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Fire Services Statement MAY 2017 Fire Services Statement / 1 Authorised and published by the Victorian Government, 1 Treasury Place Melbourne VIC 3000 May 2017 ISSN 978-1-925551-01-3 (Print) Printed by TC Printing, Scoresby Unless indicated otherwise, content in this publication is provided under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Australia Licence. To view a copy of this licence, visit creativecommons.org/licences/by/3.0/au It is a condition of the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Licence that you must give credit to the original author who is the State of Victoria. If you would like to receive this publication in an accessible format, such as large print or audio, please telephone the Department of Premier and Cabinet on (03) 9651 5111 or email dp&[email protected]. 2 / FIRE SERVICES STATEMENT MESSAGE FROM THE PREMIER Our state is proud of our brave and committed firefighters. But currently, our firefighters are being let down by a system that has remained largely unchanged since the 1950s. And as our state grows and changes, the demands on our fire services will only continue to mount. These challenges have been made clear through a number of reviews in recent years, including the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. Each of the reviews has reached the same conclusion: if we are to keep up, we must modernise our state’s fire services. This Fire Services Statement outlines the Government’s vision for modern fire services that will keep Victorians safe. These changes will build on the great strengths and expertise of Victoria’s firefighters. They will fill the gaps and fix the flaws that for too long have inhibited their work. And fundamentally, they will better support the men and women, whether career or volunteer, who keep Victorian communities safe. The Hon Daniel Andrews MP Premier of Victoria / 3 MESSAGE FROM THE MINISTER Since the devastating 2009 Black Saturday We will also create Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), bushfires, Victoria’s emergency management bringing together the Metropolitan Fire Brigade and fire services sectors have been put under the (MFB) and CFA career firefighters from the microscope. In fact, there have been eight reviews existing 35 integrated stations under one of the fire services in less than ten years. organisation. FRV will service metropolitan Melbourne and our major regional centres. For our These reviews have reached the same conclusion: career firefighters, the reform will mean resources, Victoria’s fire services must be modernised. structures and working conditions that don’t We need to improve governance and refresh the depend upon an arbitrary distinction between city structures that were implemented in the middle of and country. And for Victorians, it will mean they last century. can rely on the best fire and emergency service response, regardless of where they live. And while some improvements have been made, substantive reform has been put in the too hard In the future, our fire services will be able to basket for too long. adapt as Victoria grows and changes with the establishment of an independent Fire District Every day we’re at risk of outgrowing our fire Review Panel. This panel will advise on future services due to the rapid transformation of changes to the fire district boundary and its Victoria’s population and environment. recommendations will be based on expert modelling, objective criteria and population growth. In short, the time for reviews is over. Now is the time to act. Our priorities are to support the critical contribution of volunteers, remove the barriers Volunteers are, and will remain, vital to our that have inhibited the work of our fire services to response. It’s why, under these changes, Country date and most importantly, to keep Victoria safe. Fire Authority (CFA) will revert to a volunteer firefighter organisation. CFA will continue to serve the same communities and be enshrined under law. But it will be better supported and equipped, as the Government invests more than $100 million The Hon James Merlino MP to support volunteer brigades with additional Minister for Emergency Services training, equipment and facilities. / 5 CHANGES AND CHALLENGES FACING VICTORIA’S FIRE SERVICES Our current fire services arrangements have VICTORIA: A CHANGING STATE their origins in the 1890s and have remained largely unchanged for the past 60 years. • CFA services 3.3 million Victorians including Under current arrangements, CFA serves rural, 60 per cent of Melbourne’s suburbs. regional and urban areas through a network of 1,220 community-based volunteer brigades, • Victoria’s population is projected to increase by including 35 integrated stations staffed by both 4.6 million people between now and 2051, with career firefighters and volunteers. growth concentrated in major regional centres and Melbourne’s outer suburbs. At the same time, MFB operates in built–up areas of Melbourne through a network of 47 stations • In 2006, CFA volunteer-only brigades responded staffed by career firefighters. 18,958 times. By 2016 this had reduced slightly to Forest Fire Management Victoria, including staff 15,603. This reflects the number of brigades that from the Department of Environment, Land, Water transitioned to the integrated model. In the same and Planning (DELWP) and others, are responsible decade, integrated brigades saw an increase in for preparedness activities to reduce the risk and responses from 19,806 to 27,167. This represents impact of bushfires, as well as responding to all an increase of 37 per cent over this period. bushfires on Victoria’s parks, forests and other • Our climate is changing, with 15 of the public land. hottest years on record occurring in the For generations, the bravery, skill and dedication past 16 years. Heatwaves are lengthening fire of our firefighters, whether paid or volunteer, have seasons, and bushfires will likely increase in kept Victoria safe and saved lives. We have a proud frequency, intensity and affect more densely track record of fire services working together with populated areas. other agencies to respond to emergencies. This • The nature of the emergencies that our fire includes Victoria State Emergency Service, Victoria agencies must deal with has also changed. Police, and Ambulance Victoria. Urban fire and rescue services are at the But our firefighters are being let down by an forefront of managing the consequences of outdated structure. All the recent reviews and major incidents involving terrorism, hazardous inquiries have made this clear, particularly the materials, and public infrastructure. This 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. includes assisting ambulance paramedics As our population grows and our environment during mass casualty incidents, dealing with changes, our existing fire services model is fires and explosions, and performing rescues. struggling to keep up. In short: just as our state evolves, so too must our fire services. 6 / FIRE SERVICES STATEMENT FIRE SERVICES CHALLENGES There have been eight different reviews into Victoria’s fire services in less than ten years. This includes the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission, 2011 Jones Inquiry, 2015 Fire Services Review, 2014–16 Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry, Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission and the 2015–16 Parliamentary Inquiry into CFA recommended a process for reviewing Training College at Fiskville. the metropolitan fire district boundary. Key findings and recommendations from these • Poor morale arising from protracted industrial reviews include: relations negotiations. The Fire Services Review • Differences in CFA and MFB practices and recommended a focus on restoring a cohesive equipment that affect the ability of firefighters work culture. from each service to work together in responding to emergencies. The 2009 Victorian • Issues with financial, project, resource and Bushfires Royal Commission and the Fire occupational health and safety management. Services Review both made recommendations The Inquiry into CFA Training College at on enhancing the ways that the fire services Fiskville and the Hazelwood Mine Fire Inquiry work together including standardisation of made recommendations on improving health equipment, training and systems. and safety management for firefighters and other emergency services. The Fire Services • There are workplace culture issues, including Review recommended improvements to the low morale and lack of diversity, as well as a interoperability of appliances and equipment. fundamental disconnect between management and firefighters. The Jones Inquiry and the Despite some progress, a number of these Fire Services Review made a number of issues and recommendations have not recommendations to strengthen culture and been addressed. improve diversity in the fire services. It is time to act to support our fire services • Outdated governance structures, resulting and to keep all Victorians safe. in bad decision-making processes, lack of direction and confusion regarding overall responsibilities. The Fire Services Review made recommendations to modernise legislation for the fire services and to reinstate the role of the Chief Officer as organisational leader. The 2009 / 7 PROGRESS TO DATE Since the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal and station upgrades, as well as delivering a new Commission, progress has been made under regional training ground for firefighters in Ballan successive governments. and upgrading the Huntly training facility. Reflecting the Commission’s recommendations, Bushfire preparedness and management has Emergency Management Victoria
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