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Department overview | |
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Formed | 1 November 2013 |
Jurisdiction | Queensland Government |
Headquarters | Kedron, Queensland, Australia |
Employees |
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Minister responsible |
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Department executives |
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Child agencies |
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Website | qfes |
The Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) is the primary provider of fire and emergency services in Queensland, Australia. The QFES was established in 2013, adopting an "all hazards" approach to emergency management.
The QFES headquarters are located in the Emergency Services Complex in Kedron, Brisbane.
The 20,200 QFES personnel are 2,200 full-time professional firefighters and 2,000 on call auxiliary firefighters, 9,000 Rural Fire Service volunteers and 6,000 State Emergency Service volunteers. QFES front-line operations are supported by non-operational administration staff located throughout Queensland. [1]
The Queensland Government minister responsible is the Honourable Nikki Boyd, Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery. [2]
On 1 November 2013, the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service merged with Emergency Management Queensland (EMQ) and the Corporate Services Division of the Department of Community Safety to become the QFES, encompassing Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, parts of the State Emergency Service, Emergency Management and the Rural Fire Service.
In October 2022, following a review by State Disaster Co-ordinator Steve Gollschewski, it was decided that QFES would be dissolved in June 2024. The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service along with the Rural Fire Service would form the Queensland Fire Department, with a new central headquarters. [3] [4] On 1 July 2024 the State Emergency Service will be merged with the Queensland Police Service along with the Volunteer Marine Rescue and the Australian Volunteer Coast Guard Queensland, which itself is to be renamed Marine Rescue Queensland (MRQ) and therefore made part of the Queensland emergency services. [3] [5]
The new QFD headquarters will be located at 240 Sandgate Road, Albion with a 2025 opening date. [4]
QFES professional firefighters aim to balance risk reduction and community resilience enhancement, whilst providing response and recovery capabilities in the primary hazard response areas of fire and explosion, accident, rescue, environmental, and imminent or declared disaster.
QFES provides specialist personnel for land, marine, air and urban search and rescue; crime scene and forensic searches; missing person searches; animal disease outbreaks; and communications.[ citation needed ]
Since the merger of the fire boards in 1990, the Queensland state firefighting agency has operated under several names:
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is made up of approximately 2200 professional and 2000 auxiliary (on-call) firefighters, responsible for responding to most emergencies. Firefighters are trained and work in a command structure with standards to ensure safety. Becoming a Queensland Fire and Rescue Service firefighter involves a selection process, after which successful candidates undertake a four-month recruitment course. Recruits then go on to complete study and training in all disciplines of rescue, wildfires, structural fires and major emergencies.[ citation needed ]
The first Rural Fire Board was established in 1927 with the Rural Fires Act of 1927 (Qld), which was suspended in 1931 due to the Great Depression. The boards were re-established in 1948, and merged with the Department of Emergency Services in 1990, becoming the Rural Fire Service (RFS). In 2014, the RFS was merged into the QFES. [6]
Queensland's firefighters undertake a range of planning and preparation activities throughout the year, including structural firefighting, wildland (forest and grassland) fires, vertical rescue, swift water rescue, road crash rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, urban search and rescue (USAR) and hazardous material mitigation. Fire hazard (vegetation fires) mitigation and response is the primary role of Fire and Rescue and Rural Fire Service in the outer areas.[ where? ]
Rural Fire Brigades, in conjunction with Rural Fire Service permanent staff, Fire & rescue Service,[ clarification needed ] local councils, national parks rangers, and local landholders, undertake a range of planning and preparation activities throughout the year to prepare communities for the fire season. One of these activities is hazard reduction burns. Hazard reduction burns use fire under controlled circumstances to reduce excess vegetation and minimise the potential for bushfires to spread.[ citation needed ]
QFES professional firefighters visit schools and engage in a range of community education activities to prepare the community for emergencies.
This section may be confusing or unclear to readers. In particular, how this information links to QFES.(February 2024) |
The Fire and Emergency Services Regulation 2011 (Qld) regulates the use of fire by not allowing fires to be lit without a specific permit. Fire wardens and authorized fire officers manage the permit to light fire system.
A permit to light fire is required for any fire that exceeds two meters in any direction and can be acquired free of charge from a fire warden.
QFES professional firefighters cover the major population areas across most of Queensland. Rural Fire Brigade volunteers respond to the outbreak of fires within their local area, as well as in surrounding areas to support other rural bushfire brigades and emergency services. QFES is made up of the Rural Fire Service and Fire and Rescue Service that together provide a stronger response to large-scale bushfires.
All elements of QFES are often sent on deployment to assist other Australian states during disasters. Both professional and volunteer services are also used for state-based deployments.
The Queensland State Emergency Service (SES) is a statewide organisation of volunteers who respond to emergencies and disasters across Queensland as needed. They are trained and equipped by local councils and QFES to help their communities across a range of functions. The basic concept of the SES is one of self-help and mutual assistance within each community.
SES members also assist other emergency services by providing emergency lighting, emergency welfare services, management of traffic at emergency scenes, and emergency communications.
The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Commissioner of the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.
Period served | Name | Notes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Emergency Services | ||||||
2014–2015 | Lee Johnson, AFSM | Formally Commissioner of Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS). | ||||
2015–5 June 2019 | Katarina Carroll, APM | Formerly Assistant Commissioner in the Queensland Police Service. | ||||
2 December 2019 – 3 October 2023 | Greg Leach, AFSM | Former Deputy Chief Officer of the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (Melbourne). Previous Commissioner of Tasmania Ambulance. | ||||
3 October 2023 – Present | Steven Smith, AFSM | Appointed acting commissioner from 3 October 2023. | ||||
The following have held the position of commissioner and later deputy commissioner of the QFRS.
Period served | Name | Notes | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority | ||||||
1997–2001 | Wayne Hartley, AFSM | Formally Director of the Queensland Ambulance Service. | ||||
Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service | ||||||
2001–2002 | Wayne Hartley, AFSM | Formally Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority | ||||
2002–2014 | Lee Johnson, AFSM | |||||
Deputy Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service | ||||||
2023–Present | Kevin Walsh, AFSM | |||||
The QFES employs both professional firefighters and on call paid Auxiliary firefighters to staff its more than 240 urban fire and rescue stations.
Ranks of the Queensland Fire and Rescue Services are as follows:
Volunteers
Queensland Fire and Emergency Service medals and ribbons are worn in accordance with the strict Order of Precedence below, from center to right. The award with the highest precedence is worn closest to the centre of the chest and on the top row of ribbon bars when more than four awards are worn. [7]
Citations are worn centrally, 5mm above the nameplate on the right breast pocket of service shirts, tunics and coats. The Order of Precedence for Queensland Fire and Emergency Service citations is as follows: [7]
Commissioner's Unit Citation | |
G20 Citation | |
2010-2011 Queensland Flood and Cyclone Citation | |
XXI Commonwealth Games Citation | |
Queensland is split into 7 distinct Regions for administrative purposes with each assigned a region number.
Region Number | Region Name |
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Region 1 | Northern Region |
Region 2 | Central Region |
Region 3 | South Western Region |
Region 4 | North Coast Region |
Region 5 | Brisbane Region |
Region 6 | South Eastern Region |
Region 7 | Far Northern Region |
Each region is further divided into several Commands or Areas with an area office, usually a large station or dedicated building. For example, Caloundra Command has an area office at Caloundra Fire and Rescue Station, while Caboolture Command has a dedicated office.
Fire and Rescue stations are numbered by the region and command it's located in, followed by 3rd digit.
For example, Station 482 (Caloundra) is situated in North Coast Region (see above), Caloundra Command, Station 2.
FRS appliance callsigns are formulated with the station number and a letter denoting the type of appliance.
Letter | Appliance Type |
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A | Pumper with firefighting and rescue capability |
B | As per Alpha |
C/D | Pumper with no rescue capability |
E | 4WD pumper with firefighting or SWR capability |
I | Hydraulic platform with aerial rescue and firefighting capability |
J | Combined Aerial Pumper Appliance |
K | Emergency Tender with rescue capability |
L | Rescue vehicle with technical rescue and swift water rescue capability |
S | Operational Support Unit with HAZMAT and BA support |
V | Water Tanker |
Y | 4WD Light Attack vehicle with firefighting capability, that can be equipped with SWR |
RFS brigades are named by their locality. For example, Landsborough Rural Fire Brigade, Ilkley and District RFB and Maleny RFB.
RFS callsigns are formulated with the brigade name appended with the number of appliance.
Number | Type |
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41 | Light Attack |
51 | Medium Attack |
61 | Heavy Attack |
71 | Water Tanker |
81 | Utility Vehicle |
91 | Command Vehicle |
If a brigade has multiple of one type, the last digit is increased by one, for example Ilkley and District 51 and 52.
The Queensland Police Service (QPS) is the principal law enforcement agency responsible for policing the Australian state of Queensland. In 1990, the Queensland Police Force was officially renamed the Queensland Police Service and the old motto of "Firmness with Courtesy" was changed to "With Honour We Serve". The headquarters of the Queensland Police Service is located at 200 Roma Street, Brisbane.
The Country Fire Authority (CFA) is a volunteer fire service responsible for fire suppression, rescues, and response to other accidents and hazards across most of the state Victoria, Australia. CFA comprises over 1,200 brigades organised in 21 districts, and shares responsibility for fire services with Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV), which employs full-time paid firefighters in major urban areas; and Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV), which manages fire prevention and suppression on Victoria's public lands. CFA operations and equipment are partly funded by the Victorian Government through its Fire Services Levy, and supplemented by individual brigades' fundraising for vehicles and equipment.
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