A message about Fire Services Reform
Andrew Crisp AM APM
Experienced senior executive in the police and emergency management sector.
Last night the Firefighters’ Presumptive Rights Compensation and Fire Services Legislation Amendment (Reform) Bill 2019 passed through the Upper House and will become legislation in Victoria.
This has been a key piece of legislation for the State Government and has also been a priority for EMV and our sector.
This legislation gives us a real opportunity to modernise our fire services in Victoria, to streamline systems and processes, ensure consistency in training and in practice and crucially, provide presumptive rights for firefighters.
Although there is further work to be done, presumptive rights means that firefighters will be supported for the work they have done and continue to do in serving the community.
This means that firefighters claiming compensation will no longer have to prove that firefighting is the cause of 12 types of cancer. Instead, there is a presumption the cancer was a result of firefighting and therefore they will have an entitlement to compensation.
The establishment of Fire Rescue Victoria is key element of this reform. It also provides an opportunity for CFA to grow as a community-based volunteer organisation. Volunteers in Victoria have a long and proud history of serving the community and this reform enhances and strengthens that role.
It provides an opportunity to be modern and progressive, and to continue working towards a more unified sector, truly working as one.
EMV will play a role in leading the implementation and we have a taskforce dedicated to looking at the detail around the transition.
There is a lot of work that still needs to be done in order to implement change prior to the 2020-21 fire season.
Everyone in our sector has a role to play in working together to get the best outcome for the Victorian community and to keep Victorians safe.
It’s time to provide Victoria with a strong future direction in emergency management. It is time for change.
Our focus is and remains on the community we serve and putting our people first.
Summer is only a few months away and we all need to remain focused and prepared.
Continue doing all that you do to keep communities safe.
Take care,
Andrew
Chairman of Urban Outsourcing & Security Services Ltd
5 年Voice of rights
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5 年Thankyou for your support. I'm a cfa volunteer and have had real concern about the changes to OUR CFA.
Privileged to serve my community.
5 年Thank you for your informative message on tbis most welcomed legislation, Andrew. It enshrines themyriad of opportunities to modernise the service for our community, support to all firefighters and improve its processes. Wishing all implementers well at this exciting time!
*Cultural Diversity *Community Engagement * Team Leadership and Coordination *Project Management * Community Liaison *Special Project * Volunteer Coordination and Management
5 年Very insightful, Andrew. Thanks very much.
Finance leader & Director at the Department of Education | Member (AM) of the Order of Australia | Ex-Big 4 | Gender Equity & Diversity Advocate | Music & Arts Lover | Chair AMCF | Board Member Music Australia Council
5 年Thanks Andrew Crisp for highlighting this important legislation and communicating it in a clear and easy to understand manner. I’m surely members of our fire fighting services who do amazing and difficult work to keep us safe with respect to fires, and their families, will be glad to have these additional protections.