2018/19 Annual Report 

We are proud to work with the community before, during and after emergencies, to help create a safer State. Our Annual Report shows how we are performing and provides a closer look at some of the things our people, together with the community have achieved over the past year.

Download full report (11MB)

Commissioner's foreword

The Department of Fire and Emergency Services’ purpose is to help create a safer State for the people of WA. We work in partnership with community and government to protect lives, infrastructure, our environment and the economy.

Over the last year we responded to more than 29,000 incidents across the State. This is testament to the dedication and commitment of our people supporting the community.

Our focus this year has been on three key priorities:

  • Culture and community - enhancing our culture and engagement with the community.
  • Emergency Management - broadening our attention from response to emergency management.
  • Volunteers - valuing the exertise and contribution of our volunteers.

View the full foreword [PDF, 112kb]

Highlights

  • Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards

    A record 102 WA businesses were recognised though the Volunteer Employer Recognition Awards. For the first time ever two award ceremonies were held in 2018, one in Perth and one in Busselton.  

    Commissioner Darren Klemm attended both ceremonies and commended the business owners on their commitment to their staff and the community.

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  • Urban Search & Rescue Major Exercise

    In October 2018, we held our annual Urban Search and Rescue exercise at the decommissioned Hamilton Hill High School. The scenario involved a light aircraft crashing into a multi-story school building causing a gas leak explosion and trapping dozens of students in debris, cutting them off from escape.

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  • Fire and Emergency Services Awards

    Two firefighting brigades, Tom Price Bush Fire Brigade and Tom Price Volunteer Fire and Rescue Service received the Team Achievement Award for firefighting, recognised for uniting to protect their isolated Pilbara community when a bushfire threatened the town in October 2017.

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  • Banksia Hill - Young People in Emergency Services

    In partnership with the Department of Justice, we launched a pilot program to deliver emergency services training to the young people in Banksia Hill Detention Centre.

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Esperance fires and community engagement

Early in February 2019 severe bushfires swept through areas around Esperance. Like a lot of WA, this area has many culturally significant and sacred sites for the region’s Aboriginal communities.

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The State of Recovery

As a community we rely on roads, buildings and bridges to connect us and bring us together. Effective disaster recovery can help us enhance the environment, our infrastructure and the State and national economies. Coordinated and well managed disaster recovery helps make our community more resilient.

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New positions to support Volunteers

As part of our commitment to support our volunteers, 15 new positions were introduced in 2018-19.

Volunteer Management Support Officers located across the State are now able to support volunteer leaders, managers and local governments.

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