Townsville hosts next generation of Fire and Rescue Station Officers

Townsville hosts next generation of Fire and Rescue Station Officers

• Queensland Fire and Emergency Services personnel from across the state have arrived in Townsville to complete phase two of the Officer Development Program (ODP).
• This intensive two-and-a-half-week training and assessment process, tests the tactical response capability of officers, requiring them to complete simulated practical incident management scenarios as the incident controller.
• Townsville is a key location for recruit and ODP training courses, with QFES personnel benefiting from the city’s state-of-the-art training facilities.

Training is underway in Townsville for the next generation of Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES) station officers.

Minister for Fire and Disaster Recovery Nikki Boyd MP joined QFES Assistant Commissioner Michael O’Neil at Queensland Country Bank Stadium, where developing Station Officers are being put through their paces as part of the Officer Development Program (ODP).

The program is a year-long course comprising three phases, with graduates becoming fully qualified Station Officers at its completion.

The second phase is an intensive two-and-a-half-week course culminating in an assessment which tests the tactical response capability of officers, requiring them to complete simulated practical incident management scenarios as the incident controller.

Local venues such as The Queensland Country Bank Stadium, Lavarack Barracks and Townsville Entertainment and Convention Centre were chosen as the location of this phase, with participants expected to manage resources and generate a tactical response in a simulated fire incident specific to the venues.

The prospective station officers come from a variety of different regions across Queensland, descending on Townsville to enjoy the city’s state-of-the-art training facilities.

Quotes attributable to the Minister for Fire & Disaster Recovery Nikki Boyd:

“Firefighters play a crucial role in keeping our communities safe in the face of emergencies and natural disasters.

“The ODP training course prepares graduates for the worst-case scenario, recreating real life situations to give Station Officers the necessary experience required to manage a fire incident.

“It’s great to see our firefighters develop their skills and take the next step in their careers, which ultimately strengthens our firefighting capability across the state.”

Quotes attributable to QFES Assistant Commissioner Michael O’Neil:

“The increased number of training programs being conducted in Townsville is a testament to our region’s state-of-the-art training facilities.

“Queensland expects highly trained and dedicated firefighters and the rigorous interview and practical evaluation process ensures ODP graduates are ready to answer the call for help when communities need them most.”

ENDS