❓ Rick Mazza asks about staffing and costs associated with bushfire management within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES). The Attorney General, representing the Minister, provides a response outlining the difficulty in isolating bushfire-specific costs and staffing, but provides figures for the Office of Bushfire Risk Management.
AnsweredQoN 1347Legislative Council
QuestionView source ↗
DEPARTMENT OF FIRE AND EMERGENCY SERVICES — BUSHFIRE MANAGEMENT
1347. Hon RICK MAZZA to the Attorney General
representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the bushfire section
within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
(1) How many staff, including senior
management, are in or a part of the management section?
(2) What are the
current costs and overheads associated with the running of that section,
including all overheads, equipment and ancillary costs?
1347. Hon RICK MAZZA to the Attorney General
representing the Minister for Emergency Services:
I refer to the bushfire section
within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services.
(1) How many staff, including senior
management, are in or a part of the management section?
(2) What are the
current costs and overheads associated with the running of that section,
including all overheads, equipment and ancillary costs?
AnswerView source ↗
On behalf of the Minister for Emergency Services, I thank the honourable
member for some notice of the question.
(1) The Fire and
Emergency Services Commissioner is the hazard management agency for a range of
hazards, inclusive of fire, whether it is an urban or a rural fire, and a significant
portion of management is directed towards bushfire response, management,
mitigation, prevention and education, together with the Department of Parks and
Wildlife. As such, it is not possible to separately identify the number of
individuals specifically involved with bushfire management. The Office of
Bushfire Risk Management is an independent office within the Department of Fire
and Emergency Services that oversees prescribed burning and bushfire-related
risk in Western Australia. This office has eight staff members.
(2) The
Department of Fire and Emergency Services is structured and operates as a multi-hazard
organisation consisting of operational members of staff, career and volunteer
emergency service brigades, groups and units that are involved in both
bushfire-related and non-bushfire-related emergency response activities. In
support of these career and volunteer services, the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services incurs considerable costs in providing operational
management, coordination and planning, aviation services, statewide 000 call
taking, incident turnout and incident support, records and communications,
training and doctrine services, information communication and technology
services, fleet and equipment services, media and corporate communication
services, safety and welfare services, community engagement services and
various other corporate administration and governance services. DFES does not
undertake activity-based costing to be able to specifically identify the amount
spent on bushfire-related functions; nor are the costs notionally allocated
across the various response services. However, in relation to the Office of
Bushfire Risk Management, the current budget allocation for direct costs for
the 2016–17 financial year is $1.2 million.
member for some notice of the question.
(1) The Fire and
Emergency Services Commissioner is the hazard management agency for a range of
hazards, inclusive of fire, whether it is an urban or a rural fire, and a significant
portion of management is directed towards bushfire response, management,
mitigation, prevention and education, together with the Department of Parks and
Wildlife. As such, it is not possible to separately identify the number of
individuals specifically involved with bushfire management. The Office of
Bushfire Risk Management is an independent office within the Department of Fire
and Emergency Services that oversees prescribed burning and bushfire-related
risk in Western Australia. This office has eight staff members.
(2) The
Department of Fire and Emergency Services is structured and operates as a multi-hazard
organisation consisting of operational members of staff, career and volunteer
emergency service brigades, groups and units that are involved in both
bushfire-related and non-bushfire-related emergency response activities. In
support of these career and volunteer services, the Department of Fire and
Emergency Services incurs considerable costs in providing operational
management, coordination and planning, aviation services, statewide 000 call
taking, incident turnout and incident support, records and communications,
training and doctrine services, information communication and technology
services, fleet and equipment services, media and corporate communication
services, safety and welfare services, community engagement services and
various other corporate administration and governance services. DFES does not
undertake activity-based costing to be able to specifically identify the amount
spent on bushfire-related functions; nor are the costs notionally allocated
across the various response services. However, in relation to the Office of
Bushfire Risk Management, the current budget allocation for direct costs for
the 2016–17 financial year is $1.2 million.
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