CFA volunteers from across the region rushed to Goomalibee to fight a fire that swept across the area before Christmas. The CFA has confirmed all members were contacted following that deployment to check on their mental health and welbeing.
The CFA’s Benalla Group, which comprises 19 local brigades, reportedly has 14 appliances operating beyond their recommended service life.
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That’s according to the CFA Volunteers Group Committee, which raised serious safety concerns after it said it received multiple, worrying reports from brigades across Victoria.
However, CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan said that all CFA vehicles were fit for purpose, regardless of age.
“CFA has more than 3000 vehicles across Victoria,” Mr Heffernan said.
“Emergency response vehicles are a key part of our response capability and our focus is always on whether the vehicles are safe, appropriately equipped and fit for purpose, regardless of age.
“This includes all fire trucks in the broader Benalla geographical area.
“All emergency response vehicles within the CFA fleet are maintained by our expert network of mechanical officers and are subject to annual maintenance servicing and an annual fire-worthy inspection by qualified technical staff.
“CFA replaces vehicles as, and when, it can within the budget it has available and continues to advocate strongly for more investment from government to accelerate our fleet replacement program.”
CFAVG, however, stated that the reports it had received indicated risks to frontline capability and safety.
And while some of those reports were linked to ageing fire trucks, it stated that others indicated inadequate station facilities, prolonged fatigue, and gaps in operational and post-fire support.
A Victorian Government spokesperson, however, said the CFA was currently better funded and better resourced than it had been under previous governments.
“The latest CFA annual report makes it clear,” the spokesperson said.
“In 2024-25 CFA funding reached its highest level in five years.
“The CFA board has also been clear that funding has increased year-on-year since 2020.”
When most people are fleeing in the opposite direction, CFA members are heading towards fires and the dangers they bring, in order to protect communities.
Photo by
Bree Harding
But CFAVG said the issues stemmed from the way those funds were prioritised.
It stated that the reports it had received, which spanned several regions, pointed to systemic issues rather than isolated incidents and reinforced an urgent need for greater transparency and government accountability in how CFA resources were prioritised and delivered.
Benalla wasn’t the only area where concerns were raised, with CFAVG stating that in Goomalibee, brigades and community members in areas affected by the December fire had reported a perceived lack of follow-up support and a feeling of being forgotten.
This is something the CFA strongly disputes, at least when it comes to its volunteers.
“Following the Goomalibee fire, the Goorambat members involved were contacted individually by the local duty officer to check on their wellbeing and offer ongoing support,” Mr Heffernan said.
“This was also followed up by the chief officer, who reached out to the Goorambat captain.
“Ongoing contact and support was offered in the days following the fire by the local assistant chief fire officer.
“CFA has also maintained a strong presence of peer support and wellbeing officers across the state to monitor the mental health and wellbeing of members.
“As part of our Mental Health Literacy Program, CFA provides workshops, webinars and other helpful resources covering topics such as self-care, early help-seeking, navigating grief and loss, navigating trauma and supporting leaders to have wellbeing check-in conversations.”
CFAVG spokesperson Leigh Harry also highlighted reported issues in other CFA groups across Victoria.
“CFA volunteers accept risk as part of the job, but they should not be operating in ... outdated stations, or facilities that no longer meet basic standards,” Mr Harry said.
“These are not criticisms of brigades or volunteers. They are warnings about system-level failures that expose volunteers to unnecessary risk.”
Mr Harry said CFAVG was particularly concerned about the cumulative impact of an ageing fleet, inadequate facilities, long deployments and uncertainty around post-fire support on volunteer wellbeing, morale and retention.
“Volunteer sustainability is a public safety issue,” he said.
“When volunteers feel unsafe, unsupported or overlooked, it directly affects the capability communities rely on in emergencies.”
Mr Harry said that CFAVG was not seeking to single out individual CFA members or brigades, but was calling for greater transparency and accountability from government regarding fleet condition, station infrastructure, replacement schedules and operational support.
“When communities are fundraising to support brigades, or when volunteers are responding from stations that lack basic facilities, it should prompt serious questions about whether frontline investment is reaching where it is needed most,” he said.
The concerns raised by CFAVG come after more than 10,000 firefighters, volunteers and community members signed a petition calling for an independent parliamentary inquiry into the CFA.
That parliamentary inquiry has now been confirmed.
“For CFA volunteers, this inquiry represents a long-overdue opportunity to place evidence on the public record about fleet condition, safety risks, training needs and the practical realities of responding to fires with outdated or inadequate resources,” Mr Harry said.
“Those who supported the petition will now have their concerns formally heard by a non-partisan parliamentary committee, free from political control of the narrative or outcomes.”
The Victorian Government spokesperson said the CFA remained one of the largest volunteer emergency services in Australia.
“We’re seeing a major surge in those wanting to join, especially younger Victorians,” the spokesperson said.
“We thank every single volunteer that has turned out to protect Victorians this fire season, and we deeply appreciate their work.”
Mr Heffernan echoed that sentiment.
“CFA maintains one of the largest and most capable volunteer emergency workforces in Australia, and volunteer numbers have remained stable and strong in recent years,” he said.
“Following the recent bushfires, more than 2230 Victorians expressed interest in joining CFA, three quarters of whom are aged 18 to 34 and nearly half were from the north-west and north-east of the state.
“Member health, safety and wellbeing is CFA’s top priority and our members are highly trained to work in difficult conditions to protect and support their community and navigate hazards and risks on the fireground.”
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