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moving towards a FireWise community
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How to become a
community safety
How to become qualied in
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. INTRODUCTION 2
2. PREREQUISITES AND CO-REQUISITES 2
3. RECOGNITION OF EXISTING QUALIFICATIONS 3
4. RECOGNITION OF PRIOR LEARNING (RPL) 3
(A) UNDERTAKE COMMUNITY SAFETY ACTIVITIES (PUAFIR301A) 3
(B) FOSTER A POSITIVE ORGANISATIONAL IMAGE IN THE COMMUNITY (PUACOM005A) 4
(C) COMMUNITY SAFETY FACILITATOR (RFSCSF1) 4
5. EVIDENCE NEEDED FOR ASSESSMENT 4
6. THE ASSESSMENT PROCESS 6
(A) YOUR PRE-ASSESSMENT BRIEFING 6
(B) GATHERING THE EVIDENCE 6
(C) MAKING THE JUDGEMENT 6
(D) APPEALS AGAINST AN ASSESSMENT 6
7. THE STANDARD TRAINING COURSE 7
8. FAST-TRACK TRAINING OPTIONS 7
9. VIEWING THE STANDARDS FOR CSF 7
10. UNITS OF COMPETENCY - GLOSSARY OF TERMS 8
11. MORE INFORMATION
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How to Become a Qualied
Community Safety Facilitator (CSF) - 2005
1. Introduction
Community Safety Facilitator (CSF) is the level of competency (skills, knowledge and attitudes) that
you need to identify and evaluate risk in the community and select and implement strategies to
improve community safety while promoting a positive public image for the RFS. In particular, CSF
meets the following units of competency from the national Public Safety Training Package, and an
additional internal RFS unit of competency. The name of the unit indicates what it is about.
Undertake Community Safety Activities (PUAFIR301A)
Foster a Positive Organisational Image in the Community (PUACOM005A)
Community Safety Facilitator (RFSCSF1)
You become qualied in CSF by being assessed as competent to the standard of competency
specied by the NSW Rural Fire Service. This can occur in any of three ways:
By having existing equivalent qualications recognised.
By having existing competency assessed as meeting the specied standard.
By undertaking activities (e.g. a training program) through which you learn to become
competent, and are assessed as competent, to the specied standard.
2. Prerequisites and Co-requisites
While medical and physical tness standards are not specied for CSF, bush community safety
activities might sometimes involve strenuous and demanding activities. You should seek advice
from your doctor before engaging in community safety activities if you suffer from any condition
that could affect your safety or the safety of others. These might include conditions that can be
aggravated by strenuous activity, or involve high heart disease risk factors, the risk of sudden loss
of consciousness, limited mobility or agility, or a diminished ability to detect and avoid hazards.
Entry Requirements
Before commencing training or assessment a person must:
Have CSA and BF (or BFS) qualications or equivalent.
Have sufcient literacy and numeracy skills to participate in the CSF training program. In
particular, they will need to be able to communicate with local communities effectively, and
read and understand a variety of community safety documents.
This means that, before a person can be assessed as competent in CSF, they need to have been
assessed as competent in CSA.
The following prerequisite requirement applies to the unit specied for CSF.
PUATEA004A Work Effectively in a Public Safety Organisation is a prerequisite for both units. It is
covered by either the BF or BFS program.
The co-requisite unit for PUACOM005A Foster a Positive Organisational Image in the Community
is PUAFIR301A Undertake Community Safety Activities. Both are covered together in the CSF
program.
In practice, trainees should be checked for their knowledge of safety, and their ability to correctly
carry out activities safely, before they are placed in any simulated or actual situations.
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3. Recognition of Existing Qualications

Qualications Gained Elsewhere
You might already be qualied in this unit through assessment in another Fire Service or other
Registered Training Organisation (RTO). If so, your qualications will be automatically recognised.
You then only need training and assessment in those aspects that are unique to your new location.
For example:
Familiarisation with the local area, (e.g. fuel types, terrain, weather patterns, brigade area
boundaries, etc.).
Familiarisation with the local resources, (e.g. types of Community. Education programmes,
handouts, etc.)
Familiarisation with local procedures and organisation.
4. Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL)
Even if you have never been assessed in CSF, its possible you might already be competent in it due
to prior learning (e.g. previous experience and/or training). If you think this might be the case, your
rst step is to self-assess, (see below). If not, go straight to section 7.
If your self-assessment leads you to believe you are competent (either partly or fully) you should
then present evidence of your competency to a qualied Assessor and have it formally assessed.
Note that self-assessment is not the same as self-recognition of a qualication. If you assess
yourself as competent, you still need to have a qualied Assessor independently assess you to
verify that you really are competent. An Assessor will judge your competency on the basis of the
evidence you supply. See section 5 for details of the evidence you will need to supply.
You can self-assess your current competency by honestly asking yourself the following questions
(listed under the applicable unit title/s and code number/s). If your answer to all the questions
under a unit heading is yes, then you might already be competent in that unit.
(a) Undertake Community Safety Activities (PUAFIR301A)
1. Do you participate in identifying community safety hazards? In particular, do you:
Use the organisations risk management procedures and processes?
Identify specic hazards that may impact on life, property, process or the environment and
report to your supervisor using the organisations procedures?
Conduct inspections for relevant information for pre-incident planning?
Consult with community members and organisations during the identication and/or
inspection process?
2. Do you consider hazard information when determining level of risk? In particular, do you:
Determine the level of risk using the organisations risk management procedures?
3. Do you implement risk mitigation guidelines? In particular, do you:
Select and implement the mitigation strategy?
Conduct risk reduction activities?
Implement mitigation guidelines with minimum damage to the environment in accordance with
legislation and the organisations procedures?
4. Do you evaluate mitigation strategies? In particular, do you:
Provide feedback to appropriate parties on the risk mitigation procedures and process?
Evaluate mitigation strategies for effectiveness and community acceptance?
Report issues to supervisor in accordance with the organisations procedures?
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(b) Foster a Positive Organisational Image in the Community (PUACOM005A)
1) Do you promote the organisation in the community? In particular, do you:
Respond to community requests for information or participation?
Act on opportunities to explain and promote the organisations activities?
Refer non-routine requests for information to the appropriate person?
2) Do you represent the organisation in the community? In particular, do you:
Represent the organisations position on particular issues in a way that acknowledges
community concerns and promotes community awareness?
Enhance the organisations public image when communicating or presenting to the
community?
3) Do you advise and involve the community in public safety activities? In particular, do you:
Advise the community on a range of prevention and mitigation techniques?
Inform and skill community members to implement prevention and mitigation activities?
Assist the community to initiate, develop and conduct prevention and mitigation techniques
addressing their particular needs?
(c) Community Safety Facilitator (RFSCSF1)
1) Do you facilitate different types of organisations in the community? In particular, do you:
Consider your audience when deciding on your facilitation technique?
Demonstrate positive conict resolution skills to facilitate constructive consultation and
discussion?
2) Do you use various communication techniques when addressing the community? In particular,
do you:
Understand the main characteristics of communication styles?
Demonstrate understanding of the requirements for, and methods of, different communication
styles?
5. Evidence Needed for Assessment
Evidence needed for assessment can be divided into four forms (or dimensions):
Products Relevant things made by the applicant that they can show to the Assessor to imply
their competency.
Performance Relevant things being done by the applicant that can be observed by the
Assessor to imply their competency.
Knowledge Answers to written or oral questions provided/asked by the Assessor, to imply
the applicants competency.
Other Evidence Records of the applicants activities or statements (written or oral) that can
imply the applicants competency.
Note: Some of these dimensions of evidence might apply more to some competencies than others.
In the case of CSF, the most convincing evidence will probably be in the form of performance
and/or statements, supported by replies and/or records. Not every piece of evidence given in
the following examples has to be supplied in order to make a judgement about the applicants
competency. However, they need to provide evidence that is:
Valid i.e. applicable to what is being assessed.
Sufcient i.e. enough to infer competency.
Current i.e. recent enough to infer current competency.
Authentic i.e. relating to the applicant, not to someone else.
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Typical assessment evidence for CSF is detailed below:
(a) Products
Products are not usually a very applicable form (dimension) of evidence for CSF.
(b) Performance
Observation of actual performance at a number of actual or simulated community safety
activities in a variety of conditions is a reliable form of assessment for CSF.
Typical evidence would consist of observing an applicant perform the role of a Community
Safety Facilitator in a range of actual or simulated situations. These might include a street
meeting, a Kids FireWise presentation or manning a static display or Fete stand. They would
be expected to use a typical range of presentation equipment and techniques during the activity.
The situations should include hazard identication, appropriate use of the services procedures
and guidelines, undertaking of mitigation activities, and the opportunity to demonstrate oral
and written communication skills as well as a range of presentation strategies and techniques.
If an applicant has long experience at community safety activities, the assessor may accept
less evidence of this type if there is a large amount of reliable evidence from statements and/
or records. Sufcient performance, however, should be observed to conrm their competency.
(c) Knowledge

Replies to questions would normally form part of the assessment to conrm the applicants
competency. Questioning is particularly useful for checking underpinning knowledge and the
handling of variations and contingencies.
Initial questions should cover safety issues before any assessment activities involving actual
or simulated re are conducted. These might typically include questions about hazards and the
precautions to be taken.
Questions may typically relate to re hazard identication, appropriate mitigation activities and
their procedures, legislative/regulatory requirements for community education, and
presentation of community safety information. Questions may often be asked to check whether
the applicant can adapt to changed circumstances.
(d) Other Evidence
Sometimes records of past community safety activities can be used as evidence. However,
most records say little about how applicants actually performed, and usually need to be
backed up by observation of actual performance. There are some exceptions to this general
principle. Sometimes video recordings, photographs or debrieng notes recorded by brigade
ofcers or observers might contain useful evidence.
Applicants with long standing brigade membership might be able to get written statements
(testimonials) from others that afrm their competency. A difculty with this dimension
of evidence is that it can sometimes be prejudiced and might be more about describing them
as a good sort than being objective. Generally, the more a testimonial is directly linked to the
competency standard, the more useful it is likely to be.
Assessors will normally gather informal statements about an applicants competency from
other members who have seen them engaged in community safety or educational activities.
This is usually done to conrm that the performance observed by the assessor is consistent
with their normal performance.
As a general rule, Assessors are to look for consistent evidence in at least three of the above
forms (dimensions). If they encounter some inconsistency, they should usually gather more
evidence until the inconsistency is resolved. For example, if one of the brigade members was
critical of an applicants performance, the Assessor should spot check the performance in the
activity that was criticised to determine whether or not the criticism was true.

Note: Sometimes the quickest and easiest way to gain recognition of prior learning (RPL) in CSF
is simply to participate in the standard CSF assessment (detailed in the CSF Workbook). If you
do that, it provides all the evidence an Assessor should need to make a judgement about your
competency, with less need for paperwork.
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6. The Assessment Process
Your assessor is there to make an independent judgement about whether or not you are
competent yet, based on the evidence you supply. It is not the assessors job to provide the needed
evidence (thats your role), but they will provide you with guidance.
(a) Your Pre-Assessment Brieng
Your assessor is required to brief you about your assessment well before it is conducted. They
are required to tell you what the assessment will consist of, how it will be done and your right to
appeal. Take advantage of this opportunity. Discuss the assessment with the assessor and nd out
beforehand what evidence (and how much) they expect to see.
If you are being assessed one on one, your assessor will set a mutually agreed time and place to
do this brieng. If you are learning CSF through a training program with others, the brieng will be
provided as part of the course, usually fairly close to its beginning.
(b) Gathering the evidence
Your assessor will gather the evidence that you supply until it is sufcient to make a judgement
about your competency. If you are being assessed one on one, it will come from the evidence you
have provided. If you are learning CSF through a training program, the assessor may use various
events during the training course (particularly towards its end) as opportunities to gather evidence
of your competency.
As a general rule, assessors will look for consistent evidence of at least three forms (dimensions).
If they encounter some inconsistency, they will usually gather more evidence until the inconsistency
is resolved. For example, if one of your brigade ofcers is critical of your performance, an assessor
might spot check your performance in the activity that was criticised to work out whether or not
the criticism was true.
(c) Making the judgement
By comparing the evidence gathered about your performance with the performance specied
in the relevant competency standard, your assessor will make a judgement about your level of
competency. Your assessor is then required to tell you whether you have been assessed as
competent or not yet competent.
If competent, they will complete an Assessment Declaration. This is a document that
authorises your result to be ofcially recorded. The Assessment Declaration includes a
space for the assessor to record comments, such as the form of assessment evidence that
was gathered. It also has a space for you to make comments about the assessment.
If not yet competent, your assessor is required to explain to you what aspects of the
standard of competency you do not yet meet, and the evidence he/she gathered that led to
that conclusion. They are also required to advise you on how to ll the gap in your competency
(e.g. they might recommend you do some further practice or training).
(d) Appeals against an assessment
You have a right to appeal against an assessment if you believe it has not been conducted properly.
All assessments are required to be cross-checked by a validating ofcer. You can appeal to that
validating ofcer against the assessment. He or she is required to deal with your appeal within a
maximum of four months.
To lodge an appeal all you have to do is write comments to that effect on the Assessment
Declaration for the attention of the validating ofcer. Keep a copy for your own reference. You can
only appeal once, but if you still disagree with the result, you can submit a formal grievance about
the matter under Service Standard 1.1.3.
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7. The Standard Training Course
If you are not already qualied or competent in CSF, you can participate in the standard training
course to gain competency.
This is probably the most common way of becoming qualied in CSF.
An outline of the CSF training program is given below. Included in the courses are activities to
gather the evidence needed to show you are competent. This evidence is along the same lines as
that described in section 5.
Community Safety Facilitator (CSF)
Self Paced Learning
1. What is a CSF?
2. Communities and the RFS
3. Introduction to Risk Management
4. A Positive Community Image
5. Community Education
6. Evacuation/Relocation
Workshop

1. Welcome and Introduction
2. Practical Application of Pre-workshop Learning
3. Educational Considerations
4. Communication Styles
5. Presentation Skills
6. Effective Facilitation
7. Post-course Assessment Brieng
Post-course Activities
1. Practical Exercises
Perform the role of CSF, under supervision, in two typical community safety events
2. Testimonials of Competency
8. Fast-Track Training Options
If the self-assessment you did in section 4 indicates you have some but not all the competencies
needed for CSF, you may not need to do the entire CSF training program. Discuss it with an
assessor or the District Training Coordinator. They may be able to determine that you only need
complete parts of the standard CSF courses and/or assessments.
9. Viewing the Standards for CSF
You can view the unit of competency applicable to this qualication on the National Training
Information Service (NTIS) website (www.ntis.gov.au), or by contacting your District Training
Coordinator. You can also get a pretty good idea of what is covered by reading section 4. Units
of competency (such as on the NTIS website) have their own unique jargon and layout. See the
glossary of terms below for an explanation of their meaning.
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10. Units of Competency - Glossary of Terms
Unit of Competency
A unit of competency describes a distinct job or function carried out by a person. It is written
in terms of outcomes and further divided into elements and performance criteria.
Unit Title
The unit title briey describes the scope of the unit of competency. An example is Respond to
Wildre.
Unit Code
This is an identifying code for the unit. For example, Respond to Wildre has the unit code,
PUAFIR201A. The PUA means it is a Public Safety unit. The FIR indicates a re service
specic unit. The 201 is its identifying number and the A indicates it is the rst edition of
that unit.
Elements
Elements are the basic building blocks of a unit of competency. They describe the tasks that
make up the broader job or function described by the unit.
Performance Criteria
Performance criteria are evaluative statements that specify the required level of performance
to be assessed. They specify the activities, skills, knowledge and understanding that provide
evidence of competent performance for each element of competency.
Range of Variables
This is part of a competency standard which sets out the range of contexts in which
performance can take place. It helps the Assessor to identify the specic industry or
organisations application of the unit of competency.
Evidence Guide
The evidence guide is part of a unit of competency. It species the context of the assessment,
the critical aspects of assessment, and the required or underpinning knowledge and skills
needed.
Key Competencies
These are general competencies that are essential for effective participation in work or
related activities.
11. More information
Contact the Community Safety Ofcer or Learning and Development Ofcer at your local Fire
Control Centre. If you are unaware of your local Fire Control Centre or their contact details you
should contact your local brigade for your local Fire Control Centres contact details: