Operational Members

Operational Members / Fire Fighters

Operational Members are also called Fire Fighters. They respond to a range of incidents where risks are posed to life and/or property. These types of incidents can include;

Bush fires
Structure fires
Grass and scrub fires
Road accidents
Hazardous materials (hazmat) incidents
Supporting other brigades and agencies

To become an operational volunteer a few items must be considered:

All new recruits to operational roles are required to undertake General Firefighter training course, which takes around 30 hours to complete.
Live or work within or close to the suburb of Upwey (or the brigade you want to join)
Attend regular training sessions, brigade meetings and other brigade events.

While completing the GFF course as a Trainee Fire Fighter you are not able to respond to event call outs, however you are encouraged to participate in the brigade’s normal activities so you will feel part of the team and develop the skills and knowledge you are learning in your General Fire Fighter course.

Once you have completed your GFF course and graduated as a Fire Fighter your next step is to progress to becoming operational and start responding to actual emergency incidents. This is done under the careful guidance of our brigade Training Officer and Captain.

Opportunities are available to develop additional skills and qualifications through the CFA volunteer training program that include:

first aid and resuscitation skills
structure fire fighting techniques
use of specialist equipment
driving CFA vehicles
pumping and draughting skills
leadership training
and much more

Many operational volunteers also undertake non-operational roles within their brigade as well.

Click here to enquire about becoming a Fire Fighter (Operational Member) or you can visit our station on a Wednesday evening 7:30 pm onwards or Sunday morning from 9:30am onwards and ask to speak with any of our friendly Officers – who will be happy to answer your questions and explain what is involved.

NOTE: Firefighting can, at times, involve strenuous and physically challenging activities, so a certain level of fitness is required to undertake this role. You can discuss this with our training officer to determine your suitability for this role.

Click here for more information about Volunteering With CFA (takes you to the official CFA website)