The SESVA Meets the DFES Chiefs
SESVA Representatives, Secretary Lin Booth, Past President Phillip Petersen and President Gordon Hall spent 4 hours on 8 May locked up with DFES Chief Superintendents, Steve Johnson, Gary Kennedy and Robert Cox. The purpose of the meeting was to develop strategies with DFES to reduce the number of SES issues being raised by the Association and the FES Commissioner. Further to this the Association wants to see consistency across all Regions.
The attendees worked through key areas and discussed a number of issues that fell into the following areas;
- Functional Roles of the SES – HMA, Combat and Support;
- Unit Profiles;
- Communication – DFES to Units/Volunteers and Unit to DFES;
- Attraction and Retention of Volunteers;
- Management of ESL funding;
- DFES Media and SES Coverage.
As a result of this meeting and on a trial basis, the registered issues for Operations Command are now being worked through with a better understanding by all.
The SESVA will forward all issues registered with the SESVA direct to the appropriate Chief which will require feedback to the area with the issue, before the SESVA will sign off. The SESVA will now work to establish a similar process with the other key areas in DFES.
To have an issue registered with the SESVA it must come from the SES Unit Manager or the SESVA Representative to the Association Secretary (Lin Booth – sesva.secretary@gmail.com).
The Association will be monitoring this over the coming months to assess the results and review if it is not successful.
Gordon Hall
SESVA President
