The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) has announced that the 2020 WAFES Volunteer Conference won’t go ahead this year because of the challenges and uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic.

Undoubtedly like our colleagues in the other volunteer associations who invest a lot of time and energy working with the DFES events team, we are disappointed but completely understand and support the decision to call it off this year.

However, we are very pleased to confirm that our ambitious plans to deliver the first ever Bushfire Volunteers convention and exhibition in Collie in October are progressing well. And because our event is exclusively for the volunteers and Local Government Officers involved in the Bushfire Service, the COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions shouldn’t be a problem.

We’re trying hard to work together with DFES to ensure attendance costs can be funded via the Emergency Services Levy (ESL) as they are for the DFES-run conference.

Just in case we can’t get that issue resolved for this year, we’re also working hard to secure the corporate sponsors and partners we need to underwrite this very positive step forward in the professional development and engagement with our amazing members and stakeholders.

So even though the DFES Conference can’t go ahead this year, if you are a Bushfire Volunteer, Local Government Officer or potential sponsor or exhibitor, please help us make it happen by registering your expression of interest here now.

For member’s information, below is the content of the DFES statement about its 2020 WAFES Conference.

Thank you for visiting the Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services (WAFES) Conference and Fire and Emergency Services (FES) Awards Ceremony website. After careful consideration, and in line with current COVID-19 travel and gathering restrictions: