Staley, Kealy express support for volunteer firefighters following training concerns

Captains from several Grampians brigades told the Mail-Times last week that they were concerned the authority's more strict enforcement of training in order for volunteers to remain operational was deterring people from volunteering.

Ms Kealy said there were "enormous pressures" on volunteers.

"While we certainly need to make sure CFA volunteers are safe, we can do that in a way which isn't threatening to remove their status as an operational CFA volunteer," she said.

"We can work with them to find out what barriers are in place to ensure everybody can receive the essential training to make sure they're safe on a fire ground, but also recognise some of their skills and experience in successfully protecting people and property over, in some instances, many, many years with the CFA.

"I can understand if you were a member of 50 years and you got a letter, it would be really confronting.

"When you've done a heap of training over your lifetime, given thousands of hours and then you're told you're not up to scratch - that would be pretty hard going for some of those really active volunteers."

Member for Ripon Louise Staley said concerns from volunteers in her electorate - which covers District 16 - did not relate to training programs.

"At the brigade meetings I've been (to) ... the conversation has been more around, 'How do we do this?'," she said.

"What I've been hearing is there is still great uncertainty as to how the Fire Services Reform is going to play out - particularly since there is no leadership at the top of the organisation. They still have to get a chief executive."

Ms Staley said it was important the state government valued volunteer firefighters' contribution.

"In Ripon, it's very common for people to be in multiple emergency service (organisations)," she said.

"Some will do community ambulance and also be a CFA Group officer, or volunteer with the State Emergency Service. People give their time to keep others safe through emergency services and they've got choices about which ones they go to.

"I do think if, at an operational level, it is being made harder for people to volunteer it's important the government doesn't say that's just operational. In the end, operational and policy decisions come from leadership.

"The minister should be taking interest in that. I do expect her to have proper oversight of the policies and the intent of the CFA - it needs to be on her desk as decision maker."

The Mail-Times contacted Emergency Services Minister Lisa Neville and Shadow Emergency Services Minister Brad Battin for comment on Friday, but did not receive a response by deadline.

Ms Neville was also contacted during the week, in reference to the volunteers' training concerns, and referred Mail-Times' queries to the Country Fire Authority.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this story contained details of a personal nature, which have since been removed. The Wimmera Mail-Times regrets the error and apologies for any distress this has caused to those involved.