REC261-1509

That the NSW Rural Fire Service, in order to ensure greater respect for volunteer fire fighters’ knowledge and experience in the management of fires:
- examine its plans of operations to provide for the use of local knowledge at every level of decision making down the chain of command
- require a local fire fighter to be stationed in every command vehicle, where possible 
- ensure that every out of area crew includes at least one local fire fighter
- require officers to engage more effectively and regularly with volunteers during the periods between fires
- consider any further strategies to address the entrenched conflict between officers and volunteers, including additional ways to empower volunteers and utilise them more effectively.