Join the Brigade

Here are a few points you need to consider in becoming a member.

CFA – Fact and Fiction

• We are not a social club but an emergency service.
• Chain of Command applies – the fireground is a dictatorship not a democracy.
• Fighting fires and attending emergencies is less than 5% of our time.
• You may not drive a fire truck within the first few years of joining.
• Insured for CFA approved activities.
• Lots of rules and regulations.
• Whilst the points above are intended for those interested in emergency roles, there are auxiliary roles for those interested in supporting the brigade in other ways.

South Warrandyte Fire Brigade at a Glance

• First registered as a CFA brigade in 1947.
• Around 30 volunteer members.
• Fire district covers 45 square km:
  • South Warrandyte
  • Donvale
  • North Ringwood
  • Park Orchards
  • Warranwood
• 3 vehicles.
• 200+ emergency responses annually.
• Range of community relationship programs.

Our Role

• Fires
  • House and buildings
  • Bush and grass
  • Car fires
  • Burn offs and incinerators
• Incidents
  • Motor vehicle accidents
  • Hazardous materials
  • Washaways
  • Floods and other natural disaster recovery
• Public Service
  • Community education and safety
  • Advisors on Local Government and special interest committees
  • Help ambulance service with patient retrieval
  • Power lines down
  • Get children out of locked cars

The Recruitment Process

• Introductory Night
  • Understanding Service Delivery Standards (SDS)
  • Fire fighting - the risks
• Induction
  • Complete CFA application form which includes a section on medical history
  • Criminal record check
• 16 Week Training Program
  • Generally one week night and a Sunday morning
  • Practical and theory instruction
  • Formal assessments to check competency
  • No turning out to fires or incidents during this period
  • At end of the training program, there is a hot fire training at South Eastern Training Ground (SETG) in Carrum
  • Minimum skills qualification to enable you to respond to calls
• 6 months Probation
  • Brigade reviews your suitability as a member

Our Commitment To You

• Upon Successful Completion of Course
  • Personal issue of base level protective equipment and clothing
  • Pager for alerting you to calls
  • Able to attend fires and incidents
  • Able to attend monthly meetings and vote on decisions which set brigade direction and strategy
• Structured Training & Skill Development
  • 3 Year training program to gain specialist skills
    • Use of Breathing Apparatus (BA)
    • Hazardous material identification and handling
    • Building structures
    • Fire science
    • Vehicle driving
  • A skills maintenance program to maintain and enhance the skills and lessons learnt along the way
• Extended support for you and your family through brigade functions and programs

Your Commitment To Us

• Actively and effectively participate in brigade activities
  • Training and skill development
  • Call response
  • Community based partnering programs
• Demonstrate mature and responsible attitude and behaviours
• Management of priorities
  • Firstly to your family
  • Then to your job or schooling
  • Then to CFA

If you are still interested, email us at swfb@swfb.org.au!