Chair: Stuart Ellis, CEO – Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council

Overview: Despite all having their own specific legislation, Australia and New Zealand’s fire, emergency and land management agencies choose to collaborate and share on matters of mutual interest.  A formal vehicle for this to occur is through the body they created in 1993, now known as the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) which was built on two existing urban and rural fire bodies. This collaboration has extended to research through the Bushfire CRC, and aerial firefighting through the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) and multi-agency responses to major emergencies.  All of these activities involve an annual investment of cash and staff time from members which is over and above the work required at the agency level.  

This panel will provide a unique view of collaboration within the emergency services, from both a national and international perspective. The panel will examine the purpose, limitations, the wins, the failures, struggles and the future of collaborating across agency, jurisdictional and country borders.

The panel will welcome comment and questions from session participants many of whom will have a view of the highs and lows of working together rather than doing it alone.

 Panel Framework

 Speaker 1 - Philip Stittleburg, Chief, La Farge Fire Department, USA
“Collaboration – Helping Organisations Achieve More”

Collaboration can help organisations achieve more than what they may be able to do on their own. By working together toward common goals, organisations can provide a stronger, more unified voice along with broader reach and more effective campaigns. The National Volunteer Fire Council (NVFC), a fire service organisation based in the USA, has effectively used collaboration with other fire service organisations, companies, and the public to expand its initiatives and carry out its mission. NVFC Chairman Philip C. Stittleburg will discuss some of these partnerships and demonstrate how collaboration can benefit all involved. NVFC collaborative efforts that will be highlighted include:

•      Fire Corps – a partnership with the public to increase the capacity and expand the services of local fire departments

•      International Fire/EMS Safety and Health Week – a partnership with other fire service organisations to enhance health and safety awareness in the fire service

Partnerships with corporations to promote the volunteer fire and emergency services and offer benefits and resources to departments.

Speaker 2 - Laurie Lavelle (retired), Director, Emergency Services Foundation
“Collaboration -  A More Intensive Relationship”

As most of the members of AFAC have as their organisation’s core business the protection of life and property, it was essential that in establishing a national body in Australia, suitable attention be given to incorporating a sound structure.

Bringing together two national bodies, one representing rural and land management agencies, the other the urban fire authorities, was not without its difficulties. The goodwill, encouragement and support were essential as a new era was being established. These attributes formed a firm basis for the current organisation’s function.

Major achievements have included:

•     Introduction of the federal government multi-million dollar training guarantee act ;a joint initiative with the United Firefighters Union that resulted in AFAC leading all industries in the development of competency based training and management standards.

•     Introduction of accredited multi agency executive management programs at the Australian Institute of Police Management.

•     Coordinating projects for rural and mutual agencies together with cross state and territory assistance arrangements during fires and other emergencies.

•     Representation on over 30 national and International (ISO) standards making bodies and the Australian Building Code Reform Centre.

•     Building the highly effective Conference and Exhibition.

•     The establishment of the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre and the National Aerial Firefighting Centre.

•     Appearance at the Victorian Government Royal Commission into the tragic Black Saturday Fires.

•     Introducing common language.

AFAC has achieved a great deal and continues to provide strong leadership across the emergency services sector. Maintaining the support from its members is essential if we are to sustain the many achievements as we continue with the long standing mission agreed with on inception.

Speaker 3 - Vijith Randeniya, Chief Fire Officer, West Midlands Fire Service, UK
 “Collaboration - Who Blinks First?”

It's something that intuitively makes sense, how to argue against it? Why then does it seem at times so hard?

Organisations develop a belief that theirs is the better system, so that all that is needed is for the other to copy the already good practice and if the view is held vice versa, then there is little room for movement. Culture eats strategy for breakfast!

The trick is to come without an agenda and desire to really listen, it also helps to have senior buy in. We were sharing resources with the ambulance services and both middle management layers were reporting back that the 'other side weren't really up for it'. Both chiefs got together and said to all the players in the room that it was definitely going to happen. That common leadership approach enabled staff to develop the program way ahead of expectations.

The financial crisis has brought or forced people to come together. In the UK the joint emergency services integration  plan was borne out of a knowledge that we didn't all work together as well as could be expected, and that the Olympics was Great Britain on show, therefore failure was not an option. It has continued to develop.

And this is somewhat unfair. There have been good examples of collaboration across the piece, and you will usually find personalities driving it with a good business case, equally you will find many good business cases for collaboration without the leadership to take it to the next stage.

The requirement to collaborate is now stronger than ever, I am sure we will see more of it, changing cultures, innovative and dynamic leadership, a lot of grunt work and a shared desire are essential factors. Just because it’s a good idea might not be enough.

Summary from Chair

Q&A Session