Scotland Island Rural Fire Brigade

Brigade training is scheduled for this Sunday, 6 June.
The plan is to look at the basics of Village Fire Fighting.
I am concerned that with the rain we have had, driving the vehicles around the Island and into the park would not be a wise move.
We don't want to cause any further damage than is necessary to our already "wonderful" roads.
Therefore, we will continue to the Village theme, but base the training exercise at the station.
The training will look at any specific pieces of equipment that are used for Village fire fighting, where they are in the station or on the truck and how they are used.
It will also give us an opportunity to ensure all the correct pieces of equipment are on the vehicles and are in good working order.
Training will start at 9am on Sunday, 6 June.
We also have a brigade meeting on Monday, 7 June, starting at 7.30pm
There are many items to discuss, including the monthly shed dinners and other social events; training, both at a brigade level and district level; members competencies for specialist qualifications and much more. And we need people to step up and help with some of these activities so please come along to the meeting and get involved.
Minutes for the previous meeting are available to view by clicking the Brigade Meetings link to the left.
Cheers
Tim Byrne
Captain
SIRFB

After a considerable dry spell, we copped a couple of cloud bursts in the early hours of Sunday morning (16 May).
This meant that the area was too damp for the pile burn we had planned for Pathilda Reserve.
Thanks to those who put their hand up to help, and turned up to the station before the message went out that the burn was off.
Given the rain that fell during Sunday, it will be some time before the reserve is dry enough to burn.

Another thing that will stop us heading back to Pathilda Reserve too soon is the Fire Boat.
It is being taken off for repairs, so we will not be responding to call-outs off the Island unless it is to assist West Pittwater Brigade with Elvina 15.
The floor seals have given way and the hull is filling with water, weighing the boat down and making it sluggish through the water.'
It is felt that diesel spills on the deck have contributed to the deterioration of the seals which has then let the water in.
It will be some weeks before the boat is back in the pen.

By way clarification, the structure for the training schedule of the SIRBS is Brigade training at 9am on the first Sunday of the month, Crew training at 9am on the third Sunday of the month and Specialist training at 7.30pm on the last Thursday of the month.
We are reintroducing crew based training and rosters as a basis for a more structured training program.
A new crew list/contact list is attached.
The two crews will be the ‘duty’ crews for a month, starting with Alpha Crew in May and Bravo Crew in June, and so on.
The next activity will be a pile burn at Pathilda Reserve on the crew training day, 16 May, starting at 9am. Despite Alpha crew being the ‘duty’ crew, all brigade members are encouraged to attend this burn. West Pittwater Brigade has also been invited to assist with this burn. It is an extension of the basic skills drills that were practiced last weekend in Catherine Park during Brigade Training. Lunch will be provided.
Further training will see First Aid/Defib training on Thursday, 27 May. This will be followed by Village training during June.
Other activities for the rest of the year are being formulated.
The five Brigade Field Officers - Byrne, Richmond, White, Christie and Lambe – will each have the station telephone diverted to them for a week, during times that Bruce does not man the station. Therefore, there will be times the officer with the phone will not be the Crew Leader of the duty crew.
The idea is having three different training sessions each month is to provide flexibility for members. Members are not expected to attend all training sessions, but they are encouraged to attend as many as possible to maintain the skills and competencies needed when we a responded to an emergency situation.
Cheers
Tim Byrne
Captain
SIRFB

Dates for training and meetings are:

Brigade Training: 6 June, Village Fire Fighting Basics
Meeting: 7 June
Crew Training: 20 June, Village Fire Fighting – respond to fire
Specialist Training: 24 June, Village Fire Fighting at night

Brigade Training: 4 July
Meeting: 5 July
Crew Training: 18 July
Specialist Training: 29 July

Brigade Training: 1 August
Meeting: 2 August
Crew Training: 15 August
Specialist Training: 26 August

Brigade Training: 5 September
Meeting: 6 September
Crew Training: 19 September
Specialist Training: 30 September

Brigade Training: 3 October
Meeting: 4 October
Crew Training: 17 October
Specialist Training: 28 October

Meeting: 1 November
Brigade Training: 7 November
Crew Training: 21 November
Specialist Training: 25 November

Brigade Training: 5 December
Meeting: 6 December
Crew Training: 19 December
Specialist Training: 30 December

2011
Brigade Training: 2 January
Meeting: 3 January
Crew Training: 16 January
Specialist Training: 27 January

Brigade Training: 6 February
Meeting: 7 February
Crew Training: 20 February
Specialist Training: 24 February

Brigade Training: 6 March
Meeting: 7 March
Crew Training: 20 March
Specialist Training: 231 March

Brigade Training: 3 April
Meeting: 4 April
Crew Training: 17 April
Specialist Training: 28 April

Brigade Training: 1 May
Meeting: 2 May
Crew Training: 15 May
Specialist Training: 26 May

Download the latest SIRFB Newsletter to read about what's happening with training, hazard reductions and other Brigade activities.