However, while active fire fighting requires significant physical fitness, there is much work that goes on behind the scenes to “get the trucks out the door”.
Given that one in five Australians has one or more disabilities and this proportion is increasing with the ageing of the population, CFA recognises that there are many types of ability, and that people living with disability can make a significant contribution to their community.
There are members around the state living with disability and they provide wonderful examples of how community members can get involved in their brigade by supporting the operational activities of their brigades.
There are many important roles in Brigades that people living with disability can do – administrative support, communications, fund raising and education are all examples of critical functions that are performed by members around the state and could potentially be performed by a person living with a disability.
CFA is currently developing a Disability Action Plan to ensure our services and programs do not exclude people with disabilities or treat them less favourably than other people.
CFA’s Disability Action Plan will address the following four areas:
- promoting access for people with disabilities
- reducing barriers to their employment
- promoting their inclusion in the community; and
- achieving changes in attitudes.
If you are a member living with a disability, we’d love to hear from you, whether it be simply to share your experience or to get involved in the development of our first DAP.
Please make contact with the Diversity Unit on (03) 9262 8904 or via email to
Subscribe to this comment's feed
