Every year we respond to more than 29,000 incidents, as well as helping to prevent many more. Whether on land, sea or by air, we are proud to be able to help make WA a safer State, with our communities at the heart of everything we do. This section provides a snapshot of what we have done this year.
950 Homes saved
9,190 Total fires
1,638 Emergency rescue helicopter mission hours
9,969 000 calls
5,014 Bushfires
2,210 Non-fire rescues
509 National medals awarded
126 Incident response and information system installations
1,639 Response vehicles
2,807 Road crash rescues
8,716,915 Litres of fires suppressant dropped by aircraft
1,930 Long service medals awarded
9,000 Year 10-12 students attended bstreetsmart
544 Non-fire hazardous situations
60 Total fire ban days declared
3,314 Staff and volunteers completed health and safety training
559 Planning proposals from local government
1,289 Structure fires
461 New buildings inspected
1,096 Completed bushfire mitigation treatments
2,887 Other fires including rubbish fires
590 Health and safety consultations
67,193,528 Social media impressions
389 Health and safety hazards reported
140,237 Social media followers
44,551 Training hours provided to volunteers
2,313 Lives saved through annual blood donations
950 Homes saved
Fires in homes where the fire was confined to one room or less.
9,792 Volunteers attended incidents
Without the ongoing contribution of our volunteers, we would not be able to provide essential emergency services to communities across the State.
9,190 Total fires
Total fires includes bushfires, structure fires, vehicle fires and fires on power lines (pole-top fires).
1,638 Emergency rescue helicopter mission hours
The number of hours our two emergency rescue helicopters spent responding to incidents.
2,508 Rescues and medical assistance
Whether it is the emergency rescue helicopter or one of our six services, we are trained and ready to be there when you need us.
9,969 000 calls
Every year our trained Communications Centre staff are there to answer calls and despatch resources to emergency incidents.
5,014 Bushfires
Bushfires are any uncontrolled vegetation fire, typically in bush, scrub or woodland.
2,210 Non-fire rescues
These rescues include cliff rescues, animal rescues, freeing people locked in rooms, buildings and faulty lifts and marine recovery and towing to safety.
509 National medals awarded
National medals are part of the Australian honours system and is Australia�s most awarded civilian medal.
It recognises long and diligent service in assisting the community during emergencies or natural disasters.
126 Incident response and information system installations
Our new mobility solution provides real-time incident information to responding crews, reducing radio traffic. It provides access to live weather reports, aerial fire suppression support and operational data.
1,639 Response vehicles
The number of appliances available for emergency response across the State. It includes specialist equipment such as incident communication vehicles and combined ladder platform appliances.
2,807 Road crash rescues
DFES supports WA Police and St John Ambulance at road crashes by freeing vehicle passengers, cleaning chemical spills and making the area safe.
8,716,915 Litres of fires suppressant dropped by aircraft
Fire suppressants include water and other compounds that are not harmful to the environment. The aerial fleet works with frontline ground crews to extinguish fires more quickly than could be done with ground crews alone.
1,930 Long service medals awarded
Long service awards recognise the length of service of our staff and volunteers.
9,000 Year 10-12 students attended bstreetsmart
In partnership with the RAC and WA Police, we re-enact a road crash, the role of emergency services and the trauma faced by those involved. The scenario is delivered to high school students in years 10 to 12.
544 Non-fire hazardous situations
The situation at the incident is dangerous but does not involve a fire.
60 Total fire ban days declared
Total fire ban days are declared during extremely hot and dry weather or when fires are seriously stretching firefighting resources. A ban prohibits lighting fires in the open air or other defined activities that may start a fire.
3,314 Staff and volunteers completed health and safety training
Our health and safety team provide a range of health and safety training either face-to-face or online.
559 Planning proposal referrals from local government
We review new developments in a bushfire prone area to ensure the building complies with safety standards.
1,289 Structure fires
Structure fires include homes, caravans used as permanent dwellings, businesses and warehouses.
461 New buildings inspected
Building inspections on site help DFES staff and developers work through safety issues or test fire safety systems.
1,096 Completed bushfire mitigation treatments
Planning to mitigate for bushfire is half the story. The number of treatments completed reduces the risk of bushfire across the state.
2,887 Other fires including rubbish fires
Fires do not only happen in bushland or homes.
590 Health and safety consultations
Our health and safety team are available to provide specialist safety advice in one-on-one or group settings to all staff and volunteers.
67,193,528 Social media impressions
Our digital footprint has increased with the addition of Instagram and LinkedIn to our online presence. A busy summer period contributed to massive increases across all channels, especially Facebook where we had more than 2.5 million video views.
389 Health and safety hazards reported
Hazards are any situation or thing that may result in injury or harm to the health of staff or volunteers. An increase in hazards reported is positive as corrective action can be taken before injury occurs.
140,237 Social media followers
Engagement with our online followers continues to grow.
44,551 Training hours provided to volunteers
Training builds volunteers� skills, provides the opportunity to progress through the ranks and supports volunteer recognition, recruitment and retention.
2,313 Lives saved through annual blood donations
On average, every litre of blood donated saves 3 lives. We are proud of our people, not only protecting the community, but their willingness to �Bleed by Example�.
