QFRS Review Set to Commence

The review into the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service (QFRS) will continue the Government’s determination to maximise frontline resources, according to Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts.

Mr Roberts tabled the review’s Terms of Reference in State Parliament today.

“The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service faces many important challenges – such as changes in technology, workplace health and safety issues and environmental issues such as climate change.

“This review will undertake a comprehensive analysis of the Service, and will identify any areas where resources can be redirected to the frontline.”

Mr Roberts said it was important to note the review will not mirror the audit into the Queensland Ambulance Service.

“The Fire Service has different challenges to the Ambulance Service, including not sharing the unprecedented demand currently facing the QAS.”

Recent figures from the independent Report on Government Services suggested QFRS remained one of the best-performing Fire Services in the country.

“Our response times are well within the 14 minute benchmark and 50% of cases are responded to within six-point-nine minutes. Our overall response rate is 97.6% of responses attended to within the 14 minute benchmark. The report also showed that property loss in Queensland was the lowest of any Australian state at just $23 per person, down from $29 last year.

“The Queensland Fire and Rescue Service last year was allocated a record budget of $360.1 million – up $36 million from last year.

“This review is about enhancing frontline service delivery, and ultimately keeping Queenslanders safe.”

Media contact: Kirby Anderson 07 3247 8194, 0418 197 350.

Brendan Connell 07 3247 8992, 0437 837 976

QFRS Review - Terms of Reference

Introduction and scope of Review

On 22 December 2007, the Minister for Emergency Services announced that an internal review of the QFRS is appropriate to provide assurance to him that resources are focused on the frontline and in other critical areas such as compliance.

The Minister advised that the review was to include consideration of how the QFRS will respond to Queensland’s continued growth, climate change, advances in firefighting and rescue technology and practices, improvements in the workplace, health and safety of staff, and the evolution of fire and safety regulation.

The terms of reference for the review are:

1. Analysis of the QFRS business model

? Undertake benchmarking of the services to compare the services provided by QFRS with other jurisdictions.

· Analyse the functions of the QFRS and the authority for these functions e.g. legislative, policy. Identify any other external factors that have influenced the provision of these functions.

? Examine the performance of the QFRS and its performance management systems, including service quality and responsiveness. Identify where resources from the corporate and regional offices could be redirected to front line service delivery.

? Develop strategies for improving the efficiency of service delivery, including the increase in attendance at motor vehicle accidents and opportunities to reduce attendance at unwanted alarm incidents.

·Identify any factors that may result in increased risk to the community from fires and other emergencies and evaluate the adequacy of QFRS’s risk mitigation strategies.

2. Workforce analysis

·Analyse current workforce management arrangements including opportunities for improvement

? Examine methods for redirecting workload and staffing across the various service delivery areas.

3. Financial analysis

? Undertake a detailed analysis of the QFRS budget and the various funding sources that comprise the budget.

? Assess trends in expenditure at the global level and across the various service delivery areas including salary and non-salary related expenditure. In particular, examine administrative and overhead costs (including growth in non-front line costs) to ensure that as many resources as possible are being directed to operational service delivery.