Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority
Caroline Springs firefighter Tom Ferguson
As the year comes to a close, CFA would like to take the opportunity to thank the generous employers of our volunteers who allow them the flexibility to serve their community.
While CFA members play an incredibly important role in our community, they would not be able to attend fire calls and incidents without the support of their employers who provide them time off during working hours to attend emergencies.
For Caroline Springs firefighter Tom Ferguson, over his 10 years of service to CFA, all three of his employers have been nothing short of understanding in allowing him to rush out the door.
“They’ve all been generally equally supportive and are all very aware of corporate social responsibilities and what is required to see volunteerism continue,” Tom said.
“My current employers at Zscaler are extremely strong supports of all volunteering opportunities, and we do a lot of other events outside of my involvement with CFA.
“During the 2019-20 bushfire season, my employer was fully supportive of me going away for over a week, including paying me to do so.”
Combining a day job with being a volunteer takes great adaptability from both the volunteer and their employer, and for Tom who works in cyber security, going off a case-by-case basis works best.
Having previously had CFA volunteers within the organisation, the ever-changing environment is not usual to Zscaler.
“It really varies a lot depending on my work and what I have going on week to week, month to month that will determine whether I leave work or not,” Tom said.
“Every time I get a call it is an assessment of what’s going on at work, what type of job the call is, what the risk is, how big it is, and what the demand is from the brigade is to get there.
“If it is going to be a protracted job and I know I have very important meetings or something the next day, I won’t go.
“My team and customers are really supportive and are often surprised at how different it is to my day job. But they’re happy to move meetings and work schedules around if I am caught up.”
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said employers make a significant contribution to their local community when they release a CFA volunteer from work responsibilities to respond to emergencies, and it does not go unnoticed.
“For the businesses who release their staff and the self-employers who forgo their own personal income and time, we thank you for your generosity and willingness,” Jason said.
“Without your tolerance, understanding and support, CFA would not be able to function as effectively as it does to continue serving our Victorian community when they are in need.
“We’re proud of the skills of our volunteers gain through their training and response and hope their commitment and ability to work under pressure contributes greatly to your workforce.
CFA volunteers come from a diverse range of professions, jobs and industries who share the same ethos of helping others and we thank them for the role they play within the spirit of CFA.