Emergency management chief appointed

Queensland Police Service (QPS) Assistant Commissioner Alistair Dawson APM has been appointed Queensland’s new Inspector-General Emergency Management (IGEM).

Minister for Fire and Emergency Services Craig Crawford said after acting in the role for six months, it was clear Mr Dawson was the best person for the job.

“With over forty years in emergency management roles, Mr Dawson brings a long list of policing and leadership credentials to the IGEM position,” Mr Crawford said.

“He has managed the response to some of Queensland’s most complex disaster events, including the 2005 Currumbin Hill landslide and the 2010/11 Queensland floods.

“Mr Dawson is one of Queensland’s most senior police officers and most recently served as the Assistant Commissioner for the People Capability Command based at Oxley.”

Seconded from this role in July last year, Mr Dawson has since handed down the review into the preparedness of Paradise Dam and is currently working on the 2019 Queensland Bushfires Review.

Minister Crawford said Mr Dawson’s focus over the five-year term would be ensuring Queensland’s disaster management response remained world-class.

“Whether it’s bushfires, floods or cyclones, Queensland is no stranger to natural disasters and the safety of residents must always be paramount,” Mr Crawford said.

“Mr Dawson will work closely with local, state and federal agencies and emergency services to keep Queensland safe in our time of need.”

Mr Dawson paid tribute to the men and women of Queensland’s emergency services.

“I acknowledge my many friends and colleagues in the Queensland Police Service for the great service they have provided and continue to provide in protecting and serving our community,” he said.

“Every day, officers come to work to serve the community in so many ways, including dangerous situations, to ensure we live in a safer Queensland, and it’s been a privilege to serve alongside them over the past 38 years.

“I am looking forward to continuing to build on the strong foundations of Queensland’s disaster management arrangements. 

“I truly believe we have some of the most well-designed, well-rehearsed, and well-executed disaster management arrangements in the country.

“The next five years in the disaster management sector will be an era of co-design, collaboration and cooperation between local, state, interstate and federal agencies to drive continuous improvement in disaster preparedness, planning, response and recovery.” 

PHOTO:Fire and Emergency Services Minister Craig Crawford with newly-appointed Inspector-General Emergency Management Alistair Dawson APM. 

ENDS

Media contacts

Minister Crawford: Ben Brew 0468 839 551

IGEM: 0439 115 851