A handful of CFA personnel (as chosen by Regions) have been making the trek north after the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) kindly invited two CFA members to present at each of the four NSW RFS Community Engagement District Forums held this year.
The NSW RFS Forums are more intimate and geographically targeted for their volunteers (having four forums around the state) but are still similar to the CFA State Forum (register your interest to attend here). The RFS Forums and the CFA State Forum are a great opportunity for volunteers and staff to come together to share experiences, ideas and best practice on engaging with communities to prepare for fires.
With two forums down and two to go, the four CFA attendees really got a lot out of the visit. “I particularly enjoyed meeting Wiradjuri Elder Uncle Neil Ingram, who explained a joint project with Local Land services and the RFS. This included using some traditional slow burning methods in an effort to bring back the land to its natural state” said Joanne Melton, from CFA’s District 9. Joanne continued “it was interesting because it highlighted the great results that can be achieved when different groups work respectfully with each other.”
The presentation Community Engagement from a CFA Perspective was well received by the RFS attendees, with the RFS organiser Troy Gersback saying “the initial feedback has been really positive. All the presenters so far have been engaging and confident, and have really given RFS an insight into the way CFA approaches and practices community engagement.”
With two of the district forums completed, the remaining two forums will held in Newcastle and Albury.
The partnership between the two agencies will continue in August when NSW RFS will be represented at the CFA-SES Community Engagement and Hazard Awareness State Forum in Creswick. You can register your interest to attend here.
Author: Lee Dalgleish