New Community Safety Co-ordinator Flexible ways to fill the BMT role in your Brigade

Overview of this session

• What are the new community safety roles – the mandated BMT role and the optional community safety roles.

• How you can make them work for your brigade – look at ‘real life’ examples from other brigades who have established and structured up com safety in a way that works for them and their communities.

• Practical tips and approaches your brigade can use to fill the roles

• Tools and resources available to support you and your brigade to develop and build a community safety role or team.

• Question time

The new Membership Classificationwhat's it all about?

Communities are changing Membership Classification offers flexibility and changes to the way brigades are structured and managed to effectively meet the needs of their communities.

Volunteerism is changingThe changes will also provide a volunteer membership structure that caters to the changing and varied nature of modern volunteerism.

One of the changes is the formalisation of the Community Safety responsibilities within a brigade.

Brigade Structure & Roles

Role descriptors will be developed for all roles

Boxes represent roles not people

One size will not fit all! Flexibility is the key

One size will not fit all! Flexibility is the key

7

Brigade Structures – Drouin West Fire Brigade

8

Brigade Structures – Bayswater Fire Brigade

9

Brigade Structures - Upper Beaconsfield Fire Brigade

Integrated Fire Station

12

Other structures – Warracknabeal model, Grampians Region

Secretary & Treasurer – one of each for the

whole “hub” brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

brigade

Group

AuxilliaryJuniors

Social club

N.B. Each of the 17 entities keeps own

BMT

Small farms turning in to larger farms Ageing and declining populations Lack of numbers turning out to incidents Most volunteers part of more than one community group (burnout

13

Other structures – LMR Com Ed Team

14

Other structures – HQ Brigade – specialising in DECC & ICC support

Specialise in com safety team?

15

Recruiting for community safety roles

16

Tips to fill your community safety roles

Wonga Park Fire Brigade Fire Safety Puppet Show

Goal: to recruit 15 volunteer puppeteers to implement a fire safety performance over a 2 year period. 2 scripts, summer and winter.

For schools and festivals/fetes.

17

Tips to fill your community safety roles

“Puppets? You have got to be kiddin’ me!”

18

Tips to fill your community safety roles

• Start with targeting existing members-give them an opportunity to get involved – you never know til you ask! (2 members were keen)

• Target members who may have dropped off from attending the brigade – maybe they want a change of pace (1 member)

• Target family members of existing members

(4 members – really successful!)

19

Tips to fill your community safety roles

• Members from neighbouring brigades (4 members) strike a deal!

• Recruit from the community – target individuals, target groups(2 members theatre group), if required go community wide

• Recognise the good work they do!

13 recruited and the project ran for 3 years.Won a fire awareness award .

20

Tools & Resources - Sample role descriptions

• Six flexible templates have been developed and can be modified to cater for your needs

Brigade Community Safety Coordinator (mandated BMT role)

Brigade Vegetation Management (Fuel reduction)

F&EM Planning (Fire Prevention)

Community Engagement/Relations

Community Education and Information

Group role: Group Community Safety Role

Tools to support the new roles(new mandated BMT role)

Speak to your catchment teams – BASOs and CECs

Tools to support the new roles(new mandated BMT role)

A Community Safety Training Package has now being developed to support the new brigade Community Safety roles. Awareness sessions for the new mandated community safety role will be conducted in the coming months to support brigades.

Membership Sustainability Pilot

To assist participating brigades to trial a range of options and approaches to improve membership structure. Support may include: brigade roles, structure, membership diversity

The new Volunteer Support Program

project staff here today:

Recruitment, Retention & RecognitionGrowth and declineEngaging Diverse Communities Leadership/welfareMembership Sustainability Pilot

23

In Conclusion…To establish and fill the BMT role in your brigade…

• Clearly outline what the role is, what's involved, the specifics, use the role description templates to guide you. Use targeted recruitment approaches.

• Establish and “Structure up” how the role or the community safety team will work in your brigade.

• Recruiting for the role

Tap an existing member on the shoulder – personal approach Try family members of existing members Try members who’s attendance may have dropped off Recruit from community – personal approach , approach a group,

then go community wide.

• Use the tools, resources and staff available to support you

Questions

Brigade Community Safety (Engagement & Education) Training Pathways (2013)

Role Awareness Workshop

Duration approximately (2 – 3 hours)

(CFA426) Fire Behaviour

Duration

approximately (5 hours)

CFA Bushfire Firefighter Qualified

Optional Pathway

PUAFIR208 Participate in Community Safety Activities

(Competency can be achieved by either: recognition of prior learning, self-paced learning tool or attendance

at a course)

Undertake Brigade Community Safety role/s:

Community Safety Coordinator (BMT)

Community Engagement and Relations

Community Education & Information

May include:

being contact point for CFA regions on fire safety information.

coordination of brigade displays at events,

doorknocking campaigns, mail-outs etc.

CFA Community Safety or IMT Development Courses

Fire Safe Kids

Fire Safe Youth

Home Bushfire Advice Service

Fire Ready Victoria

Reduce the Risk

Early Fire Safe

IMT roles (Such as community or media liaison)

Brigade Induction

Welcome to CFA

Role Awareness Workshop

Duration approximately (2 – 3 hours)

Community Safety Engagement Training Pathway

Brigade Classification

Brigade Classification