Annual Report
2011-2012
Contents President’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 CEO’s Message. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1 AFAC Governance. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 AFAC Board Members. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
AFAC Vision “Fire and emergency services strengthened through sharing, collaboration and innovation.”
AFAC Council . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 AFAC Directors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 AFAC Staff. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Statement of Financial Performance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Statement of Financial Position. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Highlights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 Knowledge Sharing and Collaboration . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 AFAC 2011 Conference. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8 Executive Command Forum 2011 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 AFAC Workshops, Groups, Networks and Professional Development Events. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Award 2011. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 Laurie Lavelle Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Themes and Priorities for 2012 - 2014 In 2009 the AFAC Council endorsed the current Strategic Plan. In February this year the AFAC Board, other senior member agency personnel and senior AFAC staff met to plan the work priorities for the next two years. A review of our current operating environment was undertaken and risks and opportunities for the fire and emergency management industry were examined. To assist and broaden the perspective, three people aligned with our industry but independent of member agencies of AFAC, were invited to address the group to bring their own perspective and insights. The planning group recognised while the description of our operating environment contained in the AFAC Strategic Plan is still largely relevant, some issues have crystallised requiring more urgent focus. The group noted particularly the impacts of new technologies, specifically social media, has been even greater than predicted three years ago, driving increasing expectations from communities and media.
Motorola Knowledge Innovation Award . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10 AFAC Group Members . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 AFAC Members and Affiliates. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17
The five themes endorsed by the Council in April 2012 and which will guide AFAC for the next two years are: • Leadership and Advocacy • Standards and Performance • Interoperability and Consistency • Data, Information and Knowledge • Capability and Capacity
Sponsors AFAC sincerely acknowledges and thanks our corporate supporters:
From the President
From the CEO
Lee A Johnson AFSM MIFireE,
Naomi Brown,
Commissioner Queensland Fire and Rescue Service AFAC President
CEO AFAC
Significant flooding in the eastern States and major fire activity in central and the ‘top end’ of Australia were the major events this year. Add in a cyclone or two in the West and summer storm activity in large metro areas with ensuing hail-stone damage and you have to agree, we are indeed a diverse country with substantial challenges in emergency management, no matter what the season. The year also saw the conclusion of important and long running inquiries into floods, fire and other events. Our sector continues to respond to the challenges of implementing the recommendations of these inquiries. In February, AFAC staff and a number of Council Members met to review the AFAC strategy and determine the key themes and priorities for the next few years. Key areas of focus are our need to determine the drivers shaping emergency management in our increasingly global and networked world, and understanding how success or good performance is measured and shapes community and stakeholder expectations. We are making good progress in having our voice and experience heard in the areas of standards development, building and planning, but there is still much work to do. Our reliance on and ability to utilise research to inform good policy development and shape our practice areas continues. I am pleased to advise that the Bushfire CRC will continue to 2014, while work continues to transition into an all hazards Research Institute. While our themes and areas of priority may have moved a little in response to our environment, our vision of building capability and capacity across the sector have not. AFAC and the Bushfire CRC staged a very successful annual conference in Sydney in August/ September 2011, setting a new benchmark in terms of attendance and quality of program for future years. A number of other highly successful knowledge sharing and professional development events and programs were also held throughout the year. AIIMs 3rd edition (revised) which acknowledges the elevation of the public information role was released and the AIIMS Steering Committee is well progressed in its comprehensive review and recommendations for the overall AIIMS doctrine. I thank the steering committee for guiding this critical work. The new AFAC collaboration model was implemented earlier this year and I am pleased to see a number of workgroups have now transitioned into networks and all are using a variety of technologies to minimise the need for face to face meetings. The current economic environment will significantly challenge our ability to work collaboratively to achieve better industry outcomes. It is beholden on us all to find innovative and cost effective ways to continue our communication and information sharing. As many of you know, Naomi Brown will be leaving AFAC at the end of 2012. I would like to sincerely thank Naomi on behalf of the Council for the vision, foresight and professional way she has steered the ship of AFAC over the past six years. Naomi has been well supported by a highly skilled and experienced team and I also acknowledge and thank them for their commitment.
AFAC holds an important place in the emergency services sector as the national body representing fire, emergency service and land management agencies throughout Australia and New Zealand. A real strength for us is that every eligible agency is a member of AFAC allowing us to represent approximately 250,000 paid and volunteer practitioners. It has been interesting to cast back over the last few years to contemplate changes to the environment in which member agencies are operating and, by extension, AFAC. The work of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre is inextricably linked with the work of AFAC and has been successful on a number of levels. Most obvious and expected is the emergence of a large body of new knowledge that has been used to inform policy and practice at jurisdictional and agency level. Less obvious has been the subtle change in the culture of many of the partner agencies which has seen the search for evidence as a first response to a problem. Added to this has been the relationship that has developed between the practitioners and the researchers which has greatly enhanced the usefulness of the research being undertaken and has helped build a strong cohort of researchers for fire and emergency services for the future. The number of inquiries after events is having a noticeable effect on AFAC members. There is always a large body of work in preparing for them as well as the implementation of multiple recommendations afterwards. Such inquiries always have a significant effect on the individuals involved and often the agency as well. It is noticeable that expectations of fire and emergency services from the community and media continue to escalate, driven in no small part by the advent of recent technology that is owned not by agencies but by the public. This continues to test agencies’ ability to give information in rapidly changing circumstances and has completely changed previous notions of being in charge of events. Such expectations and thinking were behind the first of a number of changes to AIIMS, this being the elevation of public information to a function in its own right. Severe financial constraints are being felt by the majority of AFAC members resulting in significant changes to agency structures and loss of jobs. This situation will challenge our ability to work collaboratively, at least face to face. In anticipation of this, AFAC last year reviewed its model of collaboration and this is taking more of the Groups into using web based technology to communicate. This trend will be enhanced by the use of video and other tools. Despite these difficulties, the AFAC and Bushfire CRC Conference continues to go from strength to strength. We continue to be impressed and grateful for the support from our members and the exhibitors and the sponsors of this event. As I will finish as CEO in December this year, I would like to thank all of the Council members and particularly those who have served on the Board for their support of AFAC and me personally over the last six years. Huge thanks and compliments also to the AFAC staff who are a dedicated, professional and very enjoyable team to work with. Best wishes to you all.
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council - Annual Report 2012 |
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AFAC Governance AFAC is governed by a Board of seven directors who are elected by the AFAC Council for a two year term. While most directors are elected from Council, the AFAC constitution allows for the election of an independent director. AFAC Council is represented by the Head of each Member Agency. Affiliate Members do not have representation at Council and have no voting rights.
AFAC Board President
Deputy President
Treasurer
Lee A Johnson
Greg Mullins,
Bob Conroy
Commissioner Queensland Fire and Rescue Service Assoc Dip App Sc (Fire Technology), AFSM, MIFireE, FAIM
Commissioner Fire and Rescue NSW AFSM, M. Management, FIFireE, FAIM
Executive Director – Conservation Projects Division – NPWS Office of Environment & Heritage, NSW
Lee began his fire service career in 1975 and held successive leadership positions in regional and urban locations, culminating in his appointment as Commissioner of the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service in 2001. In 2004, Lee was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal – the highest individual honour awarded to Australian firefighters and is also the recipient of a number of awards and commendations. In addition to his role as President of AFAC, Lee also represents Queensland as a Director on the Board of the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC). Elected October 2005
Greg was appointed Commissioner of Fire and Rescue New South Wales (formerly NSW Fire Brigade) in July 2003. He is the first person to be appointed as both Chief Fire Officer and CEO. He commenced his career in firefighting joining the agency in 1978 after serving for six years as a volunteer firefighter with the NSW Bushfire Service (now Rural Fire Service). In addition to his roles as Deputy President of AFAC, Greg is also Deputy Chair of the NSW State Emergency Management Committee and is the Australian Director of the International Association of Asian Fire Chiefs. In 1995 he was awarded a Churchill Fellowship and has been the recipient of numerous awards and commendations including the Australian Fire Service Medal.
Bob Conroy is Executive Director of the Conservation Projects Division, NPWS, within the NSW Office of Environment and Heritage. He has been a member of the AFAC Board for three years and was appointed Treasurer last financial year. Bob holds a BA majoring in Geography and Botany, a Graduate Diploma in Environmental Science, a Master of Management and is a 1998 Churchill Fellow. He has also been awarded the National Fire Medal. Bob is a member of the NSW Bush Fire Coordinating Committee and the National Biosecurity Committee. Elected September 2009
Elected September 2007
AFAC Council
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Lee Johnson, QFRS, President
Tony Blanks, Forestry Tasmania
Murray Carter, DEC WA
Greg Mullins, FR NSW, Deputy President
Shane Fitzsimmons, NSW RFS
Lloyd Bailey, FESA SES
Bob Conroy, OEH NSW, Treasurer
Murray Kear, NSW SES
Bruce Grady, EMQ
Mary Barry, VIC SES
Mike Brown, TFS
Stephen Sutton, Bushfires NT
Greg Nettleton, SA CFS
Rebecca Williams, DERM QLD
Peter Davies, NT ES
Mark Crosweller, ACT ESA
Steve Rothwell, NT FRS
Ewan Waller, DSE VIC
Grant Lupton, SA MFS
Chris Beattie, SA SES
Grant Pelton, DENR SA
Wayne Gregson, FESA
David Nugent, Parks Victoria
Nick Easy, MFB
Ross Dickson, Forests NSW
Adrian Pyrke, Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania
Mick Bourke, CFA VIC
Neil Cooper, ACT PCS
Greg Saunder, ForestrySA
Tony Graham, ACT SES
Murray Dudfield, NRFA NZ
Andrew Lea, TAS SES
Paul Baxter, NZFS
Andrew Werner, Airservices Australia
Peter Channels, Attorney-General’s Department
| Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
AFAC Directors
AFAC Staff CEO
Mary Barry
Greg Nettleton
Naomi Brown
Chief Executive Officer, Victoria State Emergency Service
Chief Officer, South Australian Country Fire Service
Mary was appointed to the position of Chief Executive Officer in January 2006 following the re-establishment of the Victoria State Emergency Service as a Statutory Authority.
Greg was appointed Chief Officer of the South Australian Country Fire Service in 2011 and is the Public Officer for the CFS Foundation.
Naomi Brown joined AFAC as Chief Executive Officer in 2006, from the CFA where she was Director of Community Safety.
Previously Mary held the position of Chief Executive Officer of the Victorian Association of Health and Extended Care (VAHEC) and has held executive roles at the Shire of Melton and MECWA Community Care. She has extensive experience working with community based organisations where service delivery is dependent on the efforts and commitment of both volunteers and paid employees.
Prior to joining SACFS, he was the Director and Chief Fire Officer for the Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service. During 1998, as an inaugural Regional Director, he helped with the formation of the Fire & Emergency Services Authority, WA.
Elected October 2008
Elected August 2011
Greg holds a Degree in Engineering (Civil), a Masters’ Degree in Engineering Science and a Masters’ Degree in Business.
Claire Brentnall Project Officer, Strategy
Paul Considine Manager Operations, Urban Fire & SES
Jill Edwards Manager, Strategy
Trevor Essex Manager, Finance
Gary Featherston Manager, Rural & Land Management
Judy Gouldbourn Manager, Human Resources
Amanda Leck Manager, Knowledge Innovation
Rob Llewellyn Manager, Community Safety
Sandra Lunardi Manager, Learning and Development
Kent MacCarter Coordinator, Online Services
Mark Crosweller
Grant Lupton
Sue Pigdon
Commissioner ACT Emergency Services Agency AFSM FAIM
Chief Officer & CEO South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service AFSM, B.GS, MIFireE, CPMgr, FAIM
Manager, Marketing & Sponsorship
Shesiedo Ringdahl
Grant Lupton was appointed Chief Officer and CEO of the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (MFS) in March 2002 and was recently reappointed for a third five-year term.
Russell Shephard
Mark was appointed Assistant Commissioner of the Rural Fire Service NSW in 1998, commencing with the agency in the mid-eighties. In 2010 he was appointed Commissioner for the ACT Emergency Services Agency, responsible for the ACT Fire Brigade, Ambulance Service, Rural Fire Service and State Emergency Service. Mark is also a Director on the Board of the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and the ACT & South East NSW Aeromedical Service Ltd. He is a foundation Chair of the Coffee4Kids Foundation and is the recipient of numerous commendations and awards, including the Australian Fire Service Medal in 2003. He has a Masters of Management from the University of Technology, Sydney.
Prior to this appointment, Grant held a number of senior command roles with the Fire Services in Canada and is the recipient of a number of service citations and medals including the Canadian Fire Services’ Exemplary Service Medal. Both the South Australian Emergency Services Medal and Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) were awarded in 2007. Grant has served and continues to serve on the Board of a number of Associations. He is the 2013 IFE International President Elect.
Coordinator, Communication & Events Manager, Standards
Ben Smith Project Officer, Learning & Development
Margaret Staples Reception / Accounts Assistant
Corinne Taton Project Officer, Administration
Kate Twentyman Officer, Finance
Lynette White Executive Assistant to CEO
Paul Whiting Manager, Info & Comms Technology
Elected October 2011
Elected August 2011
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Statement of Financial Performance For the Year Ended 30 June 2012
REVENUE Members Subscriptions Gross Margin From Trading Activities
2012 $
2011 $
1,645,332
1,642,832
728,769
562,723
Other Revenue
1,154,686
815,384
Total Revenue
3,528,787
3,020,939
2,407,245
1,898,209
Travel & Meeting Expenses
164,659
199,506
Office Expenses
567,567
544,034
EXPENSES Salaries & Related Expenses
Other Expenses
362,520
362,367
Total Expenses
3,501,991
3,004,116
26,796
16,823
7,199,963
6,466,957
314,520
221,825
7,514,483
6,688,782
243,014
278,280
7,757,497
6,967,062
Trade Creditors
1,740,295
1,974,604
Revenue in Advance
2,269,424
1,737,629
Special Project Funding
1,799,794
1,368,138
Total Current Liabilities
5,809,513
5,080,371
-
19,388
Surplus/(Deficit)
Statement of Financial Position As at 30 June 2012 CURRENT ASSETS Cash & Debtors Others Total Current Assets
NON CURRENT ASSETS IT & Office Equipment TOTAL ASSETS
CURRENT LIABILITIES
NON CURRENT LIABILITIES Deferred Revenue Others
175,862
121,977
TOTAL NON CURRENT LIABILITIES
175,862
141,365
1,772,122
1,745,326
NET EQUITY
4
| Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
Highlights Standards
National Burning Project
AFAC has representation on 51 standards committees either through AFAC staff or Member representation. AFAC views are frequently upheld in the development of standards from building codes through to public safety guidelines and personal protective equipment. This year AFAC was successful in ensuring our members’ views were incorporated into the following published standards:
The National Burning Project is a joint venture between AFAC and the Forest Fire Management Group (FFMG) and is a 10 year undertaking which commenced in 2010. The project consists of 10 sub-projects that are linked to form a framework of coordinated actions to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of prescribed burning in meeting public policy objectives.
• AS 3959 Construction of Homes in Bushfire Prone Areas • AS 5414-2012 Bushfire Water Spray Systems • ASNZS 4067 Helmets for Structural Firefighting
Representation AFAC has representation on 28 external committees across diverse areas including: Mobile Broadband, Radio Communications, Government Skills Australia, Attorney-General’s Department Deployment Working Group and The Productivity Commission.
Submissions During the year AFAC completed 13 submissions on behalf of the industry including: • Submission - COAG Review of Protocols for Australian Defence Force (ADF) Assistance following a Disaster • Review of the Bureau of Meteorology (the Review) by Senator the Hon Don Farrell, Parliamentary Secretary for Sustainability and Urban Water • Impact of Model Work Health & Safety Act Regulations and Codes of Practice
Positions and Guidelines This financial year the Council endorsed AFAC Positions on: • Endorsement of Level 3 Incident Controllers • Public Safety Mobile Broadband Guidelines were also signed off on: • Responding to Incidents Involving Landfill Gas Leaching • A Guide to Resource Sharing (Mutual Aid) 2011 • Safety Considerations for Damaged Photovoltaic Arrays • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Specifications
Collaborative Procurement During the year the NSW National 292 contract was awarded. This body of work was the culmination of 18 months of collaboration by the AFAC Collaborative Procurement Group and covers some 100 line items of commonly used firefighting equipment; these include such items as hose, couplings, thermal imaging cameras and personal protective equipment. Through the Collaborative Procurement Contracts area of the Knowledge Web, members will be able to access the outcomes of these significant tenders, deriving major benefits from the standard terms and conditions across price, quality and service delivery.
This body of work aims to use a national approach to reduce bushfire risk by the comprehensive management of prescribed burning, seeking a balance between the operational, ecological and community health risks. Four sub-projects received funding from the Australian Government through the National Emergency Management Program (NEMP). These funds were used to compile the science review and a review of current practices to inform the preparation of a best practice guide. A glossary and fuel assessment guide was added to The Bushfire Fuel Classification System. This work, undertaken by the CSIRO, involved a national workshop to get practitioners and experts together to inform the consultants of their needs from the system. The funds also paid for the preparation of a risk management framework for two of the four major risks, Fuel and Smoke. The remaining risks that are proposed for analysis are Operational and Ecological.
AFAC Strategic Command Program The need for a high-level strategic command program was identified by senior incident managers and evolved through discussion at the 2010 and 2011 AFAC Executive Command Forum. This program is designed for senior leaders responsible for managing operations at Zone, Region and State level. With a focus on strategic operational command, participants are given the opportunity to examine and challenge fundamental assumptions around their own leadership and control of operations, providing opportunities for further personal development. Senior operational staff who can oversee multiple incidents concurrently, assess the competence of Incident Controllers while they are ‘on the job’ and gauge the effectiveness of incident response and information operations are vital to our agencies. These leaders need to anticipate and manage the critical interplay of political and strategic concerns at key times during incident response, and maintain a credible and vital personal leadership approach that ensures their teams are working to the best of their ability. Representatives from 14 AFAC member agencies attended the inaugural AFAC Strategic Command Program ‘Leading into the Unknown’ held at the Australian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) at the end of July 2012.
Executive Leadership Program, Australasian Institute of Police Management (AIPM) Since the inception of the first AFAC Executive Leadership Program in 2003, a suite of additional courses has been developed, covering leadership, developing leadership, volunteer leadership and executive command and strategic command. A total of 1,200 AFAC members and personnel through affiliate or aligned organisations and agencies have been though these courses in the past decade. 79 participants registered and attended the programs this year.
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Highlights continued... Fire Aviation Training and Assessment Framework The AFAC Council endorsed the Fire Aviation Training Framework in August 2011 resulting in a national approach to the training, assessment and certification of personnel performing an AIIMS or other fire aviation role. This endorsement supports a consistent approach to the development of personnel operating within aviation, and supports the sharing of resources and expertise. An agreed approach to training and assessment will inform recognition arrangements for current and future personnel performing these roles. In the future, deployment of personnel inter- and intrastate will be based on confirmation that they have the requisite certification to perform one or more of the defined aviation roles. Consistent with an all hazards approach, future versions of this document are intended to encompass the use of aviation beyond fire. The Framework builds on the Aviation Training and Certification Program, originally developed by the Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria (DSE).
AIIMS A revised edition of ‘The Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System’ (AIIMS) was released during the year. This revision includes the elevation of the role of the Public Information function. The AIIMS doctrine is widely recognised across the emergency management sector and is the standard for Incident Management in Australia, being widely adopted in the mining, energy and chemical/ hazardous materials industries. In recognition of the revisions to AIIMS, AFAC has reaccredited through the Victorian Recognition Qualifications Authority the 22202VIC Course in The Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System. The AIIMS Training Resources Kit has been revised to reflect the changes to AIIMS. Additionally, the new material within the TRK encompasses findings from the Bushfire CRC research, specifically human factors, situational awareness and decision making and leadership, how these have the potential to impact emergency management efforts, and how to mitigate their effects, where these are deleterious.
AFAC Capability Development Strategy 2011 - 2016 In April 2011 the Council endorsed the AFAC Learning and Development Capability Development Strategy for 2011 - 2016. In September 2011 the AFAC Learning and Development Group prepared and endorsed an Annual Work Plan to progress the projects and actions specified in the Strategy. The 2011/2013 Annual Work Plan forms the basis of activity for the AFAC LDG during the specified period. The AFAC Learning and Development Capability Development Strategy for 2011 - 2016 and LDG Annual Work Plan are based on extensive research undertaken in 2011. The research was designed to gauge the current state of learning and development within the fire and emergency services, and to identify emerging trends, challenges and opportunities.
Public Safety Training Package 2012 marked the culmination of an intensive and comprehensive fiveyear project to review and update the seven firefighting qualifications within the Public Safety Training Package (PSTP) and to develop two new qualifications for emergency communications operators and supervisors, and one for specialist fire investigators. Encompassed within this body of work has been the development and endorsement of national competencies for command and control, for the role of safety advisors and officers, and additional competencies have been completed to reflect the work of Urban Search and Rescue Category 1, 2 and 3 and swiftwater rescue personnel. 6
| Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
AFAC/VectorCommand Tactical Command Trainer Exercise Delivery Survey The pilot survey, designed to gather information on the quality of command and control exercise delivery using the VectorCommand Tactical Command Training (TCT) Simulation system by AFAC’s members, was conducted from June – November 2011. 444 participants across five agencies were surveyed. The final report was tabled in May 2012, however the preliminary report tabled at the March Strategic Management Reference Group (SMRG) meeting proved sufficient indication of the usefulness of the information gathered, for the group to endorse the preparation of the survey tools on an annual basis. This will provide agencies with opportunity to participate on an as needs basis, whenever they have training initiatives which they wished to gauge against performance on the TCT simulation package.
Practitioner Tools AFAC has assembled a Moderation Kit to support compliance of training and assessment across the Fire and Emergency Services sector. The Kit has been prepared to support trainers in the design, moderation and validation of assessment activities. It is currently being piloted by a number of AFAC member agencies.
Knowledge Web The AFAC Knowledge Web provides new and existing members the opportunity to share their expertise, research and operations. It also provides an online collaboration space for AFAC’s Groups, Technical Groups & Project Teams. All personnel of our member and affiliate agencies are eligible to join the Knowledge Web. Overall site traffic on the Knowledge Web has increased by 15% on last year and the number of unique visitors has increased by 9%. Over 400 new members have registered in the past year bringing the total number of registered users to just over 2,800. There are now 37,500 unique visitors with 55,000 site visits, culminating in 170,000 page views throughout the past year. Significant growth in site user interaction is projected for the next year as we move to a new web and member platform which will deliver tailored content for members.
AFAC Communications The monthly e-newsletter AFAC-news was re-launched in October 2011 and is distributed to over 2,500 subscribers with an impressive open rate averaging approximately 36%. This newsletter is distributed to all registered users of the Knowledge Web, past AFAC and Bushfire CRC conference delegates and trade exhibitors and other subscribers. The following information products have been developed and launched to keep members informed of the work and projects being undertaken within AFAC and are distributed to Council and representatives on the AFAC Groups and Networks: • Council Communique: provides a summary of the outcomes of the AFAC Council meeting including decisions made by Council and Positions and Guidelines endorsed. • AFAC Activity Updates: provides an overview of the work being undertaken by AFAC Groups and Networks that have recently met. • Standards Watch: provides a snapshot of some of the activities that have occurred over the past six months with respect to Standards in which AFAC plays a significant role.
AFAC National Database – Incident Activity Reporting, Australian Fire and Rescue Services
Occupational Health and Safety Regulation
In September 2011, the AFAC office assumed responsibility for the management of the AFAC National Database and has been building capability to provide data management, analysis and statistical reporting on industry trends, and emerging issues. Supported by Fire and Rescue NSW who previously managed the database, the AFAC office has been able to investigate and pursue greater alignment with the AIRS Standard and investigate areas where quality of the data could be improved. Additionally, we have been able to assist organisations with requests for access to the data.
Model Work Health and Safety Legislation was developed over 2008 – 2011 by Safe Work Australia. New South Wales, Queensland, the Australian Capital Territory, the Commonwealth and the Northern Territory implemented new laws to reflect the model legislation on 1 January 2012, with other jurisdictions to follow. The new legislation poses some challenges for emergency services, particularly in relation to responding to emergencies and the often unknown hazards that workers encounter. AFAC has developed an ongoing relationship with Safe Work Australia to address the concerns of emergency services organisations.
AFAC will be providing a suite of standard industry statistical reports as well as ad hoc reporting services. The AFAC Data Management Group continues to work on re-establishing national consistency of the AIRS Standard, progressively reviewing each of the 10 data dictionary blocks. Three have been reviewed during 2011/12.
In December 2011, AFAC worked with Safe Work Australia to develop a set of questions and answers to address some of the key issues. This was published on the Safe Work Australia website in January 2012. Development of guidance materials for emergency services is continuing.
Firefighter Health Study Two years ago, AFAC commissioned Monash University to assess the feasibility of conducting a cohort study of cancer, mortality and other possible health outcomes in Australian firefighters. The feasibility phase has concluded and this study is now being undertaken by Monash under contract with AFAC. A group of current and former firefighters has been identified by extracting data from existing computerised records held by the nine participating firefighting agencies. This representative group of approximately 215,000 firefighters will include men and women, career, part-time and volunteer firefighters. Cancer and mortality outcomes will be measured through data linkage with the Australian Cancer Database and the National Death Index. Existing historical occupational and incident data will be used to investigate links between occupational firefighting and later cancer and death outcomes. The duration of active firefighting in years will be used as an exposure metric for most employees and volunteer firefighters. Career and volunteer firefighters will be analysed separately. For many firefighters, it will be possible to compare risk by grouping firefighters by the number and types of emergency incidents attended after 1997, and perhaps the frequency of exposure to some hazardous materials. No previously published study has undertaken analyses based on contemporary incident data, so the use of such data is likely to result in more refined exposure assessment methods than previously used. The study will give insight into differences of the overall cancer and death rates in Australian firefighters compared to those of the general population, and it will allow comparison of cancer incidence and death rates for subgroups within the cohort. Such findings can then be used to inform preventive strategies to better protect the health of future firefighters. The study is expected to take three years. An Advisory Committee of participating agencies and other key stakeholders including the United Firefighters Union, Fire Brigade Employees Union, United Voice and Fire Volunteer Associations has been formed. This group met twice during 2011/2012 and regular status updates are distributed to participating agencies. The final report will be publicly available. A website has also been established which posts regular updates http://www.coeh.monash.org/ausfireftr.html
Model Work Health and Safety Legislation
Research Utilisation AFAC has a strong strategic alliance and working relationship with the Bushfire CRC. This has facilitated alignment between the needs of our AFAC members with the Bushfire CRC research projects, allowing our Groups and Networks to efficiently and effectively use and integrate this research resulting in clear industry and community benefits. There have been many active and ongoing exchanges of information and engagement with Bushfire CRC research. Some key AFAC involvement and examples of this research transfer are: AIIMS Steering Committee – Effective Incident Management Organising, a project led by Dr Christine Owen, which is seeking to better understand how multi-agency co-ordination above the IMT can be improved. Community Engagement Technical Group – a forum on developing consistent messages for national curriculum incorporated the insights of recent Bushfire CRC graduate, Dr Briony Towers, who explored children’s understanding of bushfire safety. Community Safety Group – is revising the national position on Bushfires and Community Safety based on agency experience and Bushfire CRC research, including that by Dr Jim McLennan of Latrobe University, who has conducted extensive research on human behaviour and decision making under stress. Learning and Development Group – has included into the AIIMS Training Resource Kit (TRK) human factors information developed in fire circumstances by the Bushfire CRC on: • self, team and situational awareness • improving communication skills • effective incident planning • the conduct of briefings and debriefings • leadership and teamwork skills Occupational Health and Safety Group – is strongly engaged in the research on the operational readiness of rural firefighters in relation to air toxins and also on the combined effects of fatigue, smoke and heat. Rural and Land Management Group – is actively supportive of research into the effect of fire in the landscape in relation to smoke and greenhouse gas emissions, and also the impact of fires on water quality and hydrology. There has also been a strong partnership in Knowledge Management, with many co-hosted events between AFAC and the Bushfire CRC. The use of guidelines to support effective use of events is being widely advocated as a capacity building initiative for industry and researchers, to improve the way that we run events to support research utilisation.
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Knowledge Sharing
With more than 1400 registrations and 117 trade exhibitors, the AFAC & Bushfire CRC annual conference held in Sydney was a resounding success. The conference theme, “New World, New Thinking” explored the impacts of innovation and development for the fire and emergency management sector with the plethora of new technologies including social media, spatial technology and the information revolution. A total of 81 sessions running across four streams made up the conference program involving more then 100 speakers. The program included eight keynote presentations and eight panel sessions. A Q&A panel was the final session of the main two day conference program. In addition, eight professional development events were held on the day preceding the conference and a Fire Weather Workshop followed the Science Day.
The trade exhibition was the largest in the history of the conference and this component of the event has now become the largest trade exhibition of its kind in the southern hemisphere. The Trade Expo was well attended by delegates with 98.5% rating the exhibition as good, very good or excellent. In keeping with the ‘new technology’ theme, the use and impact of social media was a popular topic of conversation. The twitter hashtag #afac2011 was used for the first time to add to the ‘buzz’ of the conference and SMS was used for instant feedback and poster voting. A conference mobile phone app for smartphones and tablets was introduced with around one third of conference delegates downloading the app.
The Dräger Knowledge Lounge made a return with 90% of delegates rating it highly.
Survey Snapshot Delegates provided the following feedback: • 96% rated the overall conference as good, very good or excellent • 94.5% said the conference met or exceeded their expectations • 98.5% rated the Trade Expo as good, very good or excellent • 96.5% rated the networking opportunities as good, very good or excellent • 90% said it represented value for money • 87% said they would recommend the conference to others • 82% agreed or strongly agreed that within their area of interest, there was enough to maintain their engagement across the conference program
“Good themes an to the extent that to choose betwe held at the same
8
| Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
g and Collaboration AFAC Workshops, Groups, Networks and Professional Development Events
Executive Command Forum 2011 The third Executive Command Forum was held in Melbourne in August 2011, attended by 35 of the most senior Commanders of our member agencies, who came together to work collaboratively in addressing the unique challenges faced by our industry. The Forum provides the most senior fire, emergency service and land management leaders the opportunity to discuss contemporary command and control doctrine and systems of high level coordination at jurisdictional and national levels, and share and discuss lessons learned and ways to develop or adapt strategic operational doctrine. The key issues identified from the 2010 Forum are all now developed and implemented: 1. To develop a Strategic Command Program as quickly as possible. 2. To re-form the Group of senior AFAC and other external bodies to oversee the maintenance and new developments with AIIMS 3. To put forward the first step of an AFAC agreed approach to accreditation of Level 3 Incident Controllers
Through its 33 member Groups and Networks, AFAC continues to provide opportunities for our members to work collaboratively to achieve the industry aim of improved public safety. A total of 56 meetings and workshops were held involving around 430 representatives from member agencies. AFAC’s Professional Development Events program continues to grow with a total of 57 events conducted involving 1826 participants from across AFAC member agencies, and some events also open to non AFAC members from aligned organisations. These workshops saw senior and subject matter experts from our member agencies, and where appropriate external specialists, join to discuss significant issues and national projects. During the year significant workshops were held in the following practitioner areas: • Community Education – Developing consistent safety messages for national adoption • Rural and Land Management – National Burning Project • Chief Information Officers – Emergency Communications: Challenges, lessons learned, emerging technologies and effectiveness following large scale emergencies. Highlights included: • The Doctrine and Organisational Learning Master Class series • The third Executive Command Forum • Firefighting in Urban Highrise Buildings Series, sponsored by Motorola AFAC has a strategic partnership with the Bushfire CRC to work collaboratively to deliver high quality events for the purpose of research utilisation. Events held included Human Factors Workshops, Seasonal Outlook Workshops, Fire in the Landscape Clinics and a workshop on Sharing Responsibility for Disaster Resilience.
nd excellent speakers, t it was often difficult een presentations being e time.” Delegate
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council - Annual Report 2012 |
9
Awards 2011
Pictured L-R Laurie Lavelle with the 2011 joint recipients Quinlan Webster and Leon Smith
Pictured (Right) Liam Fogarty accepted the award from Dr Michael N’Guyen from Motorola Solutions on behalf of DSE Victoria at AFAC 2011.
Laurie Lavelle Award
Motorola Knowledge Innovation Award
The Laurie Lavelle Achiever of the Year Award was introduced in 1997 to recognise individuals who have made an outstanding contribution to emergency services. The award was named after Laurie Lavelle, OAM, a long-standing former Chief Fire Officer of the Melbourne and Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board and inaugural CEO of AFAC, in recognition of his lifelong commitment to emergency services in Australasia.
In 2010, AFAC designed and implemented an annual awards program in relation to knowledge management. The objective of the awards is to recognise the efforts of an individual and agency that has contributed significantly to developing and implementing knowledge management initiatives either within their own agency or across the broader AFAC membership.
Quinlan Webster, Senior Station Officer for the New Zealand Fire Service and Leon Smith, Manager Engineering Services at the Tasmania Fire Service were joint winners of this prestigious award which was presented at the joint AFAC and Bushfire CRC Conference.
AFAC are pleased to collaborate with Motorola Australia on this initiative and build this program into a unique industry program that is now in its third year.
Quinlan was presented the award in recognition of his outstanding achievements in advocating and improving fire safety and awareness for the deaf and hearing impaired through programs and projects in these communities. Of significance has been Quinlan’s development of the Emergency ‘111’ Deaf Text Service, providing the deaf and hearing impaired community access to the emergency services. The New Zealand Fire Service has been publicly acknowledged for Quinlan’s work with two major awards; the ‘Public Service Award’ from the Deaf Aotearoa and the ‘Excellence in Working Together Award’ at the 2011 Institute of Public Administration Excellence Awards. Leon, was recognised for his pivotal role in the development of the Tasmania Fire Service’s (TFS) rolling and sustainable quality fire truck replacement program, resulting in other member agencies seeking Leon and TFS’ assistance in the design and building of fire trucks. The TFS is the only Australian fire service to build its own tanker and tanker/pumper trucks. By developing the rolling and sustainable replacement program, Leon has been able to make significant savings for TFS through the development of the program and demonstrate to other AFAC member agencies that this program is sustainable. Alan McDougall, State Emergency Management Training Officer with the SA State Emergency Service, was also honoured the Highly Commended Award, 2011 for his central role in the training of hundreds of South Australians in the key principles of emergency management, including emergency risk management.
10 | Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
Individual The Motorola Knowledge Innovation Award (Individual) was made to Andrew Hinton, Fire & Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia (FESA), for his preparation of the principle capstone document outlining the fundamental functions and philosophies of the Operations portfolio. This project included the development of FESA’s Knowledge Management Framework, ensuring it aligns with FESA’s higher goals for knowledge management. Andrew is the Manager of Operations Doctrine at FESA. Agency The agency award winner was The Department of Sustainability and Environment, Victoria (DSE) for their development of the Future Fire Management Project and The Otway Bushfire Management Planning Pilot. The Future Fire Management Project involved using the cutting-edge bushfire modelling tool, PHOENIX-Rapidfire, to simulate bushfires and model their potential impacts on communities. Similarly, the Otway Bushfire Management Planning Pilot involved addressing the challenges faced in bushfire management. Both awards were presented at the Sydney AFAC and Bushfire CRC Conference by Dr Michael N’Guyen from Motorola Solutions.
AFAC Group Members The work of AFAC is effected through a number of Groups which meet once or twice a year to collaborate on a wide range of issues and topics. As outlined in last year’s annual report and elsewhere, AFAC is transitioning to a new Collaboration Model to give greater flexibility, accountability and efficiency to the work of our Members. Where Groups have transitioned to a Network prior to 30 June 2012, this has been highlighted. In appreciation of the current economic climate and the budgetary pressure all our Members face, AFAC has and will continue to explore more efficient ways of working, embracing technological solutions as they present and are found to be effective. A number of AFAC Groups and Networks are trialling “virtual” or video-conferencing options and AFAC will continue to seek innovative options for collaboration, to minimise the cost of face-to-face meetings.
AIIMS Steering Committee Chair: Lee Johnson, AFSM QFRS Chris Arnol, FESA Mark Brown, FRNSW Murray Carter, DEC WA John Cawcutt, QFRS Tony Graham, ACT SES Damien Killalea, TFS Andrew Lawson, SA CFS Cameron Leary, OEH NSW Paul McGill, NZFS Stuart Midgely, NSW RFS Greg Mullins, AFSM FRNSW David Nugent, Parks Victoria Steve Warrington, CFA Trevor White, VIC SES
Built Environment Technical Group (formerly Built Environment Sub Group) Chair: Mark Whybro, FRNSW AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn Andrew Andreou, CFA Rod Bahr, SA MFS
Business Management Group Chair: Michael Gallagher, TFS AFAC Manager: Jill Edwards Stephen Glassock, NSW RFS John Gregor, NSW RFS Audrey Ko, NTFRS
Greg Buckley, FRNSW Adam Dalrymple, MFB Simon Davis, NZFS
Russell Neuendorf, QFRS William Norfolk, QFRS Kevin Pallier, NSW SES
Steve Edwards, ACT ESA Tony Flaherty, ACT ESA Terry Jackson, FESA
Frank Pasquale, FESA Kevin Stacey, NZFS Neville Stephenson, SAFECOM
Paul McBride, Airservices Australia Phil Oakley, TFS
Adam Summons, FRNSW Glenda Warren, NSW RFS
Allan Oates, NTFRS
Harry Wiedemann, MFB
Colin Paton, SA CFS
Michael Wootten, CFA
Neil Reid, QFRS Paul Ryan, FESA Lew Short, NSW RFS
Chief Information Officers Network (formerly Chief Information Officers Group)
Bushfire Standards Technical Group Chair: Lew Short, NSW RFS AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn Andrew Andreou, CFA Mark Chladil, TFS
Former Chair: Mike Hall, NZFS AFAC Manager: Jill Edwards Paul Bunker, VIC SES Andrew Edwards, NSW SES Andrew Ferrarese, VIC SES Michael Foreshew, CFA Alma Hong, NZFS
Leigh Miller, SA CFS
Richard Host, FRNSW
Mark Potter, CFA
Iain Larner, TFS
Ralph Smith, FESA
Robbie Lefroy, FESA
Andrew Stark, ACT ESA
Gary McKinnon, FRNSW Femina Metcalfe, DEC WA Matthew, Smith, NSW RFS Glenn Walker, QFRS John Weippert, NTFRS Neil Wheeler, MFB
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council - Annual Report 2012 | 11
AFAC Group Members continued... Collaborative Procurement Group
Community Safety Group
(formerly Collaborative Purchasing Sub Group)
Chair: Paula Beever, NZFS
Chair: Mike Gallagher, TFS
AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn
Former Chair: Mike Pearce, SAFECOM
Greg Bawden, MFB
AFAC Manager: Russell Shephard
Glenn Benham, SA MFS
Robert Allen, OEH NSW
David Caporn, FESA
Mick Ayre, NTFRS
Grant Hamon, NTFRS
Ian Barnes, MFB
Terry Hayes, CFA
Stephen Caust, ACT ESA
Neil Head, AGD
Rowland Goldsbrough, Forests NSW
Damien Killalea, TFS
John Grech, CFA
Leigh Miller, SA CFS
John Hacking, NSW RFS
Jennifer OBeirne, DSE VIC
Matthew Kay, Airservices Australia
Steve Opper, NSW SES
Peter Kiernan, NZFS
Alan Rhodes, OFSC
Audrey Ko, NTFRS
Mark Roche, QFRS
Russell Neuendorf, QFRS
Rob Rogers, NSW RFS
Frank Pasquale, FESA
Andrew Stark, ACT ESA
Tim Rhodes, ACT PCS
Mark Whybro, FRNSW
Data Management Group
(formerly Data Management Sub Group) Chair: Nick Nicolopoulos, FRNSW AFAC Manager: Jill Edwards Helen Bow, NSW SES Gloria Caruso, MFB Chris Cowley, CFA Ann De Piaz, SA CFS Anthony Griffiths, DSE VIC Grant Hamon, NTFRS James Lonergan, OEH NSW Jose Montemayor, NSW RFS Roxene Murphy, FESA Selena Stanley, QFRS David Van Geytenbeek, TFS
Employee Management Forum
Michael Somers, DSE VIC
(Employee Management Sub Group)
Paul Springett, NSW RFS
Chair: Iain Mackenzie, QFRS AFAC Manager: Judy Gouldbourn
Guy Tesoriero, FRNSW
Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Sub Group
Arthur Tindall, SA CFS
(Disbanded)
Danielle Byrnes, MFB
Chair: Con Patralis, MFB
Larry Cocker, NZFS
Chair: David Weir, FRNSW
Peter Cordova, CFA
Community Engagement Technical Group
AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn
Dave Ellis, NTFRS
Sandra Barber, TFS
Lorna Grange, NSW SES
(formerly Community Education Sub Group)
Fiona Dunstan, SA CFS
Janine Hearn, NZFS
Chair: Andrew Stark, ACT ESA
Christine Elliott, CFA
Sean Hogan, MFB
AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn
Allan Foster, SA MFS
Darren Husdell, FRNSW
Sandra Barber, TFS
Gary Gilby, QFRS
Mary Kinsella, FESA
Gwynne Brennan, CFA
Judy Gouldbourn, AFAC
Derrick Oliver, NSW RFS
Sally Chesterfield, NZ NRFA
Peter Middleton, TFS
Robyn Pearce, TFS
Fiona Dunstan, SA CFS
Catherine Moyle, NSW SES
Karen Roberts, FESA
Allan Foster, SA MFS
Julien Nicolas, AGD
Jason Skiba, CFA
Gary Gilby, QFRS
Glenda Ramage, NTFRS
Chris Wells, NZFS
Neil Head, AGD
Andrew Richards, NSW SES
Christine Jenkinson, AGD
Scott Sargentina, NZFS
Maryanne Martin, DSE VIC
Suellen Shea, FESA
Glenda Ramage, NTFRS
David Sutch, QFRS
Andrew Richards, NSW SES
Rob Taylor, MFB
Edward Salinas, FRNSW
Tanyia Tuckey, NSW RFS
Scott Sargentina, NZFS
David Webber, NSW SES
Owen Swanton, DSE VIC
Suellen Shea, FESA Rob Taylor, MFB Tanyia Tuckey, NSW RFS
12 | Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
Conrad Barr, ACT ESA
Fire and Emergency Aviation Technical Group
Fire Engineering Network (formerly Fire Engineering Work Group)
Fleet Technical Group (formerly Fleet Sub Group)
(formerly Wildfire Aviation Technical Sub Group)
Chair: Greg Buckley, FRNSW
Chair: Garry Kravainis, FESA
Chair: David Cant, South Australia
AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn
AFAC Manager: Russell Shephard
AFAC Manager: Gary Featherston
David Boverman, NSW RFS
John Allardyne, NZFS
Richard Alder, NAFC
Jeffrey Dau, ACT ESA
Andrew Canderle, NSW RFS
Paul Baker, NZ
Stephen Doran, CFA
Tia Christenson, OEH NSW
Wayne Bates, QLD
Stephen Keel, FESA
Stuart Collis, MFB
Hayden Biggs, VIC
Jeff Knight, TFS
Hanut Dodd, DSE VIC
Maryanne Carmichael, NSW
Paul McBride, Airservices Australia,
Peter Fanning, FRNSW
Glen Crombie, NSW
Steven McKee, QFRS
Rowland Goldsbrough, Forests NSW
David Crust, NSW
Bill McTernan, ACT ESA
Carl Hollis, OEH NSW
Anthony Ferguson, NSW
John Oliver, NTFRS
Van Pham Hue, FRNSW
Peter Higgins, VIC
Amy Seppelt, SA MFS
Richard Kowalewski, QFRS
Janet Inman, SA
Cihan Soylemez, MFB
David Lloyd, QFRS
Raymond Jasper, VIC SES
Jamie Vistnes, FRNSW
Peter Mason, SA MFS
Terry Maher, WA
Bruce McDonald, NSW RFS
Ian Millman, NZ
Natalie McLean, NSW SES
David Pearce, SA Matt Plucinski, CSIRO Peter Saint, WA Barry Scott, VIC Paul Simakoff-Ellims, ACT
Fire Investigation Network
(formerly Fire Investigation and Analysis Work Group) Chair: Adam Dalrymple, MFB AFAC Manager: Rob Llewellyn
Jeremy Smith, TAS
Bob Alexander, FRNSW
Andrew Stark, ACT
Nicole Harvey, CFA
Andrew Turner, NT
Ian Hunter, MFB
Doug Whitfield, WA
Mark Klop, TFS
John (Jock) McLeod, NTFRS Mike Moran, NZFS Sandy Paterson, SA CFS Andrew Purvis, QFRS Joel Read, DSE VIC Nigel Robertson, DSE VIC John Ryan, Airservices Australia Tim Smith, CFA
Bob Mathieson, NSW RFS Bernard Nunn, QFRS Shaun Ruxton, SA MFS Peter Van Boxtel, NTFRS Les Vearing, DSE VIC
Leon Smith, TFS Peter Turner, MFB Rob Walker, QFRS John Welke, QFRS Geoff Williams, SA MFS
Craig Waters, FESA Peter Wilding, NZFS Richard Woods, ACT ESA
Hazardous Materials Technical Group (formerly Hazardous Materials Sub Group) Chair: Gavin Freeman, TFS
Fire Weather Technical Group
AFAC Manager: Paul Considine
Chair: Robin Hicks, BOM
Andrew Andreou, CFA
AFAC Manager: Gary Featherston
Wayne Atkins, SA CFS
Fergus Adrian, QFRS
Paul Bailey, FRNSW
John Bally, BOM
Craig Brownlie, CFA
Paul Brockhoff, DSE VIC
Barry Byrne, MFB
Mark Chladil, TFS
Jamie Cranage, SA MFS
Malcolm Cronstedt, FESA SES
Bob Crockford, SA MFS
Luke Heagerty, CFA
Stephen Gibbs, ACT ESA
Simon Heemstra, NSW RFS
Warren Glover, CFA
Rick McRae, ACT ESA
Barry Gray, MFB
Rob Sandford, SA CFS
Jeff Harper, QFRS Stephen Johnston, FESA Tom Konieczny, NTFRS Michael Logan, QFRS Stuart Males, TFS Dick Thornton-Grimes, NZFS
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council - Annual Report 2012 | 13
AFAC Group Members continued... Knowledge Management Group
Learning and Development Group
Chair: Mick Ayre, NTFRS
Chair: David Guard, NZFS
AFAC Manager: Amanda Leck
AFAC Manager: Sandra Lunardi
Fatima Abbas, FRNSW
Brendan Angwin, MFB
Lorne Butt, NSW RFS
Suzanne Bacon, TFS
Gloria Caruso, MFB
Andrew Buckley, DSE VIC
Andrew Comer, TFS
Greg Butters, TFS
John Davis, NSW RFS
Peter Button, SA MFS
Mark Dawson, SAFECOM
Sophie Chaney, OEH NSW
Ann De Piaz, SA CFS
Stephen Clayton, DENR SA
Andrew Edwards, NSW SES
Steven Crouch, QFRS
Kym Fowlie, NZFS
Cassandra Curtis, SA MFS
Stephen Glassock, NSW RFS
Michael Cuthbertson, FRNSW
Elizabeth Hides, FESA
Brad Delavale, FESA
Chris Jenkinson, AGD
Tony Duckmanton, CFA
Dylan Kendall, ACT PCS
Alison Edwards, NTFRS
John Schauble, OFSC
Naomi Gilders, Airservices Australia
Heather Stuart, NSW SES
Stephen Glassock, NSW RFS
Liz Tasker, OEH NSW
Liz Hamilton, EMQUAL
Cameron Wade, Forests NSW
Daniel Hooley, EMQ
Tim Watkins, QFRS
Tracey Kick, FRNSW
Glenda Warren, NSW RFS
Cameron Leary, OEH NSW
Andrew Wilson, DSE VIC
Greg Mennie, SA SES Julie Nolan, ACT ESA Loretta Orsini, VIC SES Dave Owen, NSW SES Deborah Parsons, SA MFS David Rawet, DEC WA Tim Rhodes, ACT PCS Andrew Short, QFRS Mark Spain, NTFRS Cameron Wade, Forests NSW Lee Watson, SA CFS
14 | Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
Occupational Health & Safety Technical Group (formerly Occupational Health & Safety Sub Group) Chair: Robyn Pearce, TFS AFAC Manager: Judy Gouldbourn Julie Atkinson, Melbourne Water Alison Barnes, NZFS John Bartholomew, QFRS Alison Donohoe, FRNSW Jeff Green, CFA David Heslop, NSW RFS Terese Howlett, VIC SES Julian Hughes, NZFS Kym Kaptein, FESA David Kemp, SAFECOM Gerald Kutzer, TFS Peter Langridge, CFA Ian Leaves, MFB David Letheby, NTFRS Phil McInerney, MFB Andrew McKay, MFB Niicole Middleton, DSE VIC Jeff Murrell, Airservices Australia Leah Parlour, FESA Steve Pavlich, SAFECOM Mike Pryjma, Forests NSW Karen Roberts, FESA Janine Webb, DSE VIC Richard Woods, ACT ESA Gary Zuiderwyk, NSW SES
Pacific Islands Liaison Officers Network
Rural and Land Management Group
SES Operations Group
(formerly Pacific Islands Liaison Officers Group)
Chair: Murray Dudfield, NZ NRFA
Former Chair: Tony Graham, ACT SES
AFAC Manager: Gary Featherston
AFAC Manager: Paul Considine
Chris Arnol, FESA
Clare Barker, NTES
Tony Blanks, Forestry Tasmania
Iain Burns, TAS SES
Craige Brown, Melbourne Water
Mark Dole, EMQ
Murray Carter, DEC WA
Gary Gifford, FESA
Mark Chladil, TFS
Jeremy Logan, ACT SES
Justin Cook, ForestrySA
Mark Morrow, NSW SES
Neil Cooper, ACT PCS
Trevor White, VIC SES
Luigi Cucchiaro, NTFRS
Graeme Wynwood, SA SES
Chair: Grant Lupton, SA MFS AFAC Manager: Jill Edwards Glenn Benham, SA MFS Darren Conlin, MFB Tony Davidson, TFS Adam Dewberry, FRNSW Richard Griffiths, FRNSW David Guard, NZFS Joff Manders, MFB Mark Roche, QFRS Jeremy Smith, TFS
Chair: Bruce Grady, EMQ
Darryl John Dunbar, FRNSW Neil Gallant QFRS Andrew Graystone, Parks Victoria
Standards Network
John Haynes, CFA
(formerly Standards Committee)
Robin Hicks, BOM
AFAC Manager: Russell Shephard
Leigh Kleinschmidt, Forestry Plantations QLD
Paul Beylerian, FRNSW
Peter Leeson, DERM QLD
Scott Bilsborough, FRNSW
(formerly Personal Protective Equipment Sub Group)
Tim McGuffog, Forests NSW
Jonathon Black, FRNSW
Darrin McKenzie, DSE VIC
Raymond Bott, QFRS
Chair: Arthur Tindall, SA CFS
Gary Morgan, Bushfire CRC
Mark Castelli, FRNSW
AFAC Manager: Russell Shephard
David Nugent, Parks Victoria
Mark Chladil, TFS
Andre Belterman, Melbourne Water
Adrian Pyrke, PWS TAS
Adam Dalrymple, MFB
Paul Brockhoff, DSE VIC
Islay Robertson, ForestrySA
Rob East, MFB
Mike Brown, TFS
Rob Rogers, NSW RFS
Martin Eelman, FRNSW
Keith Harrap, NSW RFS
Rob Sandford, SA CFS
Tim Fox, FRNSW
Carl Hollis, OEH NSW
Chris Smith, SA MFS
Bernard Fradd, CFA
Bruce Jones, FESA
Andrew Stark, ACT ESA
Michael Gleeson, FRNSW
Hugh Jones, TFS
Naomi Stephens, OEH NSW
Jeff Harper, QFRS
Phil Klein, MFB
Andrew Sullivan, CSIRO
Stuart Harvey, FRNSW
David Mack, MFB
Stephen Warren, VIC SES
Mark Klop, TFS
Greg Mason, ACT ESA
Shane Wiseman, DENR SA
Jeff Knight, TFS
Steve Warrington, CFA
Personal Protective Equipment Technical Group
Michael Logan, QFRS
Paul McBride, Airservices Australia
Stuart Males, TFS
Bruce McDonald, NSW RFS Albert McLean, QFRS
SES Community Safety Group
Steven McKee, QFRS
Niicole Middleton, DSE VIC
Chair: Steve Opper, NSW SES
Rob McNeil, FRNSW
Gary Picken, FRNSW
AFAC Manager: Paul Considine
Stephen Moore, MFB
Mike Pryjma, Forests NSW
Clare Barker, NTES
Nick Nicolopoulos, FRNSW
Ian Ridge, NSW RFS
Paul Cortese, ACT SES
Peter Nugent, FRNSW
Michael Somers, DSE VIC
Andrew Gissing, VIC SES
John Parrot, CFA
Mark Tarbett, CFA
Jeremy Logan, ACT SES
Mark Porter, FRNSW
Robert Trewartha, NTFRS
Colleen Ridge, TAS SES
Mark Potter, CFA
Harry Vertsonis, NSW RFS
Suellen Shea, FESA
Michael Ridgway, QFRS
Bill Weir, MFB
Bob Stevenson, SA SES
Andrew Sharrad, SA MFS
Keith Whale, NZFS
Ian Shepherd, QFRS Ralph Smith, FESA Cihan Soylemez, MFB Richard Spiteri, FRNSW Mark Tarbett, CFA Keith Whale, NZFS Shaohua Xia, FRNSW
Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council - Annual Report 2012 | 15
AFAC Group Members continued... Unwanted False Alarm Technical Group
Urban Search & Rescue and Technical Rescue Technical Group
Volunteer Management Technical Group
(formerly Unwanted False Alarm Sub Group)
(formerly Volunteer Management Sub Group)
Chair: Neil Reid, QFRS
(formerly Urban Search & Rescue and Technical Rescue Sub Group)
AFAC Manager: Paul Considine
Chair: John Denny, FRNSW
Madonna Day, QFRS
Rod Bahr, SA MFS
AFAC Manager: Paul Considine
Mark Groote, SAFECOM
Carolyn Blake, CFA
Trevor Arnold, SA SES
Kate Harrap, CFA
Peter Curran, FESA
Craig Brownlie, CFA
Janine Hearn, NZFS
Russell Dickson, NZFS
Greg Crossman, SA MFS
Narelle Koteff , NSW RFS
Ron Haines, MFB
Mark Dobson, TFS
David Pettit, NTFRS
Grant Hamon, NTFRS
Bill Drysdale, MFB
Toni Richardson, SAFECOM
Christine Herridge, FRNSW
Tony Flaherty, ACT ESA
Karen Roberts, FESA
Stephen Lowe, TFS
Scott Hanckel, NSW SES
Alex Rofe, AGD
Phillip McDonough, SA CFS
Stephen Johnston, FESA
Lucas Van Rijswijk, TFS
Peter McMahon, Airservices Australia
Tom Konieczny, NTFRS
Alan Merry, NZFS
Colin Lindsay, SA MFS
Mark Phillips, ACT ESA
Stephen Smith, QFRS
Workforce Management Network
Jo Rosenhain, MFB
Peter Willett, AGD
(formerly Workforce Management Group) Chair: Iain MacKenzie, QFRS
John Streets, TFS
AFAC Manager: Judy Gouldbourn
Trevor Wigg, FESA
VectorCommand Strategic Management Group Urban Operations Group Chair: Paul Swain, ACT ESA AFAC Manager: Paul Considine Trevor Arnold, SA SES Lloyd Bailey, FESA Mark Brown, FRNSW Dave Ellis, NTFRS Gavin Freeman, TFS Jim Hamilton, FRNSW Paul McGill, NZFS Dan Meijer, NSW RFS Ian Mitchell, QFRS
(formerly VectorCommand Strategic Management Reference Group) Chair: David Guard, NZFS AFAC Manager: Sandra Lunardi David Brooks, Airservices Australia Peter Button, SA MFS Brad Delavale, FESA Dave Key, NZFS Rick Parkes, FRNSW Andrew Short, QFRS Mark Swiney, MFB Stephen Walls, CFA
Michael Morgan, SA MFS Brad Stringer, FESA Steve Warrington, CFA
AFAC Manager: Judy Gouldbourn
VectorCommand Technical Group
Malim Watts, SA CFS
(formerly VectorCommand User Reference Group)
David Youssef, MFB
Chair: Dave Key, NZFS AFAC Manager: Sandra Lunardi David Brooks, Airservices Australia Noel Dodd, SA MFS John Manocchio, FESA Wayne Miller, FRNSW Paul Rowe, MFB Leon Shepley, SA MFS Aaron Stockton, CFA Kevin White, QFRS
16 | Annual Report 2012 - Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council
Conrad Barr, ACT ESA Danielle Byrnes, MFB Peter Cordova, CFA Dave Ellis, NTFRS Mark Groote, SAFECOM Janine Hearn, NZFS Darren Husdell, FRNSW Lyn Lambert, SAFECOM Derrick Oliver, NSW RFS Frank Pasquale, FESA Robyn Pearce, TFS David Rae, NSW SES David Rawet, DEC WA Karen Roberts, FESA
AFAC Members and Affiliates Members
Affiliate Members
• ACT Emergency Services Agency
• Australasian Road Rescue Organisation (ARRO)
• ACT Parks and Conservation Service
• Bureau of Meteorology
• ACT State Emergency Service
• CSIRO Forestry & Forest Products
• Airservices Australia
• Department of Conservation New Zealand
• Australian Government Attorney-General’s Department
• EMQUAL
• Bushfires NT
• Forestry Plantations Queensland
• CFA
• Hong Kong Fire Services Department
• Department of Environment and Conservation, WA
• Melbourne Water
• Department of Environment and Natural Resources, SA
• Office of the Fire Services Commissioner Victoria
• Department of Environment and Resource Management, QLD
• Pacific Islands Fire Services Association (PIFSA)
• Department of Sustainability and Environment, VIC
• Papua New Guinea Fire Service
• Emergency Management Queensland
• South Australian Fire and Emergency Services Commission (SAFECOM)
• FESA State Emergency Service • Fire & Emergency Services Authority of Western Australia • Fire & Rescue NSW • Forestry Tasmania • ForestrySA • Forests NSW • Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board, Melbourne • National Rural Fire Authority - New Zealand • New Zealand Fire Service • Northern Territory Emergency Service • Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service • NSW Rural Fire Service • NSW State Emergency Service • Office of Environment & Heritage, NSW • Parks & Wildlife Service Tasmania • Parks Victoria • Queensland Fire and Rescue Service • South Australian Country Fire Service • South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service • South Australian State Emergency Service • State Emergency Service Tasmania • Tasmania Fire Service • Victoria State Emergency Service
Level 5, 340 Albert Street, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 3002 T +61 3 9419 2388 F +61 3 9419 2389 E afac@afac.com.au www.afac.com.au
Printed on paper which is