Member Allan Wood praised the new funding model on Saturday at a meeting with Emergency Management Victoria commissioner Andrew Crisp.

"All search and rescue units throughout Victoria are now fully-funded by the Marine Search and Rescue office which is a part of EMV," Mr Wood said.

"And boy don't we appreciate it."

Mr Wood said members were engaged with training programs to build their skills. 

"We have a key group of our skippers which we are now training up to be commercial coxon standard," he said.

"These guys are really getting themselves highly qualified."

Mr Crisp said the Coast Guard was made up of 100 per cent volunteers. 

"A lot of people think of the American Coast Guard, but in Victoria they are all volunteers," he said.

"They are not paid. It's amazing. They deserve to be recognised. 

Skipper Mark Atkinson said in the past the Coast Guard had organised a lot of fund-raising barbecues.

"We can now focus on training and maintenance," he said.

"We are here to help out." 

Mr Crisp, who worked in Warrnambool in the 1980s as a Senior Constable, said he had recently been spending a lot of time in Gippsland during and after the fires which devastated that area.

"My wife's cousin at that stage was the editor of The Standard," he said.

"I had an opportunity to come down here so I thought I would make the most of it."

His visit came as Port Fairy Marine Rescue is set to take possession of a new boat.

He met with Ambulance Victoria members at volunteers who were attending a regional conference in the city.

He also visited Hamilton's air base, which is used during the fire season. 

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