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Members would remember in the October edition of our Newsletter & the Fireman, the advice that elastic waisted bushfire PPC was available that had been specifically designed to suit female members who may have difficulty wearing braces. This advice followed discussions between VFBV and CFA’s CEO and Chief Officer, who assured us that female members could exchange their existing PPC as a basic entitlement and that it would not be subject to District approval.
Following our article, VFBV received calls from female members who had tried to access the new PPC from their local CFA stores, only to be turned away. Advice given to members has ranged from – it is only available to new members, it is only available if you can demonstrate your existing PPC is unserviceable or damaged, or that it is not available due to budget cuts.
VFBV has been advocating for female fit PPC since 2004, and our position has always been female members are entitled to garments that have been specifically designed to cater for their needs and comfort, and they should not need to justify nor fight for what should be a basic entitlement. The Chief Officer has agreed, and was shocked at what was occurring in some Districts.
VFBV knows that it often takes time for CFA policy messages to filter down through Regions and Districts. We also know that sometimes volunteers get the run around at the local level when Regions or Districts put their own interpretation on corporate policy and apply their own extra barriers and red tape. This is not acceptable to us, and thankfully nor to CFA Executive. After hearing VFBV’s concerns, the Chief Officer has reissued a Memo to all District Offices and OM/OO’s instructing that female fit bushfire PPC is available to all new members, and current members may exchange their existing ensemble. Current members do not have to wait until their current PPC reaches end of life.
A copy of the Chiefs memo is available below. Any members who have difficulty accessing female fit PPC through the Districts are invited to contact the Chief Officer directly, who has promised to follow up any instances personally. You can email him directly at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Details can be found http://news.cfa.vic.gov.au/news/reminder-of-female-ppc.html
