Annual Report 2019 – 2020 Looking back, moving forward — Celebrating MFB 485 total fires 1891–1892 Annual Report 5,807 fires & explosions 2019–2020 Annual Report Contents 04 Vision and strategic themes 36 Safe and healthy workforce 05 Letter to the Minister 45 Improving community safety and resilience 06 Fire Rescue Commissioner's foreword 52 Valuing our people 08 President’s foreword 64 Fire Equipment Services 10 Acting Chief Executive Officer/ Chief Officer’s report 65 Delivering exceptional service 12 Looking back, moving forward 77 Working with others 16 Purpose and functions 78 Governance 17 About us 82 Other disclosures 20 Our Minister 92 Disclosure index 20 The Board 94 Management discussion and analysis 21 Executive Leadership team 95 Financial report 22 Organisational structure 164 Independent auditor’s report 23 Our performance Annual Report 2019—2020 3 Vision and strategic themes The Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services MFB also upholds the Board (MFB) is a contemporary fire and rescue Victorian Government service, which has proudly served the Victorian Public Sector values: community for 129 years. We aspire to provide an exemplary fire and rescue service for Melbourne and Victorians. Our shared vision with Emergency Responsiveness Management Victoria is building safer and more resilient communities. Integrity Our strategic themes for 2019–2020 are: • Always safe • Improving community safety and resilience Impartiality • Valuing our people • Delivering exceptional service • Working with others Accountability MFB’s values are: Safety: We strive for a workplace culture of safety, identifying and remedying the causes of workplace injuries. Respect Response: We are responsive to the needs of our people and our community. Professionalism: We work in a highly professional manner. Leadership Initiative: We demonstrate initiative, innovation and agility as we continuously improve our service. Human rights 4 Metropolitan Fire Brigade Letter to the Minister The Hon. Lisa Neville MP Minister for Police and Emergency Services Level 17, 8 Nicholson Street East Melbourne VIC 3002 Dear Minister, I have much pleasure in submitting the 2019–20 Annual Report of the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board in accordance with the Financial Management Act 1994 (Vic), for the year ending 30 June 2020. Ken G. Block Fire Rescue Commissioner Fire Rescue Victoria 30 November 2020 Annual Report 2019—2020 5 Fire Rescue Victoria Commissioner’s foreword As a community we’re adapting to the On behalf of the former Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (MFB), and as the inaugural Fire Rescue changing climate, and other factors Commissioner, I am pleased to present the 2019-20 including population growth, urbanisation, Annual Report. MFB and the Country Fire Authority (CFA) have proudly served building codes and regulations. What the Victorian community for more than a century, and I feel won’t change is our commitment to the privileged to have the opportunity to lead such a dynamic, skilled and dedicated team of people under Fire Rescue communities we serve, and our efforts Victoria (FRV). to keep Victorians safe. The establishment of FRV on 1 July 2020 was a defining moment in the state’s history and will ensure that the needs of a growing and changing twenty-first century Victoria are met. As a community we’re adapting to the changing climate, and other factors including population growth, urbanisation, building codes and regulations. What won’t change is our commitment to the communities we serve, and our efforts to keep Victorians safe. FRV will serve and protect communities across Melbourne and Victoria’s major regional centres from 85 fire and rescue stations across the state – some of which will be co-located with CFA volunteer brigades – and various offices and facilities. 6 Metropolitan Fire Brigade I am honoured to be at the forefront of this new chapter for Victoria’s fire and rescue services, and my priority will be to ensure that FRV is well equipped to support the safety and wellbeing of the Victorian community and our people. In the emergency services sector, we work together as one The reforms provide us with a unique opportunity to enhance our team, and FRV will proudly continue to work alongside the community service, strive for continuous improvement, and provide CFA, which will be a fully community-based volunteer fire the best fire and rescue response for all Victorians. and rescue service. Volunteers are an essential resource I am honoured to be at the forefront of this new chapter for within Victoria’s fire and rescue service capability, and the Victoria’s fire and rescue services, and my priority will be to supportive relationship between FRV and CFA will be ensure that FRV is well equipped to support the safety and integral to the success of both organisations. wellbeing of the Victorian community and our people. For more than a century all agencies and all personnel – firefighters, In presenting this report, I would like to acknowledge those staff and volunteers – have proven why Victoria’s fire and rescue who have worked tirelessly in the recent transition to Fire services are held in such high regard. Together, we will be able to Rescue Victoria and those who continue to serve the Victorian draw on decades of knowledge and expertise, and continue to community every day. deliver and enhance our strong, cohesive and agile fire and rescue service, utilising the capability of our people to handle everything My appointment as Fire Rescue Commissioner comes at a time from urban search and rescue to marine fires and bushfires. of great opportunity and I am committed to working with our people, our emergency services sector colleagues and all Victorian fire and rescue service employees have a long and stakeholders to ensure that Fire Rescue Victoria is the best proud history of working together with all emergency service that it can be. organisations, whether volunteer or professional, and this will continue under Fire Rescue Victoria. It will be our priority to Regards, continue to work seamlessly with our emergency service sector colleagues to provide the best response for all Victorians, wherever they live in the state. Since joining the FRV transition team in February 2020, I have spent the past months working closely with people in the sector, meeting as many individuals as possible and helping Ken G. Block prepare the new organisation. I have seen the significant work Fire Rescue Commissioner and planning that has gone into the establishment of Fire Rescue Victoria and see a very bright future ahead. Annual Report 2019—2020 7 President’s foreword It is with a mixture of reflection and excitement that I write this very last foreword for an MFB Annual Report. Looking back, I have a huge sense of pride at the work we have done; even just in the past 12 months we have worked tirelessly towards transitioning to Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), supporting the community, Country Fire Authority (CFA) and our partner agencies through the exceptionally challenging bushfires that Victoria experienced this summer, and now planning, preparing, and responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. This year MFB attended more than 38,000 incidents, including more than 5,800 fires, 3,100 incidents involving hazardous materials and 4,000 emergency medical response calls. We worked collaboratively with our emergency services colleagues throughout the 2020 Victorian bushfires, and set up Incident Management teams (IMTs) to manage MFB’s response to COVID-19 and ensure resources, processes and procedures kept our people and communities safe. These activities confirm how varied our role has become, and highlights that we do so much more than just fight fires in our provision of exceptional services to the community. In December, the Victorian Government announced the appointment of Mr Ken Block as Victoria’s first Fire Rescue Commissioner. This appointment was a critical and defining moment in the establishment of Fire Rescue Victoria, bringing with it certainty to our people and the sector as we worked towards transition. The summer fire season proved confronting, and was made even more difficult by the tragic loss of life and injury it inflicted. In January, the Victorian Government declared a State of Disaster in response to the ferocity of the fires. MFB worked seamlessly with our sector colleagues to protect the community as we faced this unprecedented fire event. As the world watched, it was heartbreaking to observe the intensity of the fires and the difficulties people had to endure, but as we came together and faced the adversity, my fears and concerns were replaced by great pride in seeing the selfless actions of the community, firefighters, and emergency services personnel working as one to overcome challenges together. As stories of courage and hope began to emerge from the fire grounds, it demonstrated the depth of community spirit and resolve, and confirmed that Australians are very fortunate to have such well-trained, dedicated firefighters and first responders who unreservedly place their community front and centre in everything they do. 8 Metropolitan Fire Brigade Just as we caught our breath from the bushfires, in January It has been an honour to serve on MFB’s Board and I have the first cases of COVID-19 were recorded in Australia, and our been immensely proud to lead MFB over the last few years. world changed forever. In response, MFB swiftly established It is abundantly clear to me that it is the people of MFB that Incident Management teams and ceased our usual community make it such a special and unique organisation – one that engagement activities as a preventative measure. This decision has served our community with pride and passion for over was not taken lightly but it was imperative for us to implement 129 years. There is no doubt that in transitioning to FRV, the precautions to protect the safety and wellbeing of our people people of MFB will take with them their passion, skill and and the community while maintaining our delivery of fire and selfless dedication.