By Paul Oboohov
Resources used in fighting the NSW bushfires were distorted by economic and political concerns. Initially, the Department of Bush Fire Services swung thousands of volunteers into action across the state. However, Greg Lofthouse, president of the NSW Fire Brigades Employees' Union, told Green Left Weekly, the Liberal state government seemed reluctant to use employed firefighters, particularly as this would have meant payment for overtime.
Only when the fires became raging fireballs in large areas of suburbia on January 8 and 9 were they called up in large numbers.
Lofthouse explained that at any one time, 1500 employed firefighters are off duty, with 250 of them available for call-up. Some were called, but many others became involved only because they happened to ring in, knew the right number to call or knew the right person to call. The non-management of this call-up resulted in some firefighters working 30-hour shifts and others not being called up at all.
The union also has criticism of the overall planning of the firefighting effort, saying that interstate volunteers were not used to their fullest extent, and that there could have been better planning.
Some employers distinguished themselves at a time of extreme community need by sacking their employees who were fighting fires as volunteers or saving their own homes.
The issue first reared its ugly head when a volunteer firefighter, known as Robert, had to abandon the community effort at Grafton in the north of NSW because his employer, a Sydney hotel, threatened the sack if he didn't front posthaste. The Department of Bush Fire Services said that many volunteer firefighters were worried about their jobs.
This prompted the NSW government's minister for Emergency Services, Terry Griffiths, to suggest Jury Act-type protection for employees fighting fires. The Labor Council of NSW welcomed the initiative.
However, the joint director of the National Employers' Federation of Australia, Garry Brack, opposed the move, saying, "We support the notion that people ought to provide community service but that has to be balanced against the inconvenience and economic hardship that might entail".
By week's end, Brack had retreated to saying that his comments were only in the process of being approved when they were released. But he added, "The Employers Federation encourages its members to support the community effort needed to fight bushfires and believes the volunteer system has worked well over many years. As the system is working well, we cannot see the need to introduce legislation."
The Labor Council of NSW is looking into the cases of seven people sacked or threatened with dismissal for either volunteer firefighting or saving their homes. Mark Lennon, executive officer with the council, said, "We view the sacking of people who fear for the lives of their family and safety of property as scandalous ... I am dismayed at how mean some employers can be. The Labor Council will pursue every option to ensure that these workers are reinstated. We are seriously thinking about drawing up a list of employers who have sacked people if the situation is not rectified in the next few days."
Council acting secretary Peter Sams said he was appalled that some employers would contemplate sacking volunteer firefighters. "A firefighter's job is difficult enough without the worry that his or her regular job might be in jeopardy for performing this valuable and unselfish community service." Sams called on the state government to legislate to make illegal such action by employers in future.
Meanwhile, building unions are organising volunteer workers to help in the reconstruction of community facilities and have pledged to help rebuild the home of an elderly woman whose uninsured house was destroyed in the inferno.
Another questionable aspect was the use of aircraft in water-bombing operations. Small crop-dusting aircraft and helicopters with water buckets were used, but these have pitifully small capacities.
A former Canadian resident wrote to the Sydney Morning Herald at the height of the blazes pointing out that many northern hemisphere countries have quite a number of large aircraft fitted with huge water tanks for water-bombing bushfires, and that these lie idle in the northern winter, our summer. He said that these should be leased by governments in Australia.
The United Firefighters Union's Victorian branch has had a policy of lobbying for the use of such aircraft since 1962.
These airplanes can gather six tonnes of water skimming at flying speed on any stretch of water a quarter of a mile long. Almost all of the most fire-prone mountain forest regions of south-east Australia are within eight minutes' flying time from such stretches of water. As a 1992 article in the The Australian Firefighter concluded, "It must be time Australians took a serious look at adding this formidable weapon to the fire control arsenal."