General News
4 March, 2023
Remote controller
A BENDIGO-BASED State Emergency Service employee has been made acting controller of the Wedderburn unit. And one local volunteer fears the remote control command of the unit is a sign that SES heirarchy has become dominated by “pen pushers instead...
A BENDIGO-BASED State Emergency Service employee has been made acting controller of the Wedderburn unit.
And one local volunteer fears the remote control command of the unit is a sign that SES heirarchy has become dominated by “pen pushers instead of practical people with the resources to solve problems”.
Former controller Reg Holt said volunteers had become bogged down chasing bureaucratic paper trails instead of being resourced to respond to emergencies.
Mr Holt said local members had been left disappointed when the SES regional office in Bendigo refused to re-appoint Paul Gordon-Cooke as controller.
He said it was the latest setback for the unit with volunteers recently criticised by the heirarchy for using a front-end loader to remove a fallen tree and clear the highway in less than 30 minutes.
“The SES wanted us to follow protocols that involved using chainsaws. The Calder Highway would have closed for hours doing it that way,” he said.
“The front-end loader driver had all the industry qualifications to do the job and it was completed with safety of all people in mind.
“The situation needs to change so that the controller on the ground at an incident can access the equipment they need and get the job done.”
Mr Holt also claimed the Wedderburn unit had been left poorly resourced after restrictions were put on its main rescue vehicle. “They have given us a truck that can seat five people and carry all our equipment,” he said. “Now we have had to have the truck weighed, told to remove some of the rescue equipment and a sticker placed on the door saying only two people can ride in the vehicle,” he said.
“They (SES) are dumbing us down and letting bureaucrats, academics and pen-pushers dictate to practical volunteers”.
Several members have spoken to the Loddon Herald saying they feared for the future of the unit.
A statement by SES yesterday morning confirmed Will Boyd, a VICSES volunteer and staff member, had been appointed controller at Wedderburn.
“We are working hard with the Wedderburn community to promote rewarding volunteer opportunities with VICSES,” he said.
“Our volunteers perform a diverse set of roles. We are actively working to welcome a broader range of people from the community into the unit.”
See this week’s Loddon Herald for the full SES statement.