Sturt CFS group officer says the State Government budget does not stretch far enough ALARM: Sturt CFS group officer Dale Thompson says funding cutbacks are a risk to lives. COUNTRY Fire Service volunteers are being sent to dangerous blazes without first aid training because of a funding shortfall, firefighters say. Sturt CFS group officer Dale Thompson said State Government funding used to cover everything from station and vehicle maintenance to firefighter training did not stretch far enough, putting lives at risk. "The cost of maintaining our stations, our electricity, our water and other utilities has gone up, but the budget hasn't," he said. We just don't have the money available to spend on first aid courses and I know it's not just us, it's a statewide problem. Mr Thompson, whose brigades cover Blackwood, Belair, Eden Hills, Coromandel Valley and Cherry Gardens, said while first aid courses were not required of volunteers, enough funding should be required to cover all firefighters. "The reality is that any skill a volunteer wants so that they can help the public should be available to them," he said. We know these courses are not cheap, but first aid is a basic right. When a firefighter arrives at a scene, people expect them to know basic first aid. We've got 160 volunteers we want to offer the training to, but we're not funded for anywhere near this many. FEARS: Funding cutbacks threaten CFS capabilities as the bushfire season approaches. CFS Operational Capability Planning director Malim Watts said the CFS has consulted with volunteers across the state as part of its review of the Standards of Fire and Emergency Cover framework. He said this framework determines the minimum standard of training and equipment required per brigade, according to risk. First Aid training requirements are being considered as part of this process, with minimum standards based on the type of response each CFS brigade provides to the community and how many trucks the brigade has. Every CFS Brigade has access to First Aid training and the CFS will continue to provide updates to its volunteers as the review progresses. The Advertiser is seeking comment from Emergency Services Minister Michael O'Brien, who a spokeswoman said has been in and out of meetings all day in the state's Southeast. CFS Volunteers Association president Roger Flavell also declined to comment on the issue.