THE State Government has announced the first reforms of Fire and Emergency service Act. The Tasmania Fire Service and the State Emergency Services will be merged to become the Tasmania Fire and Emergency Service (TFES).
Police, Fire and Emergency Management Minister Felix Ellis said merging these two key services recognised the strength in their existing relationship. “However, both the TFS and SES will keep their individual identities. We know how important this is to staff and volunteers of these organisations.
The current Chief Officer of TFS, Mr Dermot Barry will become the Commissioner of Fire and Emergency Services and will report directly to the Minister and will oversee the new Tasmania Fire and Emergency Service. The Director of SES will remain in the TFES’ key leadership group.
“Fire’s key governance body – the State Fire Commission – will be retained and reformed to become the State Fire and Emergency Service Committee. “This committee will be legislated and will report to and support the Commissioner of Fire and Emergency Services.” he said.
The TFS said emergency services volunteers will be provided with greater protections under the new legislation. “Salaried and volunteer emergency service workers will continue to wear their respective TFS or SES uniforms.”
Mr Ellis said these reforms would be key parts of the new Fire and Emergency Services Act, which would be legislated later in the year. The funding arrangements are being considered and are part of the 2023-24 Tasmanian State Budget.
In 2016 the House of Assembly Standing Committee on Community Development’s Inquiry into the State Fire Commission recommended that a review of the Fire Service Act 1979 (the Act) was necessary.
The Review Committee recommended a centralised funding model for the SES and a streamlined approach to fire fighting between TFS, Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service, Sustainable Timber Tasmania, and other relevant agencies.
Resources were to be allocated according to the risk and not according to local government municipal boundaries.