DIRECTIONS STRATEGIC 2017 2021
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STRATEGIC DIRECTIONS FOR FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES IN AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND 2017 – 2021
September 2016 AFAC Limited (ABN 52 060 049 327) Level 1, 340 Albert Street East Melbourne Victoria 3002 T: 03 9419 2388 F: 03 9419 2389 afac@afac.com.au afac.com.au Copyright © 2016 Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council All rights reserved. Copyright in this publication is subject to the operation of the Copyright Act 1968 and its subsequent amendments. Any material contained in this document can be reproduced, providing the source is acknowledged and it is not used for any commercialisation purpose whatsoever without the permission of the copyright owner.
Strategic Directions
For fire and emergency services in Australia and New Zealand
2017 – 2021
Introduction
The Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), as the Australian and New
Zealand National Council of fire and emergency services, together with states and territories and
the Australian and New Zealand Governments is shaping the future of emergency management.
Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2014–2016
(referred to as the ‘Strategic Directions’) was first endorsed in 2013 by the Australia-New Zealand
Emergency Management Committee (ANZEMC) and the then Standing Council on Police and
Emergency Management (SCPEM). The five priorities articulated in the Strategic Directions have
been broadly adopted across AFAC.
Purpose
The ‘Strategic Directions’ document identifies priorities at the national level for fire and emergency
services. It creates a shared vision and a joint commitment to enhanced community resilience.
It informs, clarifies the intent and identifies the actions required across AFAC agencies, engaging
High-Level Officials and Ministers. The expectation within the AFAC National Council is that what
is addressed in the Strategic Directions, would be considered in the development of each agency’s
strategic plan.
Operation
The Law, Crime and Community Safety Council (LCCSC) consists of all Australian and New Zealand
Ministers who have responsibility for law, policing and emergency services. AFAC reports to LCCSC
through ANZEMC on achievements against the Strategic Directions. The Strategic Directions for
Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017–2021 was endorsed by ANZEMC
and LCCSC in 2016.
More than ever, the emergency management sector is providing integrated support before,
during and after emergencies and disasters, with an increasing need for clarity of strategic intent,
articulated in a single, national document. With the responsibility for fire and emergency services
resting with states and territories, this Strategic Directions provides that. It reflects both what is
being done and the directions we are heading, transitioning from traditional fire and emergency
delivery to emergency management professionals integrated with, not simply working for, our
communities.
Our Vision
Integrated fire and emergency management supporting resilient communities.
Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021 1
Existing national arrangements
Crisis arrangements Standing arrangements
National Security Committee of Cabinet
(Australia)
Council of Australian Governments
Domestic External Security Committee
(New Zealand)
Crisis Coordination Centre
(Australia) Law, Crime and Community
National Crisis Management Centre Safety Council
(New Zealand)
State/Territory (Australia)
Australia-New Zealand Emergency
National/Regional (New Zealand)
Management Committee
Crisis Management
Australasian Fire and Emergency
Service Authorities Council (AFAC)1
Exchange of letters
Commissioners and Chief Officers
Strategic Committee (CCOSC)2
Fire and emergency service agencies
(Australia and New Zealand)
1 The Australian and New Zealand National Council for fire and emergency services.
2 CCOSC coordinates the contributions to interstate and overseas deployments and involves both Australia and New Zealand.
2 Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021National Principles
For fire and emergency services
The following principles are fundamental to the work of fire and emergency services. They
enhance understanding across all agencies, contributing to safer and more resilient communities.
Primacy of life
Primacy of life and the reduction of harm and suffering is the major motivation for fire and emergency
services. Any loss of life from emergencies and disasters is deeply felt withing the fire and emergency
services community. Minimising loss is reliant on:
• working with communities to encourage shared responsibility and promote disaster reslience
• a highly skilled and proficient workforce with appropriate equipment and support
• planning and exercising to maintain the highest possible competencies
• effective incident management employing the Australasian Inter-Service Incident Management System
(AIIMS).
Trust and confidence
Fire and emergency services depend on a high level of trust not only within crews, teams, units and
brigades, but also with key stakeholders such as other emergency services, local government and
communities. Maintaining trust and confidence of those they serve is a key success measure for fire and
emergency services. This trust and confidence requires:
• shared community information and a common operating picture before, during and after incidents
• individual and team behaviour of the highest standard
• common understanding and awareness of community risk and expectations
• reliable and professional advice and service delivery.
Interoperability through partnerships
Most emergency incidents generate a response from a variety of agencies. Interoperability is
fundamental to emergency service delivery: all agencies, all hazards, all of the time. This requires
open communication, sharing of information, approaches and philosophies, as well as interoperable
equipment, procedures and a clear understanding of command and control. Interoperability through
partnerships requires:
• commitment across government, industry and communities, planning for interagency response with a
willingness to train and exercise together
• seamless operations and the application of AIIMS during incident management
• adopting common industry positions, standards and protocols
• sharing ideas, successes, lessons and resources.
Accountability
As publicly funded services, fire and emergency services must be accountable to communities,
governments and their stakeholders. Accountability builds confidence and requires:
• responding to community concerns
• maximising efficiencies and cost reductions
• appropriate reporting and corporate governance
• minimising duplication across services.
Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021 3THE DIRECTIONS
DIRECTION 1
Supporting resilient
communities through risk
reduction
The National Strategy for Disaster Resilience 2011 highlights the collective
responsibility of all sectors of society including governments, business,
communities and individuals. Fire and emergency services are well aware
of the inherent disaster risks and the need to provide advice, education and
information to society to mitigate those risks.
Once policy, planning decisions, construction options, compliance requirements
and individual choice have all been made, AFAC agencies need to focus on risk
reduction and preparedness, while remaining responsible for response to any
residual risk, should an emergency still occur. During disasters when the available
emergency service response is overwhelmed, it will be the effectiveness of risk
reduction measures and individual, household and community resilience which
will determine the community impact and ability to not only bounce back, but
progress forward.
Fire and emergency services will contribute to resilient communities through:
•• Adopting a whole of community approach: •• Supporting volunteerism: through both
delivering not only community centred structured and spontaneous volunteering.
engagement, but recognising the diverse nature
of communities that need to be considered, •• Striving to be part of the community fabric:
engaged and supported. through local involvement in community
activities and contributing to the development
•• Indentifying risks: detecting hazards for local of social capital and self-reliance.
communities and informing those communities
in practical ways. •• Promoting and, where legislated, inspecting
mitigation measures: to maximise the benefits
•• Engaging with at risk elements of the of existing standards and policies, minimising
community: seeking to support their identified exposures to potential emergency incidents.
needs.
•• Awareness and promotion of the impact of
•• Providing disaster education and support: Climate Change: on the increasing frequency
to local community members and schools, and intensity of emergencies and natural
noting the role of children in influencing the disasters.
preparedness and behaviours of families.
•• Focussing on strategic risk assessments: across
landscapes, communities and assets, both public
estate and privately owned.
•• Practising environmental sustainability: through
eco-friendly operational procedures to maintain
ecosystem health such as fuel reduction burning.
Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021 5DIRECTION 2
Providing trusted response
and facilitating the transition
to relief and recovery
When individuals dial 000/111/132500, they are experiencing a major crisis
and are seeking support, reassurance and practical help in a hurry. They need
to know that fire and emergency services are responding as swiftly as they can.
During a major disaster, that response will not be to individual households; it is
likely to focus on strategic priorities. Regardless of the outcome, the response
needs to be trusted by the community and a service that can be relied upon.
Fire and emergency services will reliably respond when required by:
•• Developing and maintaining an Australasian •• Developing Emergency Medical Response: to
Capability Statement and Roadmap: to inform supplement ambulance response and maximise
and advise on existing and future operational fire and emergency service availability and skills.
capability across jurisdictions.
•• Planning and practising their response: to
•• Being trained, organised, equipped and ready: ensure that it is professional, rapid and effective
Their readiness is a primary output to the regardless of paid, part-time or volunteer
community. engagement.
•• Organising inter-jurisdictional support through •• Maintaining accurate response records:
the CCOSC3: to focus effort and resources in a encouraging agencies to improve on outcomes
coordinated manner across states and territories (including mitigation and incident management)
and when needed, internationally. as well as service delivery outputs (such as
response times).
•• Establishing a national resource sharing
capability: to coordinate resource deployments •• Introducing the use of AIIMS into state
across states and territories and overseas. legislation: to reinforce the incident
management doctrine into emergency
•• Advocating for a dedicated Public Sector management practice and promote its use in the
Mobile Broadband: to provide the best possible private sector.
capability for fire and emergency services.
Fire and emergency services as the lead combat agency during the response will:
•• Remain engaged with communities: working •• Support other sector leaders: as they take
with them to transition into relief and recovery. responsibility for relief and recovery.
•• Provide integrated emergency management
and operational support: at incident, regional
and state level to ensure integrated transition to
relief and recovery from the commencement of
the response.
3 Commissioners and Chief Officers Strategic Committee
6 Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021DIRECTION 3
The source of credible and
timely information
Concurrently with response, fire and emergency services are also committed to
providing credible and timely information to enable individuals and communities
to make appropriate, informed and timely decisions. Local response by
emergency services is not always possible, particularly during natural disasters
when multiple responses are required. Regardless, fire and emergency services
are committed to keeping the community well informed before, during and after
emergency events.
This needs to be matched by individuals and communities who are engaged,
informed and responsive to advice. Ideally they are also prepared, but
practice indicates this is often not the case. Communication is a partnership of
transmission and reception and emergency management requires this to occur
concurrently between communities and emergency managers.
Fire and emergency services will provide credible and timely information by:
•• Informing communities: by maximising available •• Maintaining the best available predictive
technology, including data and provision to models: to provide the best available advice
mobile devices, to rapidly advise and update the based on the existing information.
community.
•• Actively sharing information within and
•• Committing to nationally-agreed warnings between agencies: creating a Common
frameworks: to provide consistency for Operating Picture at incident, regional and state
individuals and communities across jurisdictions. level.
•• Gathering information to generate intelligence: •• Focussing on the provision of information and
from a wide range of sources including the warnings as an operational capability: and
incident ground, aerial operations, the media, acknowledging that this output is as important
social media and all available sources. as operational response.
Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021 7DIRECTION 4
Effective governance and
resource management
Fire and emergency services have an Australasian workforce of 288,000.
Consisting of 254,000 registered volunteers, 34,000 paid staff in career roles
(across fire services and parks and wildlife) and 6,000 retained or part time
staff. Across the broader emergency management sector, the number exceeds
500,000. This unrivalled capacity, that is organised, trained and ultimately
provides the nation with a substantial surge capacity, is provided with the benefit
of substantial volunteer contributions. Governance and resource management of
this significant resource needs to be contemporary, adaptable and accountable.
Fire and emergency services will maintain effective governance and resource
management by:
•• Meeting legislative, policy and reporting •• Maintaining a focus on workforce and
requirements: of Boards, Governments and community safety: to minimise WHS risks and
Ministers. community impact.
•• Leading and managing: our most valuable •• Professionalising the standing of our
resource, our people; paid, part-time and workforce: through the adoption of national
volunteer workforces. standards through emergency management
professionalisation which assists effective
•• Developing diverse and inclusive workplaces: performance improvement and learning.
reflecting communities and free of
discrimination and harassment. •• Capturing the appropriate data: to identify
trends and ensure the best informed decision-
•• Protecting and supporting our people’s making.
wellness: many of whom are exposed to trauma
and mental illness. •• Delivering value: by reviewing practices and
services and promoting business acumen in our
•• Supporting presumptive legislation: for leaders and managers.
prescribed cancer exposures.
•• Pursuing opportunities for collaborative
•• Determining agency achievement: through purchasing: to maximise efficiencies and cost
agreed measures and outputs. benefits.
8 Strategic Directions for Fire and Emergency Services in Australia and New Zealand 2017 -2021DIRECTION 5
Informed by knowledge and
research
With the creation of AIDR4 in 2015 knowledge and information on emergency
management and disaster resilience has the opportunity to be centred in one
Institute supported and partnered by Emergency Management Australia, AFAC,
Australian Red Cross and the Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research
Centre.
Research can reinforce current practice, explore and challenge new approaches,
as well as providing evidence and options to do things better and differently.
It systematically generates an increase in the stock of knowledge through pure
and applied research. Research informs fire and emergency practices and
presents the opportunity to improve industry performance, and shape industry
culture. The Bushfire and Natural Hazard Cooperative Research Centre and other
research providers assist in delivering this outcome.
Fire and emergency services will be informed by knowledge and research through:
•• Ensuring research outcomes benefit •• Completing the National Burning Project:
communities: through access to information, the most comprehensive synthesis of land
knowledge, education and advice. management and prescribed burning knowledge
and practice ever collected.
•• Reviewing and measuring performance: to
improve community safety outcomes and •• Optimising predictive service capabilities
strengthen disaster resilience. nationally: providing the best advice and
warnings for hazards.
•• Emergency management and disaster resilience
knowledge and information: being collected, •• Maximising research utilisation at agency
stored and shared through sector based level: through an ongoing commitment to being
knowledge sharing capabilities such as, the AIDR informed of research outcomes, exploring
‘Body of Knowledge’. opportunities, trialling options and adopting
improved practice.
•• Contributing to a sector-based national
research capability: that is end-user focussed, •• Evidence-based decision-making by: drawing
cooperatively funded and industry supported. on available data, information and research to
heighten consistency and rigour with emergency
•• Focussing on industry required research: risk assessments.
meeting industry identified priorities that
support operational missions and delivery of •• Becoming data driven: to identify trends and
AFAC agencies within local communities. respond to developments as soon as they
become evident.
4 Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience
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