Page 2614 - Week 08 - Wednesday, 10 August 2016
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The UFU head in the ACT, Greg McConville, said at the time that this report was being handed to the government:
We now have a dangerous development where a toecutter from the UK has been announced as overseeing the reform agenda.
If anybody questions the nature of this type of report and how it, in and of itself, could have had and may well have had a significantly chilling effect on the morale of those in uniform in our fire service, the actual review begins with a quote:
It must be considered that there is nothing more difficult to carry out nor more doubtful of success nor more dangerous to handle than to initiate a new order of things, for the reformer has enemies in all those who profit by the old order, and only lukewarm defenders in all those who would profit by the new order, this lukewarmness arising partly from the incredulity of mankind who do not truly believe in anything new until they have had actual experience of it.
It is not a quote from a great firefighting operative but a quote from Machiavelli. Who would commission someone to bring in a report to bring change or benefit for ACTÂ residents who has such a low idea of human ability to change or to grapple with some new ideas? I find this astounding from a left-wing government that is constantly talking about change. No wonder this report had a chilling effect on the morale of the people in our ESA when it began with a quote from Machiavelli of all people.
I note that the main experience of this person is in the physical domain of Buckinghamshire in the UK, which only a cursory look at Google maps tells you is a very green area all year round and not the type of bush capital that we deal with in the ACT. Having said that, there may have been some advice in the report that was of use on management issues; but I think the way it was gone about was very unhelpful. The report also recommended things which have put some sort of fear into the uniformed firefighters on the ground of the possibility of stations not being crewed at night time which also would, I presume, affect response times.
Fire and Rescue are a first responder to incidents that include not just fire but also rescue. In the last week firefighters resuscitated a four-week old baby. They attended the tragic case of the crane rollover at the University of Canberra. Some years ago ACT Fire and Rescue saved the life of a teenage girl, whom I happen to know, whose father was attempting to kill her. They are highly respected. Contrary to what the government is putting around, although the number of structure fires may be down, it seems that the number of heads getting stuck, fingers getting stuck, animals getting stuck, workplace incidents and other incidents has been rising and that the uses that we are putting our fire service to is growing.
The government, in backing up this report to suggest cuts to some of the ways that we deliver these services on the ground, is using a selective figure that the number of fires that Fire and Rescue are responding to has reduced. I believe that is the case. However, if you look overall at the number of events that are being responded to, the report and the figures backing it suggest that the numbers overall have not reduced but have increased by over 20 per cent.
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