CORONAVIRUS — MANDATORY VACCINATIONS —FIRE
AND EMERGENCY SERVICE VOLUNTEERS
979. Hon MARTIN ALDRIDGE to the Leader of the House
representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to mandatory COVID-19
vaccination information published on both the wa.gov.au and the Department of
Health websites outlining industries and occupations requiring mandatory
vaccinations, and which specifically excludes fire and emergency services
volunteers.
(1) Will the minister commit to updating this
information urgently in line with the Fire and Emergency Services Worker
(Restriction on Access) Directions that mandate vaccinations for fire and
emergency services workers and volunteers?
(2) How has the
mandatory vaccination requirement been communicated to volunteers from each
service?
(3) Please
table any documents identified in (2).
(4) What are the
current levels of vaccination among —
(a) Department
of Fire and Emergency Services staff;
(b) Department
of Fire and Emergency Services volunteers; and
(c) other
emergency service volunteers?
Hon SUE
ELLERY replied:
I thank the honourable member for
some notice of the question.
(1) The information published is
not incorrect.
(2)–(3) The Department of Fire and Emergency Services has
been consulting unions, volunteer associations and the Western Australian
Local Government Association since the government's announcement that
COVID-19 vaccinations will be mandatory. DFES will continue to consult on the
implementation ahead of the upcoming
high-threat season. Prior to the release of the directions by the Chief Health
Officer, the commissioner held a Microsoft Teams meeting with Emergency
Services Volunteers Association presidents, WALGA and Department of
Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions at which the potential inclusion of
volunteers into the directions was communicated. Following the release of the
Fire and Emergency Services Worker (Restrictions on Access) Directions on
Friday, 12 November 2021, DFES issued a circular
notifying all staff and volunteers of their requirements. In addition, the Fire
and Emergency Services Commissioner held a MS Teams meeting with
emergency service volunteer associations and WALGA
representatives on Monday, 15 November 2021. DFES is currently reviewing the
directions and will provide more
information as soon as possible. Frequently asked questions for both staff and
volunteers will be uploaded to the DFES intranet and volunteer hub
respectively once finalised.
(4) (a) As of
1230 hours, 16 November 2021, 81 per cent of DFES staff have provided evidence
that they have received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination.
(b)–(c) This information is
not known.