CFA Connect Blogosphere

In the last edition of the Nor' Wester I wrote about the major floods, their effect on numerous communities and individuals and the extraordinary response to them by so many volunteers and staff, both during the event and afterwards.

One of the common denominators during the major flood Response and Recovery Phases was courage; another was initiative.

The June Board meeting was held in Swan Hill in recognition of the sustained work of Loddon Mallee CFA members through the recent floods. It was also recognition that, for many members, the flood crisis is still exacting a heavy toll.

Loddon Mallee Regional Manager Pat O'Brien hosted a dinner for Board members, the Chief Officer and CFA members representing a range of brigades from across the region. It was an opportunity for those members to pose forthright questions about immediate needs, channels for assistance and other matters of concern to them.

With memories of the January and February floods still raw for many, I want to pay tribute to the communities who defended themselves, and especially those who suffered the impacts.

At its January meeting the Board endorsed this new mission statement for CFA: "CFA is a community based fire and emergency service whose mission is to protect lives and property." This is a very important statement for CFA. It gives the whole organisation a clear focus and outcome to strive for. No matter who we are, or what position we hold in the organisation, our mission is the same: "To protect lives and property". The mission statement gives prominence to the protection of life. This was a matter that was highlighted in the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. This mission gives us a clear and unambiguous goal that will motivate everything that we do in CFA. It will influence how we structure the organisation, how we allocate resources and how we measure our success. Over the coming months you will hear many references to the mission as we focus on supporting our people at the front line and those who are delivering our services to the community.