CODE 2, VOL 36, NO 2 : 21 january 2022

COMMISSIONER COMMITS TO MAINTAINING FIRE AND RESCUE CHAIN OF COMMAND

Following many of you expressing your concern at the changes at DC level and who would be in control of Fire and Rescue operations in the regions (concerns shared by your state office), I have had multiple conversations with Commissioner Leach and provide the following assurances from the Commissioner.

Regarding operational Fire and Rescue matters:
1. In every region, the Fire and Rescue Chief Supt reports to the AC Fire and Rescue, not their regional AC, ensuring a chain of command of Fire and Rescue is maintained.
2. Regional AC’s are administrative managers of their region of Fire and Rescue, Rurals and SES, reporting to the newly appointed DC Wassing to ensure consistency in the Regions.
3. Recruitment and SFEST, and other critical operational Fire and Rescue matters also report through the AC for Fire and Rescue.
(This is vital and I am glad to have received these commitments, as this prevents the tainting of these sorts of processes, vital to you and your operational Fire and Rescue roles.)

The AC of Fire and Rescue reports to the currently empty DC role, and so the chain of command of operationally experienced Fire and Rescue qualified senior managers must be maintained, as I discussed in the Code 2 of 19 January 2022 (we expect someone with credibility whom you and your colleagues can trust to be placed into that role, and I have clearly articulated this to Commissioner Leach).

Your union and all of your elected officials ask that you also remain vigilant on these matters and report any deviance from these assurances to your elected officials and I’ll keep you informed as these matters start to play out, one way or the other. This request extends to Senior Officers who are not members of the UFUQ.

Finally, I remind you that a major restructure of the agency is looming, and all of this can be considered temporary.

John Oliver - General Secretary

 

 

Authorised by John Oliver General Secretary 
United Firefighters' Union of Australia, Union of Employees QLD