Queensland Fire and Rescue Service
Encyclopedia
Queensland Fire & Rescue Service | |
| Established: | 1860 |
|---|---|
| Regions: | 7 |
| Specialities: | Combatant Authority for Fire Fire Fire is the rapid oxidation of a material in the chemical process of combustion, releasing heat, light, and various reaction products. Slower oxidative processes like rusting or digestion are not included by this definition.... , Rescue Rescue Rescue refers to responsive operations that usually involve the saving of life, or prevention of injury during an incident or dangerous situation.... and Hazmat |
| Full Time: | 2,100 |
| Auxiliary: | 2,100 |
| Volunteers: | 36,000 |
| Stations: | 239 |
| Brigades: | 1519 |
| Location: | Queensland, Australia |
| Website | Official QFRS Website |
The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is the primary provider of fire suppression and life rescue services to the residents and visitors to the state of Queensland, Australia.
The QFRS has a diverse workforce including approximately 2100 full time fire officers, another 2100 auxiliary (retained) fire officers that cover the state.
Queensland has no urban fire service coverage of rural, semi-rural and some urban fringe areas. The Rural Fire Service (RFS), made up of approximately 34 000 volunteers (approximately 1500 rural fire brigades) and around 2400 fire wardens, and is the volunteer side of the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service and it is these volunteers who provide fire services to 93% of Queensland. Supported by 750 salaried public service employees.
The Minister responsible for the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is the Honourable Neil Roberts, Minister for Police, Corrective Services & Emergency Services. The QFRS is an agency within the Department of Community Safety, of which the Director General (and QFRS CEO) is Jim McGowan.
The Commissioner of the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service is Lee A Johnson AFSM who is a 35+ year veteran of the QFRS.
History
The QFRS is the result of 150 years of evolution in Queensland’s fire fighting services; in fact the QFRS was born from Australia’s oldest formal volunteer fire service, formed in 1860 after a fire destroyed a Brisbane cabinet making workshop. The early years were tough for the Brisbane Volunteer Fire Brigade and it wasn’t until 1889 that the first full time firemen were employed.The first legislation for rural fire management was the Act to Prevent the Careless Use of Fire 1865, and for urban fire management, the Fire Brigades Act 1876. In 1990, the Queensland Fire Service and the Rural Fires Council were formed replace the 81 Fire Boards in local government areas and the Rural Fires Board; this was the first step in creating a single fire service for Queensland.
In 1997 it became the Queensland Fire and Rescue Authority and 2001 saw another name change to the current Queensland Fire and Rescue Service.