News 
Formal consultation has commenced on six updated Standard Operating Procedures. (SOP's)
The proposed draft SOP's are available for download from the bottom of this page and contain:
- SOP 6.02 Crew Composition (16 and 17 year olds)
- SOP 6.05 Helmet Identification
- SOP 9.32 Bushfire - Entrapment Procedures for Appliances
- SOP 9.15 Mayday and Hostile Acts Radio Signals
- SOP 10.03 Asbestos Incident
- SOP 14.06 Notification of Injuries and Fatalities
Members are encouraged to review the revised SOP's and provide any feedback/suggestions/amendments including indicating support/non-support for the proposed policies.
Feedback can be provided by individuals, brigades and groups.
All feedback is used to inform and influence formal VFBV positions as well as used to influence CFA positions and thinking during the deliberative process. If we need to use your feedback to demonstrate or illustrate the views of members, your personal details will not be shared with CFA, and feedback will always be de-identified to protect your privacy.
We encourage members not to wait until deadlines to provide feedback, but rather provide it as early as possible which will give us a chance to conduct further research that may assist us being able to advocate more strongly for your desired outcome.
Feedback due dates on these SOP's are:
SOP 6.05 and SOP 14.06 are due Monday 13th November, 2023
SOP 6.02, SOP 9.15, SOP 9.32 and SOP 10.03 are due Monday 4th December, 2023
All members are welcome and encouraged to provide feedback. If you have any questions, please contact your local State Councilor or VFBV Support Officer in the first instance.
How to provide feedback:
It would be preferred that members provide feedback ASAP, so that it can be received incrementally, allowing us enough time to consolidate, identify trends and research issues raised by members.
Feedback can be provided via:
- Emailing to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
- Your local VFBV District Council or your local VFBV Support Officer
- By Post: 9/24 Lakeside Drive, Burwood East VIC 3151
- By Fax: (03) 9886 1618
- For those that prefer to answer a survey to provide feedback, individual survey's are currently being developed and will be available shortly.
The Survey for SOP 6.05 Helmet Identification is available here: https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/hdBtcy
The Survey for SOP 14.06 Notification of Injuries and Fatalities is available here: https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/pMBcXb
The Survey for SOP 6.02 Crew Composition (16 and 17 Year Olds) is available here: https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/LNBtcr
The Survey for SOP 9.15 Mayday and Hostile Acts Radio Signals is available here: https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/gCBcXQ
The Survey for SOP 9.32 Bushfire - Entrapment Procedures for Appliances is available here: https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/heBcH1
The Survey for SOP 10.03 Asbestos Incidents is available here: https://survey.zohopublic.com.au/zs/vGBtd3
Feedback does not need to be long or detailed, but if you do have the time to make substantive comment that is always welcome.
If you generally support a principle or policy, then a quick note letting us know would also be helpful. Similarly, let us know if you do not support it, or which aspects of it you don't support.
Where indicating non-support, it would be helpful to understand the key reasons why, and even a couple of brief bullet points would be adequate. Likewise, if you would prefer to provide a more detailed response, or mark-up and suggest changes to the documents, that is welcome also.
Your feedback will assist us form a VFBV position and response to the proposed changes and help us advocate on behalf of CFA volunteers. Please consider getting involved, and providing us your feedback ASAP.
Please remember to provide feedback in support as well as against. If we only hear from those who are against, it can be harder to determine the general comfort level of members with the proposals.
