4 minute read
Q&A: perspectives from the sector
PERSPECTIVES FROM THE SECTOR Rob Webb was appointed as the new AFAC CEO in December 2021, having formerly been the AFAC Director of National Projects and Innovation. He comes to the role with extensive experience in meteorology and firefighting strategy. In his first CEO Q&A, we turn the spotlight onto him. Here are his answers.
AFAC staff members host Minister for Emergency Management and National Recovery and Resilience Senator Bridget McKenzie at the AFAC office. The Australian Government National Recovery and Resilience Agency visit the AFAC office in November 2021.
ALANA BEITZ
AFAC
You bring more than 25 years’ experience at the Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) to the CEO role at AFAC. How will that experience serve you in this new role, and what are you keen to learn?
My first memories as a meteorologist were stepping into the BoM’s Sydney office in late 1993 with the devastating 1993–94 fires in full swing. Those formative stages produced a deepseated respect and passion for the role of emergency services that remains.
With rapid changes in technology, disasters and the community, my years at the BoM were defined by our responsibility to understand the evolving needs of fire and emergency services and deliver national solutions while respecting the local needs arising across the country.
AFAC’s role is quite similar, drawing together the wealth of knowledge and experience across the country and helping our members collectively accelerate to meet the needs of their communities.
Initially, I am simply keen to understand the sector. I want to listen and learn about the opportunities and risks facing our diverse membership base and, from there, work with the AFAC team to continue to connect and amplify.
AFAC is a member-based organisation that works to support the fire and emergency sector. How will AFAC continue to understand the needs of the sector, and how can
agencies make the most of their relationship with AFAC?
At the heart of any relationship is communication—and that starts with deeply listening and understanding our members and how they operate. From this understanding comes insight into opportunities and connections both within and outside the sector.
AFAC enjoys a close relationship across the sector and deeply values member investment in the collaboration network. Agencies continuing to invest their time allows AFAC to be at its strongest. Continuing to connect and share insights and identify areas of common need will allow us to collectively make the most inroads to delivering the capabilities required for our work.
AFAC will continue to connect and amplify the knowledge within the sector and streamline the path from agency developments to sector-wide success.
What do you see as AFAC’s greatest strengths, and how will you continue to guide the development of AFAC’s legacy?
AFAC’s strengths arise from our people, members and relationships.
Our people have built skills and knowledge that allow us to play the important role in drawing the sector together to realise common needs. We must continue to ensure that our workforce can meet emerging needs.
Vibrant and focused collaboration networks supported by our members will play an important role in maturing the fire and emergency services that we hand on to our sector’s next generation. We will work to look at connections both inside and outside the network to maximise the benefits back to each of our members.
Technology is disrupting every part of our lives and our members are constantly seeking ways to manage these disruptions. Being able to collectively solve some of these challenges can allow development work to be more easily shared. This doesn’t mean everyone doing everything the same, but rather we recognise that there is value in similar standards in some areas.
Our AFAC Conference and Exhibition will also remain a place to innovate, and we must also continue to establish deep links to research providers such as Natural Hazards Research Australia.
The fire and emergency services are experiencing some significant changes—in culture, climate and communities—that challenge the way we work and serve. How can the sector prepare and position itself to meet shifting needs and priorities?
Change is part of our landscape, and our sector needs to continue to scan the environment and learn from each other, but also, importantly, from lessons learned in other sectors.
True connection to the communities and businesses our sector serves will better place us to reduce the impact of disasters by enhancing community resilience, ensuring a strong continuum through response and recovery. Our people need to be well-placed to meet our future needs. Investing in a diverse and representative workforce will streamline our journey.
Building agencies of the future who are deeply inquisitive and willing to innovate will allow us to nimbly make the best decisions in building decisionsupport systems for our people.
