IT IS BUSINESS as usual for the Ocean Grove Fire Station according to commander Ian Beswicke, despite unveiling a new look for paid firefighters on July 1.
\nAs the state\u2019s fire service reforms came into effect, paid members and their trucks are now rebadged under the Fire Rescue Victoria
\n(FRV) moniker.
\nMr Beswicke, of the Bellarine Catchment, said while paid firefighters will be sporting a new name, Ocean Grove Country Fire Authority (CFA) volunteers will still operate out of the Shell Road fire station, with CFA logos on their trucks.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s always concerns from people about how it (change) will affect the community but I can reassure the community they\u2019ll be well and truly looked after throughout this process,\u201d Mr Beswicke said.
\n\u201cThey shouldn\u2019t notice any change. The community will dial 000, a fire truck will turn up at their house with staff and volunteers. It won\u2019t matter what colour truck or uniform, they\u2019ll work together, do their job and protect the community.
\n\u201cThe government have been heading down this path for many years, and it\u2019s taken a long time to get where we are.\u201d
\nThe new FRV service brings paid firefighters at regional integrated stations, such as Ocean Grove, under the same banner as metropolitan fire brigades; CFA stickers have already been removed from the fire appliances of paid firefighters and replaced with FRV stickers.
\nMr Beswicke said the changes allow staff to have an Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (EBA), something legislation had made impossible
\nsince 2010.
\n\u201cThey couldn\u2019t have a current EBA under the CFA, the last one was in 2010. It will allow staff to be looked after under a single service and CFA to fully focus on their volunteers.\u201d
\nMr Beswicke\u2019s been with the CFA for more than 40 years, volunteering for five years before that, and with a combined service of 45 years said he\u2019s still got \u201ca couple of years\u201d left in him yet.
\n\u201cOcean Grove has a great bunch of staff and volunteers. They support each other, respect each other, and bring specific things to their
\nrespective roles.
\n\u201cAs the officer in charge of Ocean Grove, it\u2019s been a really good experience. Whether they\u2019re volunteer or staff, they know what their job is.\u201d
\nMr Beswicke said paid firefighters will now answer to the FRV commissioner instead of the CFA chief officer, and encouraged both parties to maintain mutual respect for one another.
\n\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter what colour the truck or the uniform is, to the community it\u2019s all the same; it\u2019s about providing a service to keep them safe.
\n\u201cThere\u2019s always a bit of unknown and questions that haven\u2019t been answered yet. We\u2019ve changed from an integrated station to a co-located station but for now, it\u2019s just about reassuring the public they won\u2019t see any impact.
\n\u201cIt\u2019s just administrative things on our end we need to do as two organisations to ensure we can work as one.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
IT IS BUSINESS as usual for the Ocean Grove Fire Station according to commander Ian Beswicke, despite unveiling a new look for paid firefighters on July 1. As the state\u2019s fire service reforms came into effect, paid members and their trucks are now rebadged under the Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) moniker. Mr Beswicke, of the […]<\/p>\n