We’re committed to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive CFA where all Members are valued and enabled to thrive.
A diverse CFA empowers us to innovate, adapt and build deeper connections to the communities we serve.
Our Vision
CFA is committed to creating and nurturing a culture of diversity, inclusion and belonging because we know this improves our ability to keep Victorian communities prepared for and safe from fire.
Diversity is broader than the mix of people’s gender, cultural background, age, ability, or sexual orientations. Inclusion is more than making someone feel welcome. Together, Diversity and Inclusion is a way of thinking and interacting with each other at CFA that embraces difference in all its forms and values all contributions.
CFA strives to be:
- an organisation that is representative of the broader community in which we work.
- an employer of choice for volunteers and employees, attracting people with a variety of skills talents and approaches.
Strategic Goals
Download a text-only version of the Strategic Goals (DOCX 13.5KB)
Diversity focus areas
- First Nations Australians
- All-abilities (accessibility, disability, neurodiversity)
- Cultural and linguistic diversity
- LGBTQIA+ inclusion
- Older persons
- Women and gender equality
- Youth and young adults (11-24 years of age).
Our Diversity and Inclusion Strategy
CFA’s inaugural Diversity and Inclusion Strategy 2023-2025 (PDF 8.1MB) is a call to action for all members to support diversity, access and inclusion across CFA so that we can best serve our communities.
The Diversity and Inclusion Strategy builds upon the outcomes External Review of Culture and Issues Management and the Gender Equality Action Plan.
Easy English versions
Recognising the journey ahead
In the past few years CFA has made progress towards becoming a more diverse and inclusive organisation, and gone through significant change. Our strength lies in the ongoing support of our current and long-standing members (who have always supported their communities in times of need) while continuing to encourage greater diversity in future members. CFA’s sustainability and continuing ability to be a reliable emergency service depends on us representing all the people we serve.
Gender Equality Action plans for employees, training in diversity and inclusion, celebrating special days and re-establishing state and regional Diversity and Inclusion (formerly ‘Inclusion Fairness’) Councils are just some of the ways we’re taking action.
We know there’s more to do.
Ensuring that CFA is recognised as a diverse and inclusive organisation will require significant cultural change. CFA’s External Review of Culture and Issues Management noted that organisational culture change takes time. While CFA may have a way to go, it also has solid foundations and values from which we can build.
Our Strategy is designed to move us forward through sustained, enduring and measurable actions so that by 2026 we’ll have built a different story.
Embedding inclusion and diversity
To ensure diversity and inclusion initiatives are embedded and supported as core business, we are evolving our governance arrangements. This means that CFA doesn’t treat diversity and inclusion as separate things to ‘do’, but as part of the ‘structure’ of who we are at CFA.
CFA will create Advisory Councils and committees that facilitate a constant cycle of communication and engagement between all areas of CFA.
Download a text-only version of the Diversity & Inclusion Organisation Chart (DOCX 37.3KB)
How we recognise Diversity and Inclusion
At CFA, we recognise many different Special days, International Days, Awareness Days, and important festivals and cultural holidays.
This is because we celebrate the contributions of all our members and the observance days that matter to them.
Observance days at CFA include:
| Observance |
Date / Month |
| International Women's Day |
March |
| Cultural Diversity Week |
March |
| Harmony Day and Harmony Week |
March |
| IDAHOBIT Day |
May |
| National Reconciliation Week |
May |
| NAIDOC Week |
July |
| Wear It Purple Day |
August |
| Victorian Youth Fest |
September |
| International Day of Older Persons |
October |
| International Rural Women's Day |
October |
| 16 Days of Activism |
November |
| International Day of People with Disabilities |
December |
Gender Equality Action Plan
As we look to our future, we are focused on enabling a culture where all volunteers and employees are supported in making a meaningful contribution to CFA.
Through our Gender Equality Action Plan we are taking steps to increase diversity and set higher standards for gender equity within our organisation. This Plan captures our gender equality commitments for our employees over the next four years. It outlines the findings of our Gender Equality Audit and identifies the actions we’re taking to address barriers for employees.
CFA’s Gender and Equality Action Plan 2021-2025 (PDF 1.6MB) has been approved by The Commission for Gender Equality in the Public Sector.
Additional information on the Gender Equality Act is available on the Victorian Government website.
Contact
For more about CFA’s obligations under the Gender Equality Act or any questions, email genderequalityact@cfa.vic.gov.au
For more about the CFA Diversity and Inclusion Strategy contact diversityandinclusion@cfa.vic.gov.au.
Page last updated: Tuesday, 19 March 2024 12:54:03 PM