The Country Fire Authority (CFA) has opened an online registration system for people wanting to join and fight fires as volunteers.
Describing what the Authority calls its ‘Volunteer Recruitment Hub’, Deputy Chief Officer (DCO), Operational Performance & Capability at CFA, Kaylene Jones said the Hub was a purpose-built online platform designed to create an end-to-end onboarding process for new and transferring CFA volunteers.
“The online volunteer registration module is a crucial next stage of the project, enhancing the way CFA registers new and transferring members,” DCO Jones said.
“It removes the need for paper-based registrations and streamlines the recruitment process for brigades, support staff and prospective members,” she said.
“It will create a streamlined process from the time a person first expresses interest in joining CFA through to the time they are registered as a CFA volunteer, with a key focus of creating a positive experience through registration process.”
DCO Jones said the Hub did not change the way a brigade directly engaged with and inducted their new members.
“Instead, it provides a consistent and timely approach to recruitment, which will reduce the administrative burden on both volunteers and staff, as well as improving the overall experience for potential recruits,” she said.
“It will also allow brigades and District staff to monitor and finalise recruit applications through an online workflow, reducing the time it takes to accept and approve applications, as well as providing reassurance to the potential member that their application is progressing.”
She said the response to the Hub had been extremely positive, particularly the ability for brigades to update their details based on recruitment needs, as well as view the status of new member registrations.
DCO Jones said the Hub project team had developed a range of tools and resources for brigades and support staff to help them navigate the new system, including FAQs, a user manual and a video demonstration of the system.
