2026 WAFES Awards

1. Definitions

“AFAC Conference” means the 2027 Conference of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council.

"BGU” means brigade, group or unit.

“DFES” means the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.

“Gala Dinner” means the WAFES Awards gala dinner event which is being held on Saturday 5 September 2026.

“Nominations Closing Date” means 9.00am AWST on Monday 23 March 2026 or as amended by the Organiser.

“Nominee” means the individual, young person or team (as the three award types) nominated for a WAFES Award.  

“Organiser” means DFES.

“WAFES Awards” means the Western Australian Fire and Emergency Services Awards, which includes the Gala Dinner.

“Volunteer” means a WA registered volunteer of a volunteer service approved by or established under the emergency services Acts.

“WA” means Western Australia.

2. Nominations

• Nominations can be submitted by a Volunteer, DFES staff member or a member of the community.
• Nominations must be submitted through the online nomination system on dfes.wa.gov.au/wafesawards by the Nominations Closing Date.
• The Organiser reserves the right to amend the Nominations Closing Date at any time.
• All sections of the online nomination must be completed.
• Nominations must address the relevant award criteria with a minimum word limit of 300 words and a maximum of 1,000 words.
• Nominators may seek assistance from the relevant BGU, Volunteer association or DFES staff member in developing their nomination and submitting it online.
• In the nomination, at least one example must be included from a project or incident that the Nominee was involved in which occurred after 31 March 2025. Projects must be directly related to the Nominee’s role as a Volunteer or DFES staff member.
• Self-nomination is not accepted for individual or young person awards but is accepted for team awards.
• By accepting a nomination, all Nominees agree for their photographs, profiles, video footage and other details to be used for promotional purposes by DFES and the WA Government.
• A nomination is not considered submitted, and therefore not eligible for further consideration, until a successful nomination email from the ‘Award Force’ online nomination system is issued.
• Once nominations are submitted, all Nominees will be subject to further endorsement by DFES Corporate Executive and Professional Standards. The Organiser may refuse to proceed with a nomination at any time where a Nominee is under investigation or has unresolved issues with DFES, a local government authority or another government agency.

3. Eligibility

• Nominees must be employed by DFES as a staff member or are an active, registered Volunteer. DFES contractors are not eligible to be nominated.
• Volunteer Nominees must have been active in their duties within the past twelve (12) months at the time the nomination is lodged, with the Nominee having a reasonable belief they will be in the role until March 2027.
• DFES staff member Nominees must have been employed by DFES for a minimum of six (6) months from 31 March 2025, with the Nominee having a reasonable belief they will continue their employment until March 2027.  
• Nominees for the DFES Operational Staff Individual Achievement Award must be employed under the Western Australian Fire Service Enterprise Bargaining Agreement 2023 , or in a District Officer Marine Services or District Officer Natural Hazards position with DFES.
• Nominees for the DFES Corporate Staff Individual Achievement Award must be employed under the Public Sector CSA Agreement 2024 (excluding those in District Officer Marine Services or District Officer Natural Hazards positions), Fleet and Equipment Services Agreement 2024 or Australian Workers' Union (Western Australian Public Sector) General Agreement 2024.
• Nominees for the Volunteer Firefighting Young Person of the Year Award, Marine Rescue Young Person of the Year Award and State Emergency Service Young Person of the Year Award must be active Volunteers and their date of birth between 31 March 2007 and 1 April 1997.
• Nominees for the DFES Young Person of the Year Award must be employed by DFES as a staff member and their date of birth between 31 March 2007 and 1 April 1997.
• Only the 2026 winners of the Volunteer Firefighting Young Person of the Year Award, Marine Rescue Young Person of the Year Award, State Emergency Service Young Person of the Year Award and DFES Young Person of the Year Award will be eligible for the 2026 WAFES Young Person of the Year Award.
• Nominations for the Firefighting Team Achievement Award, Marine Rescue Team Achievement Award and State Emergency Service Team Achievement Award must only be for members of DFES BGUs. Members of other BGUs are ineligible.
• Nominations for past winners and finalists must outline new information, projects and incidents to be eligible.
• Posthumous nominations are not accepted.

4. Nomination endorsement

• The Nominee (or one representative from a nominated team) must review their nomination, agree to being nominated and accept the 2026 WAFES Awards terms and conditions, before the nomination progresses to judging.
• Nominations must be endorsed by the Nominee’s supervisor as follows:

*Nominators cannot endorse a nomination they submit.

5. Judging

• The judging panels will select up to three finalists for each team and individual award and select one of those finalists as the winner.
• The judging panels will not select any finalists but will rather select one winner for each of the young person awards, noting that the winner for the WAFES Young Person of the Year Award must be chosen from the 2026 winners of the Volunteer Firefighting Young Person of the Year Award, Marine Rescue Young Person of the Year Award, State Emergency Service Young Person of the Year Award and DFES Young Person of the Year Award.
• All Nominees must agree to abide by the decisions of the judging panels.
• No appeals will be considered.
• Due to the number of entries and the capacity of the judging panels, no feedback will be provided on nominations submitted.

6. Finalists and Winners

• All finalists must agree to be available at their BGU or worksite between June and August 2026 to take part in filming and photography that will be used for promotional purposes.
• All winners and finalists agree to be ambassadors in promoting the 2027 WAFES Awards.

7. Gala dinner event

• Winners will be announced at the Gala Dinner.
• Finalists of individual awards and winners of young person awards will receive two complimentary invitations to attend the Gala Dinner.
• Finalists of team awards will receive four complimentary invitations for team members to attend the Gala Dinner
• Volunteer finalists attending the Gala Dinner may be eligible for travel and accommodation entitlements.
• Volunteer finalists accessing travel and accommodation entitlements agree to these 2026 WAFES Conference Terms and Conditions.
• If eligible under the DFES Corporate Travel Policy, DFES staff (including Career Fire and Rescue Service personnel) finalist flights and accommodation will be booked and covered by Media and Corporate Communications. Additional travel and associated costs will be covered by the DFES business area.
• WAFES Awards judges and nominators of finalists will receive one complimentary invitation to attend the Gala Dinner.
• Nominators who are also members of the team they nominate are not eligible for an additional complimentary invitation to attend the Gala Dinner above the four allocated to the team.
• Invitations to the Gala Dinner are not redeemable for cash and are non-transferrable unless approved by the Organiser.
• Travel and accommodation expenses will not be met for guests of finalists, judges, Volunteers, nominators or other members of staff.
• Finalists and guests under 18 years of age must attend with a parent or guardian which counts as one of the relevantly allocated complimentary tickets.
• A parent or guardian attending must cover the costs of a Gala Dinner ticket ($175) and all associated costs.  
• Finalists and guests who register to attend the Gala Dinner and do not notify DFES of their cancellation at least two weeks prior to the event, may be charged the full cost of their ticket ($300) for non-attendance.

8. Prizes

• All volunteer finalists and winners are eligible for the following prize money:

• Volunteers who are also DFES staff members are not eligible for prize money.
• All Volunteers and DFES staff members who are winners of individual and young person awards and over 18 years old, are eligible to attend the AFAC Conference.
• To be eligible to attend the AFAC Conference, Volunteers must be active in their duties and DFES staff members must be employed by and working with DFES during the time of the AFAC Conference.
• The Organiser will manage bookings and cover costs associated with the AFAC Conference, including attendance fees, flights, accommodation and meals.
• Eligibility and costs of the AFAC Conference are not redeemable for cash and non-transferrable.