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Review of the Fire Service Act 1979 Report by Mike Blake October 2020

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Review of the Fire Service Act 1979 Report by Mike Blake October 2020 Review of the Fire Service Act 1979 Report by Mike Blake October 2020 Review of the Fire Safety Act – Mike Blake – October 2020 Page 1 The Hon. Mark Shelton Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management Level 5, Salamanca Building, 4 Salamanca Place Hobart TAS 7000 Mr Darren Hine Secretary Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management Level 9, 47 Liverpool Street Hobart TAS 7000 Dear Minister and Secretary, Review of the Fire Service Act 1979 I attach my report into my review of the Fire Service Act 1979. While this review did not explicitly include consideration of the Emergency Management Act 2006, I found it difficult to review one without the other. As a result, some of my recommendations, if adopted, will have consequences for the Emergency Management Act. Yours sincerely, Mike Blake Independent Chair, Steering Committee Review of the Fire Service Act 1979 28 October 2020 Review of the Fire Safety Act – Mike Blake – October 2020 Page 2 Contents Executive summary ............................................................................................................................. 7 Summary of Recommendations ......................................................................................................... 12 About this Review ......................................................................................................... 20 1.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 20 1.2 Approach taken to this Review ................................................................................................ 22 1.3 Approach taken to preparing this report .................................................................................. 25 A case for change ........................................................................................................ 26 2.1 Existing legislation as this impacts the SFC and TFS .............................................................. 26 2.2 Implications for the Emergency Management Act 2006 ........................................................... 27 2.3 Other Fire Service Act related factors since 1979 ................................................................... 27 2.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 29 Functions and operating platform ................................................................................. 30 3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 30 3.2 An integrated fire and emergency services entity .................................................................... 31 3.3 Services to be provided by TFES ............................................................................................ 35 3.4 Current statutory and non-statutory functions and their alignment ........................................... 35 3.5 Future statutory and non-statutory functions ........................................................................... 36 3.6 Impacts on other services and how these should be managed ............................................... 40 3.7 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 45 An effective and efficient governance structure ............................................................ 47 4.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 47 4.2 Options for governance and structure ..................................................................................... 49 4.3 State Fire Management Council .............................................................................................. 56 4.4 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 59 Financial management ................................................................................................. 61 5.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 61 5.2 Current SFC/TFS funding arrangements ................................................................................. 63 5.3 Funding the State Emergency Service .................................................................................... 64 5.4 Funding level needed .............................................................................................................. 66 5.5 Funding models – TFES ......................................................................................................... 66 5.6 Discontinue local government funding and support for SES units............................................ 81 5.7 Appropriation (Consolidated Fund) funding ............................................................................. 83 5.8 Determination and collection of the proposed levy .................................................................. 84 5.9 Other matters relevant to funding ............................................................................................ 87 5.10 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 88 Volunteers .................................................................................................................... 90 6.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 90 6.2 Volunteering ............................................................................................................................ 90 6.3 Economic value provided by volunteers .................................................................................. 91 6.4 Acknowledgement of volunteers in legislation ......................................................................... 92 6.5 Conclusions ............................................................................................................................ 94 Operational and other matters ...................................................................................... 95 7.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................. 95 7.2 Emergency Medical Response ................................................................................................ 96 7.3 Protection from liability ............................................................................................................ 97 Review of the Fire Safety Act – Mike Blake – October 2020 Page 3 7.4 Inter-agency cooperation ...................................................................................................... 100 7.5 Appointment of permit officers ............................................................................................... 104 7.6 Fire and Emergency Risk Area Committees (currently Fire Management Area Committees) 104 7.7 Alternative proposal regarding FMACs .................................................................................. 108 7.8 Brigade and unit management and industry brigades ............................................................ 109 7.9 Fire permit system and total fire bans ................................................................................... 114 7.10 Community education ........................................................................................................... 116 7.11 The built environment – permits to install, maintain or repair fire protection equipment ......... 118 7.12 The built environment – evacuation plans ............................................................................. 120 7.13 Offences, penalties and enforcement .................................................................................... 125 7.14 Response, command and control, chain of command and endorsement/ appointment of Incident Controllers ....................................................................................................................................... 127 7.15 Capacity to respond to climatic changes ............................................................................... 128 7.16 Warnings ............................................................................................................................... 129 7.17 Fighting bushfires .................................................................................................................. 130 7.18 Building safety ....................................................................................................................... 130 7.19 Conclusions .......................................................................................................................... 131 Legislation (and initial transition implications) ............................................................. 132 8.1 Introduction ........................................................................................................................... 132 8.2 Principles-based legislation ................................................................................................... 133 8.3 Purpose of principles-based
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