District firefighters not involved in the dispute about alleged treatment of volunteers have expressed anger at being “dragged into” the now public battle.
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It includes the members of the Deniliquin, Wandook and Hill Plain Rural Fire Service brigades, whose members were unavailable to assist Deniliquin Fire + Rescue NSW with a house fire in Deniliquin last Friday.
They have contacted the Pastoral Times to reject claims from Volunteer Fire Fighters Association president Jon Russell, expressed in Tuesday’s edition, which suggested the non-attendance was linked to complaints raised with the association.
Mr Russell told the Pastoral Times it was one of a number of fire calls in recent months which had limited RFS firefighter turnout.
The Pastoral Times sought clarification on the non-attendance of RFS at the house fire with the Mid Murray Zone office.
Our questions were referred to the RFS media team, with the response received rejecting the notion of firefighters refusing to attend the fire based on the suggested dispute.
The RFS stance has since been supported by the executive and members of the Deniliquin RFS brigade and Birganbigil Brigade Captain Laurie Beer in letters to the editor (see page 12).
A spokesperson for the Mid Murray Zone and NSW RFS headquarters has further clarified that “unavailability was simply due to member availability at the time”.
“The Deniliquin Brigade is largely made up of younger members with young families,” the spokesperson said.
“Many of our active volunteers are tradespeople who work out of town, and the time required to return from their work sites to attend an incident that had already been responded to by Fire + Rescue New South Wales would not have been beneficial.
“Other members were caring for their children and getting them ready for school — a reality of balancing volunteer service with family responsibilities.
“We are incredibly grateful to all our volunteers who generously give up their time to serve and protect their communities. Their dedication and commitment are the heart of our organisation.”
The Mid Murray Zone has 1400 members, including 20 with the Deniliquin brigade, and across NSW there are 70,000 members.
“Like any good community or family, there will always be differences. The RFS is no different,” the spokesperson said.
“There will always be disagreements and friction from time to time, which, if managed appropriately, is healthy – it’s democracy.
“Bullying and harassment, however, is never acceptable or condoned.
“Local areas have a senior leadership team, made up of senior volunteers and staff, that are available to work through issues.
“Failing that, the RFS has a workplace complaints process to resolve complex and sustained disputes.”
The spokesperson said the belief of Mid Murray and RFS HQ staff is the vast majority do not support the views expressed to the Pastoral Times by the Volunteer Fire Fighters Association.
“Based on discussions with members across the district, it’s clear that the concerns raised by the VFFA are not widespread and do not reflect the general sentiment of the broader volunteer membership.
“It is concerning that the VFFA continues to push the views of a small number of individuals, some of whom are no longer active members of the service.
“In fact, several of these individuals have themselves exhibited the very behaviours and issues they are now criticising.
“Their commentary does not reflect the experiences or views of the broader volunteer membership, either locally or across New South Wales. The strength of the RFS lies in its volunteer community.
“The claims made by the VFFA suggesting that brigades are not responding to calls are simply incorrect.
“Brigades across the area remain operational and continue to respond to incidents as required.
“While it is true that a small number of individuals in one brigade may have chosen not to respond, this is not reflective of the broader district, where other members continue to serve their communities with commitment and professionalism.
“Our volunteers remain dedicated to the cause, and we thank them for their continued service.”
The RFS said one solution to fluctuations in volunteer numbers and availability is to have a greater number of volunteers to call on.
“Rural Fire Service brigades, particularly in remote areas, often experience fluctuations in membership due to changing demographics and people moving away from the land.
“These shifts can make it challenging to maintain volunteer numbers in some of our more isolated communities.
“In contrast, our town-based brigades tend to have more stable membership levels, but even they benefit greatly from fresh faces and new energy.
“We strongly encourage more people to consider joining — every volunteer makes a difference.
“It's important to remember that the RFS is made up entirely of community members.
“Standing on the sidelines and expressing concern when there are no volunteers doesn’t solve the problem — becoming a member does.
“Whether responding to fires, assisting during floods, or supporting local events, our volunteers are at the heart of our emergency response capability.
“We deeply value and respect our volunteers — their dedication, skills and community spirit are what make the RFS what it is.”
Senior journalist