VOLUNTEER firefighters fear a Labor policy to hire 350 more career firefighters will hurt smaller brigades.
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Former captain of the Castlemaine Fire Brigade and Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria board member Bill Maltby signed an open letter to politicians criticising the plan on Wednesday.
The Labor policy, released on November 18, puts $150 million towards hiring the 350 professional firefighters, who would be placed at stations across the state.
Mr Maltby said he estimated the policy needed $500 million to make sure stations were prepared to house the career firefighters, with some stations to change to 24-hours.
"Because of what's in the firefighter's enterprise bargaining agreement, you need to take into account the infrastructure that they will need," he said.
"We have a great volunteer capacity already."
Nine other VFBV board members signed the letter, sent to all Labor politicians on the eve of the election.
Mr Maltby said the plan "put a wedge between the good staff of the CFA and the hard working volunteer firefighters".
"I challenge all Labor politicians to tell us why the union should control the CFA," he said.
"This is a volunteer organisation supported by paid staff, not the other way around."
The letter criticised Labor's relationship with the United Firefighters Union and stated the plan took power away from the CFA's chief officer in deciding how resources were allocated.
It states "we support and welcome additional paid support and resources for CFA, provided these resources are reuired and provided that the CFA determines the need, not a union".
Liberal candidate for Bendigo West Michael Langdon spoke with Mr Maltby in Castlemaine on Thursday, and said the government should only support the volunteers "to do what they do best".
"This is a policy that clearly isn't in the best interest of community volunteerism," he said.
Labor Member for Bendigo West Maree Edwards said negotiations over the plan would be ongoing should they win the election.
"There has been concern within the VFBV board about the policy, I have spoken to local volunteers," she said.
"We will continue to engage with volunteers over the policy."
Labor announced on Wednesday it would purchase 50 new fire trucks for $18 million in its first budget.