Painting sqns

All,

Has anyone ever been given permission to do internal painting of Sqns? I.e. basic wall, skirting and ceiling redecorating.

I have asked and been told flat absolute no, never, do it and we will bill you personally for repairs.

Im not interested in stories of ‘we just did it’ or ‘the fairies must have done it guv’.

Need to know if anyone has ever been allowed to formally IAW with the published regs.

I know it’s allowed. Just need to get permission.

Thanks!

Always got told no but can wash the walls with magnolia coloured water

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I thought the trick was to paint the walls then deny all knowledge that they weren’t always that colour.

And how can you be billed for repairs when you paint a wall? If they won’t paint it when you ask, what are the chances they would subsequently repaint the wall just to charge you for it?

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It’s just a case of getting agreement from your RFCA I believe to conduct the self help. So, rather depends on who it was that told you no!

RFCA and wexo double teamed me with an explicit no.

No reason given.

We would cover all the costs etc.

Just seems really bizarre.

I am creating a works order for them (rfca contractors) to come and professionally paint. See how they respond to that.

That’s what the regs state. But they just ignored that point entirely.

I’d ask for the reasoning behind the decision. You m might not get it I guess and just have to suck it up. Or put in a works order every week for the next 6 months.

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:joy::rofl::joy::rofl::joy::rofl:

Escalate to the ARC?

Where I am it’s a relatively simple form to the WExO.

A squadron in my wing was being used pre-lockdown as a sort of pilot scheme for my RFCA to evaluate the feasibility of letting CFAV do a much greater level of self-help. Painting was definitely involved in that as part of a larger refurb. Not sure what’s happening to it now.

Sqn number so I can cite it to my RFCA?

This is the correct answer. Painting should be allowed via self-help. It’s generally in the RFCAs interests for us volunteers to be doing simple jobs for them.
I’ve done some self help work at my squadron and just have to email the WExO who gets permission from the RFCA, who then emails directly giving permission. When I fixed a bunch of door handles we even had the material costs covered by our RFCA!
If your WExO and RFCA are definitely saying no, escalate. (By definitely saying no, what I mean is have you actually seen a response from the RFCA saying no, as it might just be your WExO being awkward. They’re generally good at that!)

It’s just such as waste of taxpayers money to prevent you guys from painting your own squadron.

We’ve had contractors doing our Sqn up since about Jan/Feb this year, fully permitted.

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and at the detriment of another RCFA project

someone from RFCA to survey to the job, thus not surveying a “real” job
then the time to raise the job/collect in quotes from contractors
then the running around of WExO and OC to allow access to the painters and then at the end to sign off the work…and of course for the CFAVs to move items around in the Squadron to permit the painters access to the walls

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It’s a waste of taxpayers money to use RFCA contractors for anything, give OC’s a budget each year and let us get our own low value works and repairs done with local companies.

I guarantee you I could get a higher quality job at a lower price than the RFCA cowboys.

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We had a bona fide electrical contractor willing to replace a damaged wire, all by qualified person and fully certified, for free!

This was declined.

My previous Squadron had a professional electrician within the Staff team…offered to complete the PAT for the unit as someone with the kit and approved to complete it and sticker up the kit.

declined.

(and when it was done, items in plain sight were missed, while some items looked to have just been stickered, as they wouldn’t pass is actually tested)

We actually ended up utilising the entirety of the cadets on our squadron to assist!

I know a squadron that repainted the inside of the entire squadron. RFCA came in and decided I wasn’t up to spec so re painted the whole lot billed the sqn. Not happy at all.