Statement from the Fire Rescue Commissioner regarding preparedness for the summer fire season

Nothing has changed to the fire response Victorians will receive as we approach fire season. We will continue to work with the CFA and Forest Fire Management Victoria to ensure community safety, as we always have.

Our people are our most valuable asset, and FRV is working to deliver greater consistency across systems, processes, and procedures to support them and enhance the vital fire and rescue service they provide for Victorians. 

There are open lines of communication between FRV’s leadership team and our employees, and we are continuing to listen to issues raised and address them, as we enhance the organisation and deliver on our commitment to continuous improvement.

Since the establishment of FRV we have had overwhelmingly positive feedback from our employees about a number of improvements we have made that enhance response times and safety outcomes for our community and our firefighters. 

FRV provides consistent emergency coverage and 24/7 fire and rescue response across Victoria’s major regional centres, and there is now increased ability to share resources seamlessly across the state.  

FRV’s specialist emergency response teams including Hazmat, technical rescue, marine, aviation, and scientific units can now provide support at a range of complex emergencies across the state. In addition, FRV has already delivered a state-wide specialist fire investigation unit, an aviation unit, and harmonised emergency deployment for all 58 fire stations across greater Melbourne.

FRV is undertaking operational planning to enhance FRV’s response to grass, scrub, and bushfires while continuing to provide vital asset protection capability. We are working as one with our emergency sector partners on joint operating procedures, and preparedness training scenarios for response to flood, fire and other protracted emergencies – as we did last season.

FRV is a new organisation, but Victoria’s longstanding emergency response arrangements remain unchanged and we are well prepared this summer.

FRV, CFA and FFMV crews working together within these arrangements will ensure that the Victorian community will continue to receive the best fire and rescue response, wherever they live.

We are focused on working together with our staff, the CFA, FFMV, and all stakeholders to achieve the best possible outcome for the community we serve. 

Community and firefighter safety is FRV’s highest priority and Victorians should be in no doubt that they are well protected this summer.

 

Background:

• A revised Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between FRV and FFMV is being finalised and outlines how FRV and FFMV firefighters will continue to work together and support each other with emergency response across their respective districts. 
• All FRV operational staff have access to FRV email accounts and the intranet.
• The Supplementary Alerting Service (SAS) app is not in use by FRV. FRV understands it is a joint project in development between EMV and the CFA to support volunteer response.
• FRV crews continue to respond to bush and grass fires in the FRV area, establish command and control structures and work in partnership with CFA crews in the frontline firefighting effort.
• FRV crews continue to deploy into CFA areas to support CFA volunteer crews and vice versa.
• FRV has a number of pumper tankers that it will make available for strike team capability based on any increased risk over the summer, at the request of CFA.