What are our commitments to health?
“Prevention is better than a cure“, but we will work hard with members to improve both.
Our team will be continuing the good work done by the FBEU over many years in this space. We will be focusing on, but not limited to, the following areas:
Cancer legislation and cover
We have extensive experience and runs on the board in this area, given Jim and Travis were leading the FBEU during the first cancer presumptive legislation campaigning, including work done through Parliament, MPs, and the community. This work, along with others, helped achieve the cover and legislation we have today. The list of cancers that cover firefighters in that legislation now needs extension, and we are the team to do that. We won’t just wear shirts, we’ll get results.
Death and Disability improvements
The question of improving and extending our unique D&D cover has been ignored for the last 6 years, which is why we will do what should have been done. Our current scheme was only ever intended to be the start of further enhancements in cover for FBEU members, which is why we will work to improve this cover and achieve better outcomes for all members.
Clean firefighter gear and amenity
Less talk, more action is required in this area. Some good improvements have been seen over the last decade, but more needs to be done. We will build on the work done in this space by requiring our employer to create better decon policies, better resources to remain safe at work, improvements in clean firefighter processes, fatigue management and SCBA wash facilities at all stations.
Climate change impacts
Some great work has been done around this issue by the FBEU by previous leaderships, none more so that our candidate for President, Jim Casey, who has worked tirelessly in this space for 15 years, when he was FBEU State Secretary, and after. However, the ball has been dropped more recently following the 2020 Black Summer fires. Nobody knows more what that looked like on the ground than FBEU members, but our leadership missed a once in a generation opportunity to capitalize on that. The work in highlighting this risk to our community and members continues, but we must do more on the issue of resources, fatigue and more firefighters. Global politics on this issue are important, and FBEU has policy endorsing more work highlighting the risks of climate change on our industry, but it’s firefighters who are frontline when it comes to mega-fires. Our team will provide strong advocacy on this important issue as a matter of urgency.
WHS and HSRs
We’re not in this to wreck, we’re in this to build. Some good work has been done to improve HSR processes by both the the Union and the Department. We are active members of those committees and will continue to support and enhance the HSR groups.
WHS generally is another important area where we feel there has been much talk and not enough action. Our team has a strong track record of protecting and improving firefighters safety within the FBEU, and we will not only develop our own strategies withe the State Committee of Management, but also draw on the wealth of knowledge and advocacy amongst our membership.
We’re firefighters like you and we come from the engine bay floors. Safety is a priority for us, and you have made it clear to us that it is a priority for you too. A vote for our team is a vote for safety, but also action.
Wilmott-Casey 24 