Issue # 1426      2 September 2009

Lack of personnel for coming fire season

Open letter to Victorian Premier John Brumby

Dear Premier,

The United Firefighters’ Union has previously written to you highlighting independent Board of Reference findings regarding communities that are exposed and at risk due to the lack of fire cover as a result of not having enough resources.

The independent findings are a result of extensive analysis of CFA data which was provided to the independent Board of Reference. It should be noted that the CFA have not disputed the data and indeed have endorsed the findings of the Board of Reference. In our previous correspondence to your good office, we highlighted the fact that the Board identified the potential for loss of life and/or damage to property was foreseeable – and therefore preventable – by the government taking action to rectify these shortcomings, a clear risk to the community due to the lack of resources.

Please find our attached press release regarding the highly disturbing recent firebug activity in the Springvale area. It should be noted that the independent Board of Reference findings mandated an increased number of firefighters at both Springvale Fire Station and Dandenong Fire Station (which also responds within that geographical area). The purpose of the findings to increase firefighting numbers was to ensure that the communities and firefighters are not put at risk due to lack of resources and firefighting numbers. It is also based on the potential to maximise an effective rescue in the event that a person or persons are trapped in a housefire within that geographical area.

We note that there has been a considerable delay of over 160 days in responding to our correspondence and we also note that there has been absolutely no attempt to rectify any shortfall in firefighting numbers affecting the community within this geographical area, as well as other areas identified in the independent Board’s findings.

Given the recent firebug activity, it is more than likely that there will be a fire involving persons trapped where life could be lost. As such, I respectfully request that your office take urgent action in implementing the Board of Reference’s decision to increase firefighting numbers in that geographical area. Please note that we have placed this on the public record due to the frustration of our members having to place their own lives on the line to protect the community in an environment where an independent Board identified that there is not enough resources to do so, and indeed it places our members at unnecessary risk.

In closing, we urge you to take immediate action to prevent any further loss of life due to the lack of resources in these areas.

Yours,

Peter J Marshall
Branch Secretary
United Firefighters’ Union – Victoria 

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