MFB Annual Report 2015-2016
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Annual Report 2015–16 MFB responds to around 38,000 calls a year Table of contents 03 Purpose and strategic themes 03 Letter to the Minister 04 President’s foreword 06 Chief Executive Officer’s report 08 About us 10 The Board 11 Executive Leadership team 12 Organisational structure 19 Chief Officer’s report 20 Significant incidents 22 Emergency medical response 24 Pillar 1 – Always Safe 26 Pillar 2 – Improving community safety and resilience 32 Pillar 3 – Valuing our people 42 Pillar 4 – Delivering exceptional service 46 Pillar 5 – Working with others 50 Corporate governance report 62 Financial report MFB invested over $15 million in new appliances, marine response initiatives, station refurbishments, ICT systems, hardware and equipment in the 2015–16 financial year. 2 | Metropolitan Fire Brigade Letter to the Minister Purpose and strategic themes The Hon James Merlino MP Minister for Emergency Services Level 3, 1 Treasury Place East Melbourne 3002 Dear Minister, Our purpose I have much pleasure in submitting To provide a world class fire and the 2015–16 Annual Report of the emergency service for Melbourne Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board in accordance with the and Victorians. Financial Management Act 1994 (Vic.). Yours sincerely, EMV shared vision Safer and more resilient communities. Dr Andi Diamond MFB’s strategic President themes for 2015–2018 Always Safe Improving community safety and resilience Valuing our people Delivering exceptional service Working with others Annual Report 2015–2016 | 3 President’s foreword I feel honoured to have been at the helm of the Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board during 2015–16 – a year that has proven to be challenging and rewarding in equal measure. The emergency services sector in Victoria has entered an era of defining change, and our ability to adapt and bring our own leadership, skills and capabilities to that change will be crucial over the coming years. This past year we have driven forward some exciting new initiatives at MFB, including the Mobile Data for Vehicles Project, which will see mobile computers placed in operational appliances for the first time. In an Australian first, MFB has also implemented ground- breaking GPS mapping technology called ARM360, which swiftly assesses and reports damage following major incidents and disasters, enabling effective relief and recovery. This technology proved to be invaluable at the Wye River and Separation Creek fires in December, and these two examples demonstrate how MFB is leading the way with innovations which strengthen our capabilities. 2016 represented a significant milestone for MFB – its 125th anniversary. One of Melbourne’s oldest organisations, MFB was established in 1891 and quickly evolved from a fragmented group of insurance and volunteer brigades to one whose purpose is delivering a world-class fire and emergency service to Melbourne and Victorians. In its first year, MFB reported a staff of 59 permanent and 229 auxiliary firefighters, responding to 816 calls from 48 stations. Since then, it has grown to a workforce of 2,300 employees, with firefighters at 47 fire stations responding to nearly 38,000 calls a year including a multitude of non-fire-related incidents, such as emergency medical response, high angle rescue, urban search and rescue and marine response. Our series of 125th celebratory events have been a great success, particularly the Gala Ball, which raised an impressive $10,000 to support the During the year, the Fire vital work of mental health charity beyondblue. I was delighted to see our fire services showcased at the Newport Workshop Services Review was Open Day and the community response was fantastic. More than 1000 people attended on the day to get a glimpse released. It identified areas of the lovingly restored vintage appliances. Undoubtedly the community appreciates and respects the work of our for improvement in the fire firefighters and this was very evident on the day. services in relation to culture, diversity and interoperability. 4 | Metropolitan Fire Brigade During the year, the Fire Services Review was released. I would like to take this opportunity to thank the CEO and It identified areas for improvement in the fire services Board members for their ongoing commitment to the in relation to culture, diversity and interoperability. The organisation. I’d also like to acknowledge all MFB employees Board and Executive Leadership Team is committed to for their work throughout the year. It’s been a challenging addressing the review recommendations by strongly environment to work in but they have risen to the challenge focusing on building a constructive, interoperable and and continue to do an outstanding job protecting the safety efficient organisation for the future. of Victorians every day. On a personal note I want to thank 2016 also marked the release of the Parliamentary Inquiry so many of our firefighters who have taken the time to meet report into the CFA training college at Fiskville, which provided with me and who have given me a greater insight into the very MFB with useful learnings for the future. While we await the significant and important work they do. It continues to be an Government’s response to the report, MFB has already honour to stand with you at times of celebration as well as at identified several high-level actions and opportunities to times of sorrow. It’s these occasions that give me a strong improve safety outcomes for our people and the community sense of the MFB family. we serve. MFB commenced a voluntary testing program in I’m proud to be part of an organisation that continues to April 2016 for current, former and retired MFB staff concerned be a recognised leader in emergency services and aspires about excessive exposure to perfluorinated chemicals in to pursue our purpose – “to deliver a world class fire and firefighting foams used prior to 2014. A newly-formed federal emergency service”. panel is reviewing the safe levels of PFCs and we will continue I look forward to the year ahead. to take advice from the Brigade Medical Service and the Chief Health Officer on safe PFC levels, medical interventions and treatment. We have also implemented fortnightly testing of water at VEMTC, Craigieburn. As a Board we remain concerned by our Occupational Health and Safety statistics and have clear expectations for the Executive Leadership Team in improving these outcomes. Dr Andi Diamond MFB has developed a carefully constructed “Always Safe” President strategy (focusing on leadership and behaviour, systems and health and wellbeing) to improve our performance and realise our goal of ensuring that everyone always returns home safe from work. Sadly, we farewelled several of our colleagues over the past year. In the wake of these tragedies, we continue to seek the best ways to support our people at home and work, and identify opportunities to improve mental health across the organisation. To that end, we commissioned Dr Peter Cotton, a clinical and organisational psychologist specialising in occupational mental health, to work with our leadership team and the Board to consider what additional strategies we should be putting in place to support our staff and to assist in dealing with post-traumatic stress. Annual Report 2015–2016 | 5 CEO’s report The 2015–16 financial year has delivered a set of complex and interesting challenges for the emergency management sector in Victoria. MFB has been largely successful in predicting, managing and meeting these and has delivered against key targets. This year’s annual report is largely focused on our achievements against the MFB Plan, a three-year initiative that we launched in 2015. The Plan articulates MFB’s commitment to the organisation and to the community it serves by prioritising actions that will help to make Melbourne and Victoria a safer place. ‘Always Safe’, ‘Improving Community Safety and Resilience’, ‘Valuing Our People’, ‘Delivering Exceptional Service’ and ‘Working With Others’ are the five strategic themes identified to focus the organisation on the strategies that are most important for us to prioritise, and those that will take us forward in the longer term. We have identified a number of key challenges facing us through our ongoing environmental scans, including the release of the Fire Services Review and refinement of the Victorian Emergency Management Strategic Action Plan. These require a strategic response and have been incorporated into the 2016-17 Plan. From an operational perspective I continue to be immensely impressed by our people, who continually restore a sense of order to sometimes chaotic situations, quickly and efficiently bringing emergency incidents under control. The role of the modern day firefighter has evolved and become far more diverse today and is certainly no longer only about fighting fires. This financial year we received nearly 38,000 calls for assistance, an increase of over a thousand on the previous year, due largely to an increase in false alarm and good intent calls. Over the last year we have invested significantly in infrastructure, with major refurbishments at Bundoora, Keilor, Newport and Greensborough fire stations being completed, and with building tenders commencing on Laverton Fire This financial year we Station, and an architect on Box Hill and North Laverton fire stations. We also rolled out a total replacement of Breathing received nearly 38,000 calls Apparatus cylinders to ensure ongoing capability that will be interoperable with the CFA, enhancing safety for our for assistance, an increase firefighters and the community. We have replaced the outdated Firecom, our dispatch and management system, of over a thousand on the which has improved our incident response. previous year, due largely to an increase in false alarm and good intent calls. 6 | Metropolitan Fire Brigade The past year has continued to be demanding with regard More than 15 years after Emergency Medical Response was to our workplace relations environment.