Queensland fire service fails to deny staffing shortages

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Queensland fire service fails to deny staffing shortages in north coast region

By Annie Gaffney and Jon Coghill


United Firefighters Union of Queensland (UFUQ) yesterday raised concerns about the shortages and said the public was endangered because of insufficient staffing.

The union also added fire crews were unable to respond to fire incidents adequately because some firefighting crews lacked sufficient numbers.

But although QFES deputy commissioner Mark Roche said all fire stations in the North Coast region were "sufficiently resourced" he refused to deny that more than 10 per cent were understaffed.

He said the QFES has protocols in place to supply sufficient number of staff or resources into an incident "to make sure we carry out those practised safely."

"The QFES rosters one fire officer and three firefighters on every pumping appliance across the state for permanently staffed crews," he said.

"We do that every day we roster. We also have a well practised and well established process in place to maintain those crewing levels."

Mr Roche said firefighters had not become overwhelmed with the demands from search and rescue over fighting fires in the past two decades.

"Particularly over the last 20 years, [there is] the need for that urban search and rescue and technical rescue component. We skill up our firefighters to a competent level so they can carry out those roles. Queensland also has an international deployment," he said.

"If we do have crews deployed internationally or interstate then we will bolster our staffing to ensure they don't leave a hole in our staffing numbers."

The North Coast Region covers the coastal areas of Bundaberg, Hervey Bay and the Sunshine Coast and inland to the Burnett hinterland.

The UFUQ has begun a review of staffing of the North Coast region after the Courier-Mail reported that a secret audit of firefighter numbers showed 26 cases of dangerous crewing in the last three months.

State secretary John Oliver yesterday said a crew of at least four is required at a house fire, but he has attended a scene where only three firefighters were present.

"With a house fire you might say you need four to a truck," he said. "When two firefighters enter a building to rescue someone two firefighters have to be on the outside if something happens to those [firefighters] on the inside."

"When the fire service only supplies three to a truck, obviously that doesn't equate to two-in-two-out and we're unable to enter that building."

Mr Oliver said fire crews have been forced for wait up to 15 minutes for back-up after which the fire can build momentum.
Source
http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2015/08/25/4299461.htm