Firefighting volunteers in the danger zone, says whistleblower A water bombing helicopter aircraft dumps its water load a fire. CFA volunteers are mixing and loading potentially dangerous fire retardant chemicals into water bombing aircraft without appropriate supervision, a department whistleblower claims. But the CFA and Department of Environment and Primary Industries say adequate training is provided to all staff, and air bases are manned by both professional and volunteer staff. The DEPI whistleblower has more than 20 years industry experience and says more volunteers are being forced to do specialised jobs and man air bases without adequate training. He said volunteers were increasingly being brought in to mix the retardant chemicals, which was previously done by departmental staff. "I just the think the way the Department is going they are trying to push more and more volunteers into the job and it's fraught with danger," he said. He said fire retardant chemicals slow the spread and intensity of fire and, if mixed to the wrong consistency, can be difficult to correct. AWU public sector co-ordinator Sam Beechey said members had also contacted the union over concerns the "the department was using CFA, and in one case SES volunteers to man air bases and do jobs they aren't trained to do." But DEPI spokeswoman Kim Payne said there had been no changes to the operation of the air bases. "Firefighting aircraft are a shared resource across the fire agencies," she said. DEPI and CFA members have made up the teams that work at air bases and have been responsible for mixing fire retardants for many years. Deputy Opposition leader James Merlino said reports of under-trained and under-resourced volunteers mixing chemicals and operating around firebombing aircraft was "deeply concerning."