vOLUNTEERING iNFORMATION

Thank you for your interest in volunteering with BlazeAid.

BlazeAid Provides The Following While You’re A Volunteer.
– A site for your Caravan, Motorhome, Tent etc.
– Toilets & Hot Showers
– All Meals
– Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

General information:
There’s no need to “book ahead” with the Camp Coordinator. Simply phone or email them a day or two before you’re due to arrive. (Large groups need to give more notice.)

Many of the areas we’re working in are hilly or steep. If you have any medical conditions or disabilities that might make it difficult for you to work in these conditions, please discuss it with the Camp Coordinator before coming to the basecamp.

COVID Vaccinations
BlazeAid recommends volunteers in camp have a minimum of 2 vaccination doses but this is not mandatory.  RAT testing will continue in camp as needed.  If any volunteer shows signs of sickness, they will be asked to take a RAT test.  BlazeAid will still isolate (5 days) those volunteers if there is a COVID positive case in camp.

Volunteers are strongly advised to have Ambulance Cover when they come to the basecamps. We have Volunteer Insurance (not WorkCover) for incidents that occur while you are working.  If you need an ambulance for any incident that isn’t covered by insurance, you could face a bill for thousands of dollars.

Insurance
While working for Blazeaid volunteers aged 12 yrs and up are covered under Blazeaid’s volunteer insurance.  There is no age limit restriction on a volunteer being included however, the Volunteer must be able to take direction & work independently in order to be included.

Please note that Volunteers who work for property owners outside of Blazeaid camps will NOT be covered under Blazeaid volunteer insurance.  You need to organise your own insurance or make sure you are covered under the property owners insurance.

Morning Muster is between 6:00am and 7.30am every day (each camp differs) of the week, Monday to Sunday, including Public Holidays. You’re welcome to arrive the afternoon before you start fencing.

Teams go out 7 days a week. No volunteer is allowed to work more than 6 consecutive days without a rest day.

Once you have decided which basecamp you would like to go to, please contact  the Camp Coordinator a few days before you arrive. We can then get you into a fencing team, add you to our dinner list, and work out your accommodation. Our Camp Coordinators volunteer their time for many weeks or months. It’s a huge responsibility to run a basecamp.

We ask that you understand that each Coordinator has their own way of running a basecamp (within the BlazeAid model). Please respect that the Camp Coordinator’s way of running the basecamp might be different from what you’ve experienced at other basecamps, and be willing to fit in with the new “flavour” of the basecamp.

If you have pets, please check with the Camp Coordinator before bringing them.

If you are not able to do fencing work, there are often other jobs to do around the basecamp, including cleaning, catering, tool shed, etc.

For people who want to assist BlazeAid but who are not able to come to a basecamp, please contact us with any ideas you might have of other ways to help out. eg: Provide food, materials, tools, fuel vouchers, etc, for free or at a discount, contact organisations to help find more BlazeAid volunteers, provide transport of our tools and equipment to and from basecamps, etc.

BlazeAid is registered with Centrelink. There have been changes to the policy for volunteers to meet their job-search requirements (it is no longer limited to volunteers over 55 years of age).  Please note that BlazeAid will only sign a Centrelink form for a 2 week block.  The Board will not sign off on a Centrelink form for longer periods. Please contact your local Centrelink branch for more information.

BlazeAid is a registered disaster-relief organisation, so people employed under the Fair Work awards may be eligible to have time away from work to volunteer with us for five days.