The NZPFU was notified by members that as Regional Trainers they were being required to attend a Professional Development Live Fire Burn course (PTDP01812) that would include Rural participants, including some that may not be qualified BA wearers.
This was a mandatory refresher course necessary for professional career Trainers to maintain their competencies.
FENZ have responded quickly to our concerns and have acted to ensure that only the career Trainers are on the February course.
But that has not resolved the issue long term.
There appears to be a number of recent decisions where the move to form one organisation is resulting in the undermining of the training/qualifications/skills and rank of the professional career firefighters.
Training is a critical part of the safety of firefighters on the fire or incident ground. If the training for Trainers is lowered to accommodate non-professional career firefighters then the safety of our members is at great risk. It would also undermine the professionalism of career firefighting – of highly trained and specialist career firefighting.
We have sought a meeting at the earliest possible opportunity to address the issue of professional career firefighters / trainers completing training under a mixed attendee and mixed learning outcome model.
Despite our representatives attending various training committees and working groups related to training, this mixed learning outcome model was not previously communicated to the NZPFU. That in itself is a great concern as our representatives diligently spend a lot of time ensuring our members’ interests are protected yet these key decisions are not being raised in the very committees that should be making these decisions. How this could happen will also be discussed at the upcoming meeting.
In unity,
Wattie Watson
Secretary
