Brigades lock out fireys

Volunteers who refuse to get a Blue Card have been locked out of brigade stations

DARLING Downs volunteer firefighters who refuse to apply for a Blue Card have been locked out of their brigade stations after the Queensland Government mandated that everyone in the Rural Fire Service must have clearance to work with children. Most firefighters are compliant.

DARLING Downs volunteer firefighters who refuse to apply for a Blue Card have been locked out of their brigade stations after the Queensland Government mandated that everyone in the Rural Fire Service must have clearance to work with children.

“The majority of our members are compliant,” acting area director for the Darling Downs Michael Welsh said.

“There are a few who are not, and their brigades have been notified.”

In 2020, the State Government announced it would compel all rural fire fighters to get a Blue Card so they could work with children in schools and during community awareness events.

The aim was to remove any volunteers who had a history of child sex offences or violence against adults.

It would also bring RFS volunteers into line with other government employees, charity volunteers and community group members who work with children.

The decision has led to more than 200 rural firefighters across Queensland being stood down after the deadline to get a Blue Card.

Within the Darling Downs, Mr Welsh said the volunteers who had not yet received a Blue Card had decided they would not apply for one.

He added privacy rules prevented the QFES from accessing details on volunteers who had applied for a Blue Card and been rejected.

“It is up to the brigades to remove those people from their membership,” Mr Welsh said.

“We are supporting our brigades to make sure they are complying with the act of parliament.”

Police and Fire and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan said the government made no apologies for the new rules.

“The government is committed to keeping children safe,” he said.

“That is the reason the Blue Card system was introduced.”

As at June 30, 40 people who had applied to join QFES had been knocked back because they received adverse findings on their Blue Card application.

“The government makes no apologies for that – the priority is the safety of children,” Mr Ryan said.

He added the decision would not affect the QFES readiness as it prepared for the summer fire season.

“Queensland is the most disaster-prone state in the country, therefore it is paramount we attract, retain and support the best people for the job, which is why QFES has implemented the QFES volunteer recruitment campaigns,” he said.

“These campaigns look at place-based recruitment and how we recruit the right people for the right roles in the right locations.”