News - United Professional Firefighters Union

"𝐀𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐥𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫"We struggled to find a starting point for this post. Murdoch Pump sacrificed to crew the Specialised Equipment Tender, Vincent 1st Decommissioned to send staff to Hope Valley, Cockburn 3.4 Decommissioned and unable to attend a 2nd Alarm bushfire in it's area, a busy ComCen with just 5 staff... The list goes on. As such, we thought we'd focus on Bunbury.Yesterday, Bunbury 2nd was left on Restricted Duties for the 10 hour dayshift. The understaffed crew were mobilised to a 3rd Alarm Structure fire in East Bunbury around 0930. Bunbury 1st, Bunbury Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service (Bunbury 3rd) and Eaton-Australind Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service were also required to attend - essentially making this a 4th alarm incident and leaving the entire area completely without Fire and Rescue coverage while the situation unfolded. At 1230, Mandurah arrived in Bunbury to provide coverage because Bunbury 2nd remained on Restricted Duties and Bunbury 1st was required to provide fire protection for the 14,000 attendees at the Fremantle Dockers versus North Melbourne AFL game at the local oval. Fremantle 2nd had to be removed from area and sent to Mandurah to cover their area as a result, removing the two pump response capability to incidents in Fremantle's area.Mandurah, Bunbury 2nd (Restricted Duties), Bunbury Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service (Bunbury 3rd) and Eaton-Australind Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service were then sent to another 3rd Alarm Structure fire (in Bunbury's area) in the afternoon. Another 3rd Alarm that drew upon 4th alarm resources and left Bunbury 1st (already committed at the AFL game) to cover the entire response area alone (Note: Bunbury 1st we're not sent to the Structure Fire, with volunteer crews and volunteer time being called upon instead). However, we must highlight that Bunbury 1st were needed at the AFL game where they completed a long, drawn out lift rescue - freeing those inside with limited comparable delay.This is the impact of running an emergency service on fumes.Absolute cluster indeed.#FightingForYourSafety #FightingForOurFuture 📸 @reefarmerphotography ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

5 days ago

Multiple stations were impacted by WA's Career Fire and Rescue Service staffing CRISIS today, including Wangara Fire Station (pictured)What does this crisis mean?🚒 Less fire trucks fully operational and available to respond to emergencies 👨‍🚒 Unnecessary risks to firefighter health and safety, both Career and Volunteer 🚨 Longer response times, threatening public safety at incidents such as car crashes, house fires, HAZMAT incidents and more 💰 Expenditure of public money, without providing the basic services being promised - The ratepayer is paying for all of these trucks to be staffed 24/7 as a result of risk analyses, yet they're not receiving the service their fundingDuring the 2025/2026 financial year, the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA and WA Labor spent nearly $13 million on overtime. That's $13 million on band-aid solutions, extra shifts and a skeleton service that cannot guarantee it's basic functions. Issues like this are why we are having to Fight for Community Safety and the Future of Our Members.And the Fighting Needs to Stop.#FightingForOurFuture #fightingforyoursafety ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia is with Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA and 5 others.

2 weeks ago

Just another day in WA.The Career Fire and Rescue Service staffing CRISIS; brought to you by WA Labor and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA #FightingForOurFuture#fightingforoursafety ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

2 weeks ago

MEDIA RELEASE - UFUA WELCOMES COMMONWEALTH LEGAL ACTION AGAINST 3M OVER PFAS CONTAMINATION"The United Firefighters Union of Australia (UFUA) has welcomed the Federal Government’s decision to commence legal action against 3M over Per-and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) contamination, following more than 15 years of advocacy by firefighters and the Union.-The UFUA noted firefighters nationally have long called for action to hold multinational companies accountable for widespread environmental contamination and occupational exposure caused by PFAS-containing firefighting foams.The Union described the legal action as a significant step forward after years of campaigning by firefighters, many of whom were exposed to PFAS chemicals while protecting the community."Read the full statement here: www.ufua.asn.au/wp-content/uploads/2026/05/MEDIA-RELEASE-UFUA-WELCOMES-COMMONWEALTH-PFAS-ACTION-A... ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

2 weeks ago

We can't make the message any clearer...#FightingForOurFuture ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

2 weeks ago

This is the same Career Fire and Rescue Service being systemically mismanaged by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA and underfunded by WA Labor. It's currently considered lucky if all the necessary resources are online and available for incidents such as this - they're funded to be available 24/7, but are increasingly going unstaffed...We shouldn't need to be Fighting For Your Safety and Our Future.The Fighting Needs to Stop.#FightingForOurFutureThe blaze completely engulfed the property by the time firefighters arrived.Link in comments for more details. ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

3 weeks ago

𝐍𝐨 𝐅𝐢𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐮𝐞 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐥𝐞Unfortunately, today's 10 hour dayshift started as the new normal - Fire trucks on Restricted Duties or Decommissioned due to a staffing crisis that has existed since mid-2024 (the causes of which have been a decade or more in the making).There has been 1,651 occasions that a Career Fire and Rescue Service truck or specialist capability has been unavailable to protect the community since 2024. 🚒 Today Murdoch's Specialised Equipment Tender, which started fully crewed, has been carved up and the crew sent to four other stations lacking staff.🚒🚒 Daglish had a Pump on Restricted Duties until Malaga's 2.4 Urban Tanker was removed from service and the crew cannabalised. 🚒 Cardup's 3.4 Urban Tanker simply didn't have any staff rostered to crew it, so it's out of service as well.🚒🚒 Then there's Fremantle. Starting the day with two vacant (unfilled) relief Station Officer positions and one scheduled Annual Leave block (rostered by DFES - staff don't get to choose their leave blocks), a single case of personal leave left the Fremantle area without both Pump Crews. With Fremantle 1st and 2nd both on Restricted Duties, neighbouring stations (who are already stretched thin as they are) were left to cover Fremantle and their own areas for two hours - increasing response times, impacting local knowledge and placing additional strain on a workforce that is at breaking point.Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA, WA Labor, Roger Cook, Paul Papalia CSC MLA, Rita Saffioti MLA and Simone McGurk MLA all know that this is the state of WA's Career Fire and Rescue Service. Yet, there's been no action, no additional funding and no regard for the longevity of WA's Career Fire and Rescue Service.That's why we're having to Fight for Community Safety and Our Future.And the Fighting Needs to Stop.#fightingforyoursafety #FightingForOurFuture ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

3 weeks ago

Thank you Sophie McNeill for getting the facts out and setting the record straight. WA Labor - you cannot take reality and substitute your own. #fightingforyoursafety #FightingForOurFuture ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

3 weeks ago

A fair go for WA's Career Fire and Rescue Service got cut for starters...WA Labor continue to tell community members that they've managed the budget well, that there's a surplus (the eighth straight surplus in fact) and that we have the strongest economy in the nation - Yet they're unable (or unwilling?) to adequately fund the Career Fire and Rescue Service. After more than a year of bargaining, we've needed to enter into an arbitration process because WA Labor and the Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA were unable to provide an appropriate offer to replace the existing EBA because "the funding envelope was too small to meet expectations" and "there isn't any money" (see surplus...).That means our members continue to be impacted by:⚕️No holistic health and wellness program aimed at stopping Firefighters leaving the job broken through injury, trauma, cancer and a range of other injuries/illnesses.🔋Inadequate investment in emerging risks and technologies, meaning the right training, equipment and skillsets aren't available to be deployed at incident types involving new, more complex threats to public safety.📉 Inappropriate wages and conditions, resulting in staff retention issues, recruitment (attraction) limitations and a workforce that feels under-valued.🪜No correction of existing rank structures, failing to properly ensure adequate professional development, staff retention and future proofing of leadership.🗣️No enhancements to consultation requirements, prolonging decision-making behaviours that occur without the input of our members, the end users/workforce.WA Labor will now spend millions fighting WA's Career Fire and Rescue Service instead of funding it...They're able to find money for that (lucky there's a surplus?).#FightingForOurFuture#FightingForYourSafety ... See MoreSee Less

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United Firefighters Union of Western Australia

1 month ago

𝐁𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐧𝐨 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬The message is quite simple. @walabor aren't prioritising public safety by sacrificing the Career Fire and Rescue Service.Your Career Fire and Rescue Service is in a dire state - but nothing is being done to address the numerous issues that have reached crisis level. Time to start funding the Career Fire and Rescue Service instead of fighting it.#fightingforyoursafety#FightingForOurFuture ... See MoreSee Less

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