What pisses you off? Part II: Electric Boogaloo

[eddiesmith]

Lol, I think I know a shit load more about this and the CFA than you. It’s got nothing to do with political POV. Btw over 5,000 volunteers have already been lost as well as 3 chief officers and 3 CEOs.

Even the governments handpicked chiefs and CEOs could t sign off on it.

That article contained nothing of substance. Improved response? How? Please tell me how the area of Springvale is better served at 8am next Wednesday than they are tonight?

This is the problem with people who don’t actually understand what’s changing commenting and that includes the ALPs political commentator who wrote that article.

Also it’s not just volunteers who are against it, plenty of CFA career staff don’t want it. They don’t want to join FRV.

But tell me truthfully, would you be happy to run an organisation that you had no power over who actually worked for you? You could not hire or fire anyone but accept what another organisation gives you?

That article had the usual UFU bulls hit statement of they won’t be running the CFA, yet when it came to the official negotiations they wrote the agreement and the government said sign it! No negotiations took place, nothing was given by the UFU and CFA was told to take its place underneath them.

That’s why people are angry, because despite years of assurances from Andrews and UFU, they did exactly what most expected them to do.

So now even people who last week may have been it’s happening, let’s work together have woken up to what’s really happening.

The problem is this has nothing to do with operations, on the fireground staff and volunteers, CFA and MFB get the job done working as one. It’s this bullshit behind the scenes that creates issues and cause frustration and animosity.

[watt price tully]

Look, rather than 2 structures there’s going to be one. That in itself makes things organisationally coherent. One can’t be more fundamental than that.
Secondly as part of the change there’s going to more firefighters.
Thirdly, as part of this arrangement the Gov’t has brought in legal conditions to assist call fire-fighters with respect to fires and cancer: the link is denied by the LCP.
Fourthly, there will basically no change to actually fighting fires on the ground. While one would expect people to leave in a circumstance of change the possible negative effects has have been fanned, amplified and exaggerated (indeed poured petrol on) by the naysayers.
Let’s review this in 5 years and then tell me how bad it is: at the current time it’s all piss and wind.
When they built the trains overhead it was all “we’ll be roon’d” housing prices will fall etc: none of which was true.
There will be more resources, less duplication and the health of volunteer fire fighters is being looked after with respect to cancer etc.

BTW the author of the article has written critically of The Firefighters Union too. It was a pretty middle of the road article.
The Vic Government was elected with a mandate to make change and that’s what is happening. Don’t believe all the negative hyperbole that is being spread either.

[watt price tully]

Abuse in unaccountable CFA:

1. https://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5325648/cfa-finally-acknowledges-historical-sexual-abuse-at-ballarat-station/

2. https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/cfa-chief-promises-acts-amid-worrying-levels-of-sexual-harassment-20180825-p4zzoi.html

3. https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/men-like-roosters-control-gaggle-of-girls-in-cfa-sexual-harassment-hotspots-20171018-gz3kuc.html

To be fair the Firefighting Union has suppressed the independent report into sexual abuse into union workplace abuse through legal means but there is no evidence of child sexual abuse.

Cancer & firefighters:

1. https://www.prostate.org.au/news-media/news/male-firefighters-have-an-increased-risk-of-prostate-cancer/

2. https://www.lls.org/managing-your-cancer/firefighters-and-cancer-risk

Law and firefighters:

1. https://emergencylaw.wordpress.com/2019/06/23/presumptive-workers-compensation-law-for-victorian-firefighters/

I can assure you the Libs wanted no part in the legislation till it was painfully obvious (just ask Jeffrey Kennett jhow he f*cked over workers with respect to workers compensation)

To suggest that there is no party politcal aspect to this is naive.

I'm sure you know a lot more Eddie about fighting fires. However let's wait a few years then review.

The proposed legistation includes this:

"The purposes of this Act are to—

(a) provide a rebuttable presumption for—

(i) career firefighters suffering from specified forms of cancer that the cancer is presumed to be due to the nature of their employment for the purposes of claiming compensation under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013; or

(ii) volunteer firefighters suffering from specified forms of cancer that the cancer is presumed to be due to the nature of their service as a firefighter for the purposes of claiming compensation under the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 2013…"

For the first time ever both volunteer and paid firefighters are getting some legal acknowledgent & redress of the cancer link in certain circumtsances (that rotten Dan Andrews)

[eddiesmith]

1. How? There will be CFA and FRV, now there is CFA and MFB. According to the government they are two seperate organisations and the CFA chief doesn’t report to the FRV Commissioner. So whilst FRV will dictate who’s the can employ, there will be two organisations, two structures as there is right now, so you are wrong.

2. The number of firefighters isn’t being increased because of reform. There will be no more firefighters on the ground than today with these reforms.

3. And screwed volunteer firefighters yet again. But tell me why they had to reform the fire services to provide what every other state has had for years? Also the Victorian cancer laws are discriminatory to volunteers unlike every other state.

4. Other than the inability now for firefighters in rural areas to respond a 4wd vehicle and fight fires off road. So those communities will be getting a lesser service than they currently receive. At least your comment there though is not the usual scaremongering from the ALP which claims the FRV badge will make the career firefighters better and provide a better service than they currently receive...

[eddiesmith]

As you say, the union refused to cooperate in and have suppressed the report into bullying in the workplace. So why is the MFB culture all high and mighty?

Also those cases won’t be fixed by removing career firefighters from the CFA and giving the union control over who runs the organisation.

[watt price tully]

Losing last night really pisses me off

[stui magpie]

Now with Boogaloo in the thread title I feel like I should be wearing an Hawaiian shirt and holding an AR15 when posting here.

Anybody got an AR15 i can borrow?

[stui magpie]

Fkn shoulder playing up.

Been seeing the physio, I'm on a first name basis with the reception and I'll be listing the Physio as a dependant on my tax return. Things were going good, then I must have done something stupid, fkn caning. Pain radiates from shoulder into forearm and that feels l8ke it's going to explode.

Been very carefull how much time I spend sitting at the computer, do meetings on the tablet while wandering around, plenty of movement etc.

Today it was caning, had an hour of pc work to do, 2 panadol and 2 advil did nothing. Had the physio appointment late arvo, had to loosen it up differently it was so sore even through painkillers.

Going to buy a new computer chair tomorrow

[Tannin]

While you're out, see if you can pick up a new shoulder.

(Let me know if you see any nice toes and wrists, I could use one of each.)

[stui magpie]

Cheers big ears, will do.

If you happen to spot some knees or a lower back in good nick, I could use those too.

[Sicks Bux]

Everyone in the footy media seem to be calling practice matches scratch matches lately. I always thought scratch match was a predominantly interstate term.

[Tannin]

A scratch match is a game played between sides at least one of which and usually both of which have been hurriedly put together from whoever happens to be available. That is what the term means.

Suppose you and I and a few other drinkers down at the Royal Arms suddenly get it into out heads to play a social game against the mob over the road at the Bull and Gate. We scratch around the public bar, ring one or two mates to make up the numbers, and there you have it, a scratch match.

Given the way our lot in the black and white stripes are performing at present, I suggest that perhaps the term is appropriate!

[think positive]

[stui magpie]

The Physio is getting bothered that the shoulder isn't responding so she's referring me for an MRI. Brilliant. I'm booked in for Hernia surgery in 2 weeks so I need this like a hole in the head

[Morrigu]

^ Bugger!! You’ll have to have another swab pre surgery too by the looks of it