The Association of Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades (AVBFB) recently wrote to Minister Logan asking for government funding to enable the Association to better serve the 26,000 invaluable women and men of WA’s largest emergency service and assist DFES in the transition and work of its Rural Fire Division (DRFD). Unfortunately, the Minister refused our request…
Two wonderful messages in this great article by the Manjimup-Bridgetown Times/South Western Times: Mitigation works, and Western Australia is so very lucky to have several specialised emergency services that when needed, combine to make a hell of an awesome team! Well done to all involved and thank you South Western Times for publishing such a…
We say it all the time – the role of an emergency service volunteer is invaluable and diverse. What we don’t say all that often is just how challenging it can be and here’s a case in point. As you see from the ABC article, when members of the VFRS joined their career colleagues to…
Regular readers would have seen this Facebook post from DFES recently about the great team effort that contained a fire at a Greenbushes Timber Mill on Saturday. The photos available didn’t show the important role members of the Volunteer Bush Fire Service played in that huge save, but we’ve since received a few from one…
Rural property owners and their fire emergency services have taken a hands-on look at possible improved safety measures. Emergency services volunteers from Ringbark and Yanmah bushfire brigades, Manjimup SES and Manjimup Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service gathered at Woodgate Retreat on Saturday to assess the safety levels of the street’s properties. As part of…
Below is a Safety Circular published by DFES this week: SAFETY CIRCULAR 15/2017 File: D03624 NOVEMBER 2017 400MHZ PROJECT – MIDWEST GASCOYNE TRANSITION 8-10 NOVEMBER Critical Message The staged transition of the Midwest Gascoyne will occur over three days commencing 8 November 2017 at 0800hrs. Individual BGUs will transition at the times specified below. If…
For the interest and information of Members, an update from DFES regarding the 400MHz radio project: The 400MHz project has been conducting engagement workshops across country northern regions with the purpose of ensuring a smooth transition of all UHF (Ultra High Frequency) radio channels & systems within our organisation. Lower South West and Great Southern…
Bushfire season is fast approaching and preparation is the key to ensuring families and homes are safe during the notorious summer period. Department of Fire and Emergency Services Esperance area officer Steve Peterson said the coming season would likely be delayed due to the February floods this year. “The ground moisture around at the moment…
Perched on top of a hill with sweeping views of Donnybrook forest land, retiree Ray Mallon’s house in Argyle is the kind of place many tree changers dream of. But on Australia Day 2017, his modern, double brick home was nearly destroyed when a ferocious bushfire bore down on the area. Despite never having experienced…
All the hard work of the AVBFB Bush Fire Games sub-committee will come to fruition tomorrow when the first games of their type in 3 years will be held at Hartfield Oval in Forrestfield. (10:30am) The games will involve teams of 6 fire fighters competing in drills against the clock judged for their accuracy, skill and…
As your High School History teacher probably told you when big hair and skinny ties were all the rage, looking back every now and then can provide valuable illumination of where you have come from, where you are now and perhaps most importantly, the path that lay ahead. It’s been a busy – and we…
The following Question on Notice was asked in Parliament by Zac Kirkup, Member for Dawesville and answered by the Hon Fran Logan, Minister for Emergency Services on 20 June, 2017: Mr Z.R.F. Kirkup to the Minister for Emergency Services; Corrective Services: (1) Since 17 March 2017 has the Minister or any Ministerial staff met with…
The statement below was made by the Hon Fran Logan, Minister for Emergency Services in Parliament 17 May 2017 MR F.M. LOGAN (Cockburn — Minister for Emergency Services) [12.03 pm]: I would like to take this opportunity to inform the house about the International Firefighters’ Day memorial service that I had the honour of attending on Sunday,…
Brigade Officers and FCOs from across North Metro region, along with SES and VFRS reps attended the North Metro Pre Season Forum hosted by DFES at Joondalup Arena on Saturday. AVBFB CEO Tony Papafilis and Secretary John Mangini also attended to “fly the flag”. The format was a little different this year, with working groups…
These photos sent in by AVBFB Zone Representative Matt Thompson show a bushfire being fought by Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades and Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service crews about 5km from Narrogin on the way to Williams. It is a spectacle that will, unfortunately, likely be seen too many times before the fire season passes. It…
Northcliffe residents are preparing for bushfire season, just months after the West Australian town survived one of the largest fires in the state’s history. In the aftermath of the fires, the physical damage to the region was immediately apparent. Less clear was the effect such an event had on the mental health of career firefighters,…
DFES has published more information and a FAQ regarding the WA Nationals’ Regional Emergency Service Volunteer Fuel Card initiative – including a map that shows some metropolitan brigades have been generously included in the catchment area. Click here if you would like to read the AVBFB media statement on the Government’s September 17 announcement of the scheme. Below…
The following question without notice was asked by the Member for Wagin Terry Waldron and answered by Regional Development Minister Terry Redman in Parliament yesterday: Mr T. WALDRON to the Minister for Regional Development: Can the minister please provide some details about the emergency service volunteer fuel card scheme, which was announced in Boddington in the Wagin…
The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has committed some of its budget to hosting a display at the Perth Royal Show this year with representation from the Fire and Rescue Service (paid and volunteer), SES, Volunteer Marine Rescue and Volunteer Emergency/Fire Service. While the AVBFB understands the value of community education and supports some…
The state government is steam-rolling Rockingham volunteer firefighters into moving to Baldivis to cover for shortfalls, effectively threatening to disable their unit if they refuse, a volunteer has claimed. The City of Rockingham and DFES both assessed Baldivis as needing better fire services, especially for “structural” or house fires, which the council-run bushfire brigade is not trained or equipped for. But despite the need being identified, the state government had…
As observant readers would know, the Association of Volunteer Bush Fire Brigades (AVBFB) has been working hard on behalf of the volunteers elected by their peers at DOAC’s and ROAC’s to form a Volunteer Advisory Committee (VAC) for more than a year now. We know our members are very interested in this issue so here’s a…
The AVBFB has been asked by a ROAC to help try to resolve an issue regarding DFES-delivered Driver Training and has today sent the following letter in order to start that process. While we will continue to pursue this and give as much practical assistance and advice on how to fix the problem, we accept…
The following question on notice from Member for South West Hon Adele Farina was answered in Parliament on Tuesday 16 June by the Attorney General Hon Michael Mischin on behalf of the Emergency Services Minister Hon Adele Farina to the Attorney General: (1) How many volunteer fire fighters are located in the South West region…
The follow question on notice was asked by Margaret Quirk and answered by Emergency Services Minister Hon Joe Francis in Parliament on 5 May: Ms M. Quirk to the Minister for Emergency Services: Given the closure of the Bassendean and Guildford Volunteer Fire and Rescue stations, can the Minister please outline how the Metropolitan VFRS is…
The Association has been working hard to ensure the public understands that Western Australia relies heavily on the goodwill, local knowledge and expert skills of volunteers in the realm of emergency services. Over the last few weeks, it has become clear that one thing the AVBFB could do to get that important message out is…