CFA chief officer Jason Heffernan, CFA’s new chief executive officer Natalie MacDonald and executive director people, culture and safety Janelle Leonard have embarked on a tour of CFA’s south east region.
The trio have been meeting with volunteers and staff across Victoria’s south east, as part of the fourth leg of a regional tour which has already included visits to the North West, West and South West over the past three months.
“Meeting CFA volunteers has been a top priority of mine since starting in my role on 30 November,” Mr Heffernan said.
Ms MacDonald also expressed her desire to meet and speak with volunteers across Victoria.
“It’s important we listen closely to our volunteers to understand how we can assist them in delivering the best possible service to their communities,” she said.
On Friday 12 March, Mr Heffernan met with volunteers at Clyde and Narre Warren alongside deputy chief officer south east region Trevor Owen.
“A highlight was being able to meet with many of the local firefighters who fought on the front line in some of Victoria’s worst fire-affected townships last bushfire season,” Mr Heffernan said.
“It is grounding for me to be among our members and to listen to what matters most and share in their experiences.”
The tour began with a trip to Bemm River with a lunch to greet brigade members before travelling to Mallacoota to meet with local volunteers and visit fire-affected areas.
They both met with brigade members in Orbost, Bruthen, Westbury and Traralgon among other communities.
On Wednesday, Mr Heffernan and Ms MacDonald had dinner with Trafalgar and Westbury to discuss areas of improvement for the organisation in the relevant response areas.
There was also an opportunity for them both to engage with District 27 staff and meet with senior volunteer leaders.
In the coming months, Mr Heffernan will complete his final leg of the tour when he travels the North East region.
“I look forward to meeting with more of our members and hearing how we can make our CFA even stronger for the future,” he said.
