Fire Awareness certificate

[Big Wave]

G'day Slappers,

I've searched the Forum on this and not found any definitive answers.

I live in the Sydney area and would like to tick the fire awareness certificate box. I've checked the RFS website, they list the aviation quals that are out there but don't show when said courses are being run etc.

Can anyone shed any more light on this for me?

Cheers Big Wave

[robaussie99]

Would also be interested in this answer....Could not find much either.

[Ag-Fire]

Rob from my understanding you would certinly meet the awareness skills

from what I know is that they are only available to those who are a member of the service or have been employed on a fire gig with no prior fire background. It's a very basic intro to fire !

[havick]

NSW RFS accept interstate fire agencies basic fire awareness course.

If you do the QLD certificates, takes about 1 hour or so from a CD with videos, then fill in a form accompanied with your certificates and they'll issue your card.

NSW only runs their course once a year so if your've missed it, the QLD is the easiest way to get around it.

hope this helps

[Twistgrip]

Big wave,

I wouldn't stress too much about it as Ag fire has stated. If you can get along to it great but I can't see it being a disadvantage if your lodging a resume to an operator.

[havick]

what he said.... It's probably the last thing on the list that a prospective operator is concerned with..

[Tactical71]

I know media crews have to do the course, which the RFS run privately for them, but Im not aware whether air crews are required to have done one.

I would contact the NSW RFS State Air Desk at Homebush and check that. If it is a requirment, then they would be able to tell you how to go about getting one.

[chocolate]

I know media crews have to do the course, which the RFS run privately for them, but Im not aware whether air crews are required to have done one.

I would contact the NSW RFS State Air Desk at Homebush and check that. If it is a requirment, then they would be able to tell you how to go about getg one.

Or you could join / volunteer to a outer Sydney brigade and get basic firefighter qualifn and ppe.. Baulkham hills. Kuringai. Sutherland to name a few.Might just save yr life or home one day having basic fire behaviour knowledge. Choc

[Leethallee]

LOL, just try to get a gig on fires without one, pilot or crew

[Tactical71]

I know media crews have to do the course, which the RFS run privately for them, but Im not aware whether air crews are required to have done one.

I would contact the NSW RFS State Air Desk at Homebush and check that. If it is a requirment, then they would be able to tell you how to go about getg one.

Or you could join / volunteer to a outer Sydney brigade and get basic firefighter qualifn and ppe.. Baulkham hills. Kuringai. Sutherland to name a few.Might just save yr life or home one day having basic fire behaviour knowledge. Choc

As a volunteer of nearly 20 years and Deputy Captain in my Brigade, can I suggest you DO NOT join up, just to get a BF qual and PPE. Far to many people do this, and not only does it cost $$$$ to train and outfit a person only to have them leave months later, its not in the spirit of volunteering! If you are planning on staying with the brigade and continuing to volunteer your time to training and go to call outs, then great, but please dont join just to get the training and then leave. In anycase, when you leave, you have to return all your PPE anyway, so you might aswell, just do an awareness training course run by them and be done with it.

Can I also recommend a buying and reading a copy of Joan Webster's The Complete Bushfire Safety Handbook or Essential Bushfire Safety Tips. http://www.completebushfiresafety.com/
Writen in layman's terms, it explains what happens in a bushfire, why people die in bushifres needlessly, and why properly prepared and attended houses are more like to survive than an unattended house. If you cant find a bushfire awareness course, then get this book and read it. It will give you all the same info that you will get from a bushfire awareness course. I should know, I used to teach them!

Hope this helps.

Cheers

[Big Wave]

Thanks for all your replies. I've been away for the week. QLD Fire service are sending me out a video that they send to all there Aerial fire fighter crews, should be interesting. After looking into it a bit further, my feeling is that if I was to get a part time gig on fire crews, they would if need be, supply me with any fire awareness training required.

[Hueyman]

Is this BFA?

[hand in pants]

My general fire knowledge:
1. Fire is usually a reddish colour and hot
2. Fire makes a white, grey or black stuff called smoke. It's hard to see through and you can't breath it
3. Water will usually put fire out, even when npws won't let you use retardant
4. Most important, don't let it touch you or you will get burnt. Very painful.
5. Wind will make fire move faster
6. rfs will tell you EVERY year that this is the season to end all seasons, it will be a mega season, the end of the world as we know it. And it won't be.
7. rfs will tell you EVERY year that you will need more gear (usually expensive) and it's mandatory to have it. And it won't be.

Read and remember points 1-5 let me know and I'll send you a certificate. Not.

[Crusty]

Ha Ha Ha Sooo true Mac.
You forgot to tell him he is wasting his time unless he works for one of the top 5 companies based within 150 klms of Sydney! Otherwise you sit on standby and watch them pass over your base to the fire you can actually see, BUT that doesn't count apparently!