Volunteering in Canberra if the SES doesn't want you?

I am a member of the ACT Rural Fire Service, and can tell you they are ALWAYS looking for member. Put in an application and see what happens 🙂

Or if you want a simple, low key volunteer option, see if your neighbourhood has community fire brigade volunteers. After the 2003 bushfires, the governement set up community units in various suburbs close to fire prone areas. You might see them parked on different nature strips – bright yellow trailers – and anyone in the local area can be trained as to how to use them. They have training sessions a few times a year and basically they help you to do a small bit of defence in your own street if its ever needed. Where I live, we back onto bushland so have one on our street and a few of the neighbourhours, including Mr Badseed know how to use the unit and train a few times a year.

or is there training available? Surely worth training front line property owners, and backing them up with central SES.

Jono,
Interestingly its all on the ACT RFS website – who’d have though!
http://esa.act.gov.au/actrfs/get-involved/how-to-become-a-volunteer/

You need to pass a medical and criminal history check.
Basic training then takes maybe a few weeks – depends when you apply. We only run them now and then. One coming up soon possibly, depending on demand.
You are then on probation with your brigade for six months. The Brigade then votes to accept you as a member or leave you on probation.

Did they give you a reason for your unsuccessful application?