The Group Captain for the Southern Border region of the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) has resigned after being asked to return his official vehicle.
Lankeys Creek volunteer brigade member, John Hawkins, claims that on May 17th he had been told by his RFS manager that his Group vehicle – a 2005 Toyota Landcruiser with 600lts of water (classed as a Cat 9) – was to be taken off him, with no replacement available.
Mr Hawkins said that the vehicle has 11 plus years of serviceable life left but is to be sold, even though the Southern Border area has older appliances (tankers) in its fleet.
“I was told I could use the Lankeys Creek Cat 9 which is its brigade vehicle, for the use of the Brigade Captain or my Deputy,” Mr Hawkins said.
“Otherwise, I could use my own private vehicle, which I did for a number of years prior to having a vehicle.
“However, I don’t see why I should with the size of the area I look after.”
The Group 7 region comprises the brigades of Jingellic, Lankeys Creek, Little Billabong, Carabost, Talmalmo, Mt Wagra and Wantagong and includes 95 per cent of the Woomargama National Park.
Mr Hawkins added that he used his Group vehicle to attend brigade meetings as well as active fires and mopping up exercises and that he occasionally took it to work on bad fire days.
“My having a Cat 9 has been a bone of contention for many years,” he said.
“The paid staff claim they don’t want Group Captains to have a vehicle that carries water, even though my job as an RFS volunteer is to put fires out!” Mr Hawkins said.
“The Cat 9 is quick response and best suited to the hills where I am a Group Captain.”
In his resignation letter, Mr Hawkins also took the RFS to task over a number of other issues.
He alleged that there is a lack of communication between RFS management and brigades.
“The high turnover of staff means volunteers are continually having to deal with people that don’t know my area; and to be questioned as to whether I really need the resources that I have requested, having to justify that the fire is in inaccessible country and yes, I do need a bulldozer and air support with water!” he said.
Mr Hawkins cited the Green Valley blaze during the Black Summer 2019- 20 bushfires as a prime example of the lack of communication between agencies.
“I attend cross-border meetings between NSW RFS, Victorian CFA, National Parks, State Forests, DEECA etc but when we get a major fire like Green Valley, on the border, those agencies won’t talk to and work with each other to put it out,” he said.
“For instance, when offered help from Victoria to water bomb the Green Valley fire on the very first day, RFS in Albury knocked it back,” he alleged.
Mr Hawkins also said brigade members with firefighting experience were not considered qualified to man a tanker because they have not completed online training; even though he is prepared to sign them off as being competent.
Mr Hawkins added that he was not asked to give his account at the inquest into the Black Summer fires, even though the fire was his jurisdiction.
“The main issue to come out of the coronial inquest into the fires that ravaged NSW in 2019/2020 was the lack of communication by the RFS, ignoring local knowledge and therefore hindering volunteer efforts to fight the fires,” he said.
“Four years on from the Black Summer fires, nothing has changed between the RFS and the volunteers.
“We have more paid staff, more red tape, less communication and less volunteers to do the actual work.
“The RFS is not prepared to support volunteers for what they need in the event of fires, support that should include Group Captains having an appropriate vehicle.”
Mr Hawkins letter concluded “After putting up with more than 20 years of crap from bureaucrats that should be working for me and fighting with them to keep a vehicle – that they have made their mission to take off me – I quit!”
This article appeared in the  Corryong Courier, 30 May 2024.
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