CFA Connect Blogosphere

I am pleased to announce new appointments to CFA's leadership team. Each of the individuals below brings to their role significant experience, knowledge and expertise.  Their skills and capabilities complement each other and those already existing in our organisation. The diversity and strength in the team ensures CFA is in the right hands to achieve our goals.

Flash Mob From Gordon:
The initiative and inspiration from our members is truly amazing. Check out the video link on CFA Connect at: http://www.cfaconnect.net.au/news/cfa-flash-mob-in-ballarat-mall.html Gordon CFA's Diane Lawson led a "flash mob" of Gordon Fire Brigade members in Ballarat's Bridge Street Mall last week. Their message was about volunteering and winter fire safety. As Diane said to the gathered media: "Most people only get to see us on the job, not as an all-singing, all-dancing mob of flash." A great, positive and fun way to get the message across. Great work Diane and team!

Successful Fuel Reduction Burn At Cardinia:
Allan Budziarski, who is Vegetation Management Officer at Southern Metro has advised of a very successful 62 ha burn carried out last week. Robbie Irving (Upper Beaconsfield) was burn OIC and was mentored by Wildfire Instructor Mark Barille. Resources were drawn from Upper Beaconsfield, Bunyip, DSE, and Melbourne Water Corporation. Allan reports that Approx 500 litres of water utilised throughout the entire duration of the burn (approx the same amount of burner mix!!). Ecological values that were accounted for in the planning stage included habitats for the Powerful Owl Habitat, Musk duck and Blue Billed duck and sensitive riparian zones. Allan says that further burns are planned for spring 2012. This is important and valued work. Terrific effort, and thank you!

I thought it timely to provide an update on where things are at with the Creating our Future Together change process.

We're focusing on making improvements in a number of key areas to build a stronger, more cohesive organisation. This will be better for our communities and our people.

I am pleased that we can now release the final top line working structure which will drive the next stage of our CFA Creating Our Future Together Strategy, and is a key part of achieving our vision - working together with communities to keep Victorians safe from fire and other emergencies. This follows widespread discussion on the proposal over recent months.

The structure focuses on teams, moving away from our language of divisions / departments to communicate our commitment to working together - across traditional functions, across our regions, with our volunteers, communities and stakeholders towards One CFA.

A key theme of feedback we have received from around the state is to include reference to volunteers in our description of who we are. The Board has now adopted these words:

In rolling out our vision and mission as part of the "Creating our Future Together" program, we were describing CFA as a community-based fire and emergency services organisation. Feedback from our members is that we should be referred to as a volunteer and community-based fire and emergency services organisation. The Board formally adopted this description, which acknowledges both our volunteer and community base, at its July meeting.

Reaffirming who we are and what we do unites us and helps focus our energies as preparations for the next fire season pick up pace. Final positions on community safety policies for the 2011-2012 fire season were progressed at a multi-agency work shop in July. Plans are in place for multi-agency pre fire season briefings to take place from September.