-orders 1995/20.
Region North management have recently introduced a practice of issuing pagers to adjoining stations when availability numbers fall below minimum. Firefighters attached to these stations are either asked to respond to the adjoining station or respond to the one whose pager activates first.

This practice endangers firefighters and the community by increasing response times and can reduce the number of firefighters available on the fire ground to below “Safe and Effective” numbers.

The Union views this practice as disgraceful management due to the attack on minimum manning and a complete disregard for members’ safety.

Members are hereby instructed that they are not to accept pagers from adjoining stations to supplement retained availability. All staff shortages due to availability problems of retained firefighters are to be filled by retained or permanent standbys.

Craig Harris
State Secretary