One of the commitments we gave to those who participated in the “New RFS” workshops was that we would provide a holistic summary of the topics raised during those workshops. We have done this as a collective exercise so that individuals or locations cannot be identified. The information provided by brigade members and fire wardens was provided to QFES Data Analytics section who independently used artificial intelligence to analyse the data and identify themes. Below are the results of that analysis from our engagement to date. They also included some direct quotes from the original text that typically represent a common conversation across multiple workshops.
The below snapshot has been approved for release by RFSQ Chief Officer Joanne Greenfield.
Based on the text provided, which contained approximately 5,500 words, the following themes emerged (further discussion and quotes follow):
- Training, Education and Support
- Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
- Communication, Engagement and Coordination:
- Administrative Support
- Resourcing and Equipment Management
- Brigade Operations and Management
- Bluecard and Bureaucracy
- Local Knowledge and Autonomy
- Rural Focus and Differentiation
Here’s a more fulsome discussion of each theme, including quotes provided in the original raw text.
Training, Education and Support
This theme emphasises the need for more practical and local training opportunities, hands-on experience, and support for volunteers. This theme highlights the need for training evaluation, simplification of training processes, and the establishment of a dedicated training centre. Broadly the theme touches on:
- Lack of relevant and practical training.
- Training complexity and duration
- Inadequate debriefs and lessons learned
- Need for specialised training in incident management, air operations, logistics, etc.
- Training delivery at local levels and needs to bring back crew leader and Brigade Officer.
Quotes:
- "Training doesn't reflect volunteer needs. Too complex, needs to be delivered at brigade level."
- "Debriefs and lessons learnt are very poor. We don’t learn from our mistakes."
- "We need more air ops training. Air Ops needs to be in RFS as we are the biggest users."
- "Training should be delivered locally. We should not have to go to Beaudesert just because it's where the State trainers live."
- "We need hands-on accredited training not answering 70 questions on a foundation skills exam."
- "We need staff focused on training, and that needs to be practical training not all this online stuff."
- "Training is just too complex. Volunteers do not have the time to do all the online work that is far too complex."
- "Training is a big failure in recent times. What we need is an RFS training Centre of excellence."
Volunteer Recruitment and Retention
Broadly this theme touches on:
- Challenges in retaining volunteers due to bureaucracy and red tape
- Loss of members due to Bluecard requirements
- Need for promoting benefits and insurance coverage of being a brigade member
- Difficulty in accessing a transient or seasonal workforce
- Need for recruiting younger landowners and managers
Quotes:
- "Keeping members is hard - too much bureaucracy. Red tape is a big issue. Losing members due to Bluecard red tape."
- "Bluecard is killing Brigades. We are losing members because they do not want the hassle of getting one."
- "Challenges getting new members and when we do get them the bureaucracy drives them away."
- "Less people on the land - smaller brigades - need help with recruiting volunteers from the land."
Communication, Engagement and Coordination
This theme emphasizes the need for better communication, regular engagement, and face-to-face interactions with higher-level staff and inspectors.
Broadly this theme touches on:
- Lack of understanding between urban and rural brigades
- Poor communication between firecom, trucks, and landowners during fire incidents
- Need for clear command structure and incident management control – we are best suited to manage our own incidents.
- Lack of direct communication channels – More face to face time needed with local staff.
- Need for more regular local engagement between volunteers and staff –Really like the idea of bringing the business of RFS to us.
Quotes:
- "Local volunteers and staff in ICP/ICC, not F&R, they don’t understand how we work and don’t respect our skill and experience."
- Firecom is a big issue. They are always sending urbans to our jobs when there is no need for them."
- "Who is in charge of what fire - fire & Rescue know structural fires and HAZMAT but we are the bushfire experts. We need to be in charge of our fires."
- "Need more face to face with area staff. You need to come to us."
- "We need to see our Area Director more often, face to face, in our own backyard."
- "Engagement with local Inspectors is very important and needs to continue and even improve."
Administrative Support
Broadly this theme touches on:
- Excessive red tape and paperwork
- Lack of IT support and user-friendly systems
- Inadequate engagement with volunteers and rural communities
- Insufficient permanent staff and high turnover
- Need for better support for fire wardens and brigade officers focussed at the local level.
Quotes:
- "Too much Red tape/paperwork when ordering items / organising to get stuff done."
- "Difficulty accessing volunteer portal - no response from IT. QFES is only interested in the populated areas and doesn’t support rural communities."
Resourcing and Equipment Management
This theme focuses on the need for adequate resources, proper resourcing of brigades, and support for fire wardens and volunteers.
Broadly this theme touches on:
- Need for specialised equipment and training
- Lack of access to water sources and local databases
- Insufficient availability and maintenance of firefighting equipment
- Lack of mapping systems and technology
- Issues with radio communications and blackspots
Quotes:
- "Volunteers need to be trained in Incident Management so we can run our own fires."
- "Own firefighting equipment unable to be used to fight fires - why - red tape issue."
- "We need a databases of local water sources all firefighters can access."
- "Supplied radios are too complex. We don’t use them all the time like urbans do. They need to adopt the KISS principle."
- "Brigades should be resourced to meet the local risk."
- "Challenges recruiting and keeping fire wardens. We need more support and it needs to be regular and local."
Brigade Operations and Management
This theme highlights the importance of well-equipped stations, adequate resources, and efficient management for effective brigade operations.
Quotes:
- Quote 1: "Stations should be fit for purpose."
- Quote 2: "Brigades need to be raised, trained, and sustained to meet local community risk."
Bluecard and Bureaucracy
This theme focuses on the negative impact of Bluecard requirements and excessive bureaucracy impacting on volunteer retention and recruitment.
Quotes:
- "Bluecard has caused a lot of volunteers to resign and lots more not to join up."
- "Bluecard requirements are seriously affecting our recruitment."
Local Knowledge and Autonomy
This theme highlights the importance of local autonomy, decision-making, and the need for staff who understand local conditions and respect the knowledge of rural fire brigade members.
Quotes:
- "RFS is far too Brisbane-centric. Decisions should be locally led and locally resolved."
- "We need our own command structure with people who come from a rural background and understand bushfires and volunteers."
Rural Focus and Differentiation
This theme emphasises the desire for a separate stand-alone RFS , emphasising their unique expertise and the need for a focus on rural fire management.
Quotes:
- "Like the idea of being very separate from Urbans. We know our patch and our risks. Leave us to deal with them without interference."
- "RFS should be completely separate from Urbans. We are culturally very different."
Kind regards,