Volunteer Professionals - NSW Rural Fire Service - NSW Government

03 OBJECTIVE
was rigidly monitored and a new pre-acceptance inspection system was
implemented. During the year $26.7M funding was allocated for the
purchase of 256 new and refurbished tankers.
In terms of personal protective clothing the Service remained pre-eminent
within the industry. Service officers continued their involvement with
Standards Australia and the International Standards Organisation.
Resources and funds will continue to be allocated to areas of firefighter
safety. Risk management and assessment practices will be applied and
volunteer firefighters will continue to be provided with the highest possible
levels of personal protection in line with the Government’s commitment that
the safety of volunteers will not be compromised.
CRITICAL INCIDENT SUPPORT SERVICES (CISS)
This program is available to all Service members on a 24 hours a day/7
days a week basis. All aspects of the services are strictly confidential and
assistance is provided through peer support and trauma specialist
interventions. The features of a typical incident that were most distressing
involved fatalities, exposure to body parts, and threat or perceived threat to
personal safety.
The first of three Peer Supporter recruitment drives resulted in five additional
Peer Supporters being appointed; further recruitment will take place in
2002/03.
CISS team members participated in a large multi-agency incident
management team exercise in September 2001 where a number of
scenario-based learning activities were utilised to test management and
co-ordination techniques.
During the year 286 requests resulted in 2,330 people being assisted by the
CISS team which dedicated 4,577 working hours to their care and concerns.
A Co-ordinator for Welfare Services was appointed to provide co-ordination
and management to the Critical Incident Support Services, Employee
Assistance Program, Member Assistance Program, and Organisational
Stress Program, for Service staff and volunteers. Over 750 requests for
assistance were received during the year.
OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND SAFETY
During the reporting period the Service reviewed existing and developed new
strategies to support an agency that had, in a period of twelve months,
expanded to employ 477 staff in over 150 workplace locations. An OH&S
Management Plan for staff was developed; a policy on the safe use of motor
vehicles was developed; and protocols for the development of food handling
practices during emergencies were developed. Worksite inspections were
carried out as part of a rolling program that will eventually impact on all
Service work locations.
There were sixteen recorded workers’ compensation claims. There were no
prosecutions under the Occupational Health and Safety Act.
EMPLOYEE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The program continued to provide an internal counselling and referral
service to all staff and their families as well as access to an external,
contracted agency of qualified psychologists and practitioners. There were
133 internal and 14 external applications for assistance.
In addition to these programs, a number of conference presentations were
provided. These included Organisational Stress Management to the Service’s
Senior Management Conference in August 2001 and a presentation to staff
and volunteer representatives in October 2001 at the Service’s 100 Voices
Assembly.
MEMBER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM
The Service continued to recognise the need to support volunteer members
affected by situations not directly related to their operational involvement. In
these cases, a program of referrals and available local resources helped
members find help in their local area. The program had 338 new requests
for assistance.
CHAPLAINCY
The Chaplaincy and Family Support Network identified the need to attend to
families, not just the people in ‘yellows’. The network continued to provide a
proactive and reactive response and was well accepted by Service staff and
members. The Chaplaincy continually provided a service on a 24 hours/7
days a week basis.
The Chaplaincy network visited brigades with information and handouts as
an introduction to its services. It was found that many families responded
more openly to offers of help if they had met and spoken with the team
previously.
The Chaplaincy service travelled 79,652km during the year to carry out its
ministrations.
Chaplaincy activity for the year is detailed in Appendix 7.
18
NSW Rural Fire Service Annual Report 2001/02