Background
In response to the 2009 Bushfire Royal Commission, the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB) and Country Fire Authority (CFA) undertook a firefighter secondment program in order to address the recommendations of the commission for greater co-operation, information and skills exchange and enhanced Interoperability.
Three Leading Firefighters and three Station Officers from each agency participated in the secondment program as an initial trial for a period of twelve months.

Objectives
This presentation will outline, from a secondment participant’s perspective, the positives and negatives of the program and discuss what the benefits and improvements of secondment opportunities can be to improve the WIN – WIN elements for all parties involved.
The merits of secondment programs are such that greater awareness of the outcomes of such programs to the Emergency Services Industry as a whole, should ensure the continuation and expansion of this and similar programs across all Emergency Service Organisations. As we further move towards the “all agencies, all hazards” approach, knowledge and experience are even more vital at all levels to ensure we have the broader understanding of all emergency environments. Is this a fact of the future or only fiction?
This presentation will inform the audience of the benefits and negatives of the program and provide information to assist in its longevity and expansion.
The presenters previous experience with secondment programs, allows for a unique insight into the management of interoperability issues.

Methods
A daily diary was maintained by the presenter throughout the secondment program, this combined with Interviews with other secondment participants, agency managers, MFB / CFA and UFU representatives forms the basis of the findings which the presentation will address and clearly show a resounding positive experience towards secondment programs that should be fostered across all Emergency Service Organisations.