Page 3620 - Week 11 - Thursday, 16 November 2006
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diploma program and three ambulance paramedic qualified members are completing a bridging course of study.
Mr Pratt commented on paramedic numbers. I understand ACTAS has also recently completed a recruitment exercise and has extended offers to a further eight ambulance paramedics to complete a bridging program. ACTAS also encourages and supports its staff, through studybank processes, to pursue further tertiary level qualifications. A number of serving members are currently undertaking bachelors or masters degrees in relevant fields of study. I am very proud of our ambulance paramedics, as I am sure we all are. They do a fantastic job, and I am confident that the TWU has done more for these paramedics than Mr Pratt will do his lifetime.
The ACT Fire Brigade has undertaken numerous training programs in 2006. This year has seen all staff undertake training in new car technology, which is directly relevant to their road rescue functions. Further, since the beginning of this year, a total of 87 places have been available on a range of courses undertaken. These include: vertical rescue in January 2006; trench rescue in January 2006; CAFS level 2 in March 2006; a communications course in April 2006; CBRN level 2, part 1 in June 2006, stage 3 rescue in July 2006; station officer induction in August 2006; New South Wales Fire Brigade high rise command and control course in August 2006; Queensland Fire and Rescue command and control course in August 2006; AFP command and control course in August 2006; breathing apparatus technical re-accreditation course in August 2006 and CBR forensics training in September 2006.
An officer has also just participated in the international multijurisdictional chemical, biological and radiological forensic investigation exercise known as CAPEX06 in London. The cost of the travel for this exercise was met by the EMA. Fourteen new recruits graduated on 1 November 2006, and this is the second recruit graduation for the ACT Fire Brigade in the last 12 months.
In 2002, the first of many nationally recognised units of competence were introduced to the ACT Rural Fire Service. Since then, learning and development opportunities for the ACT Rural Fire Service have aimed to ensure that members are able to perform their roles within the ACT community safely, proficiently and competently.
The framework for this training is nationally recognised competency-based training from the public safety training package that has been adopted by all Australian rural fire services. Training that is delivered in the ACTRFS is to the same units of competence delivered by all other Australian rural fire services. This gives interoperability, both when sending ACT teams interstate and when assistance is sought by the ACT for large-scale multijurisdictional incidents.
The responsibility for the delivery of training is shared between the brigades, the rural fire service and JESTA. Trainers must be competent in the unit of competence TAADEL301A, which provides training through instruction and demonstration of work skills, or BSZ404A, which is training in small groups. All trainers must be competent in the unit of competence in which they are training. Where the trainer is not competent in the unit of competence in which they are training, they must seek assistance from an experienced person who has knowledge of the subject matter and who holds the unit of competence.
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