3. Promoting Industry & Rural Community Performance Category
3.1 ICP 420
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Programme Title: |
Voluntary emergency services |
Programme Leader: |
Sue Cumberworth |
Institution: |
Agribusiness Group |
Summary
To investigate the capacity of emergency response, in rural communities with a concentration on the changing role and capability of volunteers to contribute to the provision of the services.
Background
Context of the Project:
The ability of rural people to contribute voluntarily to the provision of emergency services is declining. Anecdotal evidence suggests that the capacity for emergency responses in some rural communities is being diminished by this decline in voluntary contribution. In order to be able to contribute to the development of the delivery of services in rural areas MAF Policy needs to define the extent of the issue and create a policy framework for its contribution to policy development.
APPROACH:
The issues were scoped by reviewing existing information and research and interviewing providers of fire and ambulance services including St John Ambulance Service, Ambulance New Zealand, New Zealand Fire Service, National Rural Fire Authority, United Fire Brigades Association and territorial authorities.
To demonstrate the issues identified in the scoping, a case study analysis was undertaken in three rural areas with different characteristics: Upper Southland (Lumsden), Eastland (Ruatoria and Hicks Bay) and Central Canterbury (Darfield). In each location focus group meetings were held with volunteers from each of the services, where appropriate, to identify the issues and impacts from a volunteers point of view.
Outcomes:
The major role of the volunteer brigades is to provide early response in areas where the professional brigades cannot respond quickly. The three case study areas visited had a vast range in combinations response capabilities. Availability and adequacy issues varied significantly. They included response times to remote incidents, sufficient cover to be able to respond at all times and deal with the work demand, appropriate skill levels of available volunteers and sufficient and appropriate equipment. However the one common theme was the increasing difficulty in attracting volunteers of sufficient capability to share and ease the burden on those presently involved.
Regarding motivation for volunteering, three responses were by far the most significant: community service, helping other people and commitment to hapu / iwi / whanau indicating that volunteers in rural areas are driven by a strong sense of community service.
The most significant commitment of volunteers is their time. Taking part in voluntary activity is time consuming whether that is time spent in training, responding to calls or just being on call with the related restrictions on your movements or activities. Administration appears to be an increasing demand on volunteer's time in all services.
Most volunteers are faced with minimal direct financial costs. The biggest cost mentioned in the focus groups is the impact on family life. The most significant element being the restriction on family activities while people are on call or providing cover. All volunteers spoken to were enthusiastic in coming forward with the benefits that they gained from being part of a volunteer organisation. People who volunteer for these positions do so out of a strong personal commitment to their communities, seeing service to their community as a privilege. Accordingly they get tremendous satisfaction out of achieving this. They are personally well rewarded despite the significant cost of being a volunteer.
Concerning impacts of legislation, the main issue raised was that many volunteers were unsure of their situation under OSH liability. Most groups, but not all, were satisfied that funding appeared to be as good as they could expect. Local community committees play a large role in funding rural services. There was a strong desire that rural volunteers be recognised and treated equally with their professional colleagues by their parent services. Increasing skill level requirements and delivery standards are having a significant impact on the recruitment and retention of volunteers.
The major issues identified for the future are:
- the increased difficulty in attracting volunteers of sufficient quality as quality requirements increase;
- further rundown in volunteer numbers with attrition and burnout as the burden of responsibility is spread over fewer individuals;
- increased inability to provide cover during the daytime.
Suggestions of alternative delivery options, responses and solutions included:
- More paid or part-time staff to do non-emergency work (administration, some training, personnel and management functions) to leave the volunteers to response and training only.
- Tap into the pool of potential female volunteers who may be available during the daytime.
- Some financial compensation in terms of reimbursement, retainers or creation of part time positions.
- Central and local government supported benefits in recognition of volunteering e.g. reduced insurance premiums and rates payments.
- Change or increase the community's perception of what the volunteers do.
- Profile volunteers positively to the rural public.
- Increased use of technology by volunteers (cell phones etc).
- Increased use of specialist skills (PRIME) and technology (helicopters, compressed air foam etc).
- Strategic re-evaluation of service utilisation, capability mix and location to reflect today's needs rather than a historical situation.
Overall it was felt that the overload on volunteers could be alleviated, or at least lessened, by a strategic re-thinking of the role and expectations of the volunteer services in rural areas. If this was done with the objective of decreasing the demands on volunteers then there were a number of strategic restructuring issues that could be addressed to achieve this.
It is important to report that the volunteers did not necessarily want to be replaced, as there was a strong motivation to serve and a strong degree of satisfaction gained from their involvement. They did however seek alternative responses to the issue of the increased demands on their time.
Summary:
The study was undertaken to investigate the capacity of emergency response in rural communities with a concentration on the changing role and capability of volunteers to contribute to the provision of the services.
Providers of fire and ambulance services were interviewed and a case study analysis was undertaken in three rural areas with different characteristics. In each location focus group meetings were held with volunteers from each of the services, to identify the issues and impacts from a volunteers point of view.
The study found that issues varied significantly across the services and locations, however one common theme was the increasing difficulty in attracting volunteers of sufficient capability to share and ease the burden on those presently involved and the increased inability to provide cover during the daytime.
Overall it was felt that the overload on volunteers could be alleviated, or at least lessened, by a strategic re-thinking of the role and expectations of the volunteer services in rural areas with the objective of decreasing the demands on volunteers. It is important to report that the volunteers did not necessarily want to be replaced, as there was a strong motivation to serve and a strong degree of satisfaction gained from their involvement. They did however seek alternative responses to the issue of the increased demands on their time.
Biography
- Ambulance New Zealand (September 2001) 'Trust Deed of Ambulance New Zealand'
- Burborough, T (1998) "Impact of Voluntary Work on Farming in the Tuatapere Area" MAF Policy paper.
- Fahey, C (2002) "Report on St John New Zealand Volunteer Surveys". University Department of Rural Health, Tasmania and St John New Zealand
- Henderson, SG and Mason, AJ (1999) "Estimating Ambulance Requirements in Auckland New Zealand".
- Johnstone, W (2002) "The NZ Volunteer Fire Service in 3 Rural Communities in Northland" Report #34.
- Ministry of Health, " Roadside to Bedside - A 24-Hour Clinically Integrated Acute Management System for New Zealand" www.moh.govt.nz
- Ministry of Social Development, www.msd.govt.nz
- National Rural Fire Authority, (1994) "A Farmers Guide to Rural Fires", (1999 - 2001) Fire Safety Leaflets
- National Rural Fire Authority
- New Zealand Fire Service, www.fire.org.nz
- North Canterbury Federated Farmers, "Law - Compliance - Insurance - Protecting Yourself" Federated Farmers of New Zealand.
- Southland District Health Board, "An Action Plan For Rural Health Care In Southland DRAFT Consultation Document" August 2002.
- St John New Zealand, www.stjohn.org.nz
- "Volunteer workers: your guide to ACC cover", www.acc.co.nz/
Australia
- Report on the "National Summit for Emergency Management Volunteers - Australia"
- www.aesvn.org
- Emergency services in Australia and New Zealand: Problems and Projects for Volunteer Ambulance Officers.
- "The More than a Band Aid Project" - strategies to improve recruitment, retention, training and support to volunteer Ambulance Officers
- Australia's voluntary Recruitment website with links to other agencies www.govolunteer.com.au/
- "Volunteers Making a Better Australia" (2003) www.volunteeringaustralia.org
Canada
- Canadian Volunteer Fire Fighters site - library page www.thevolunteervoice.ca/library.html articles such as "Families of Volunteers or Volunteer Families"
Contact for Enquiries
Farm Monitoring Programme Manager
Monitoring and Evaluation
MAF Policy
PO Box 2526
Wellington
NEW ZEALAND
Phone: +64 4 894 0623
Fax: +64 4 894 0741
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