It is more difficult to volunteer

now than it once was.

I was interested to read a front page story in this morning's paper about the concerns of our "Country Fire Service". The CFS is the organisation which is responsible for fire fighting in rural areas. They do an absolutely essential task and they do it almost entirely on the willingness and skills of volunteers. To be a CFS volunteer requires commitment and training. It is not one of those things you can simply "go out and do".

The CFS is, rightly, concerned about the increasing number of times they are also being called out to do things the police or ambulance services would once have done. "There's been an accident? Is it serious? Look we haven't anyone available right now but let's call the CFS and get them to send a vehicle out to check." Some poor individual on the volunteer roster then has to head out and check, make some decisions they are likely not qualified to make and then send in a report. 

It is not what they are there for. It is not what they are trained to do. It is not a responsibility they want or the police or the ambulance services want them to have. It is a manpower issue.  

The CFS is struggling to retain volunteers and get new recruits. This is hardly surprising.

I thought of all this because I volunteer in other places as best I can. Many years ago now I began as a volunteer at the state's annual show. This was something I never intended to do but it was one of those things which happened. I am not indispensable, far from it. Earlier this year, when asked to go again, I almost said no. The reason for that was the increasing requirements on volunteers. When I began I simply arrived and was told what to do and how to do it. It was the same for everyone. 

Three years ago they introduced a requirement that everyone did an "occupational health and safety" certificate. It is a very basic thing but (1) it takes time and (2) it is almost entirely irrelevant to the area in which I work. There are other questions they could ask which would be far more relevant. None of us are driving a fork lift or operating electrical equipment or using liquids. Nevertheless we all had to be able to show we had done the certificate and we have to carry it with us.

This year we were told that not only was that necessary but we all had to have a valid "working with children" certificate. As volunteers we do not have to pay for these but again they require time to fill out the form and follow it up if the police do not get back within a certain time.  I have mixed feelings about these certificates. They do not prevent the wrong people from working with children. It simply means that those with ill intent have not yet been caught or convicted of any offence. Still, I put in the paper work. I have my certificate. The really strange thing however is this, in the area in which I work children are not allowed. They are only allowed in an adjacent area if they are under the care of a "responsible" adult - a parent or guardian. 

There are "training days" run by at least three organisations of my acquaintance. I recently refused to do something for them because I would have been required to do a training day in order to go and help people who have "left their glasses at home" fill out a form... something I have been doing for years. The person in charge understood but the "training" is completely irrelevant to anything I would ever do there - or even could do there.

I was speaking to someone on Tuesday about this. Like me she has volunteered for a long time and said, "I have never even spoken to a child there." The certificate is just an added burden for her. It may even be that some people will simply cease volunteering. This will not be because they have done anything wrong and cannot get the certificate. It will be because it is "just another thing which makes it difficult".

Now I just wonder what one of those many committees charged with such things will think up next. It might be better if they volunteered instead.