Senior fire and emergency services personnel have to manage many complex challenges and these demands are going to increase in the future. Part of that complexity comes from a range of interdependencies of social, technical and infrastructure systems.  A core challenge for the emergency management sector is that the number and intensity of adverse events is increasing, while factors driving social and ecological vulnerabilities to those events are changing. This places considerable tensions on both emergency managers and other stakeholders and a need to re-evaluate how all stakeholders may work together in the future.  Part of the problem is the existing arrangements and frameworks that guide activities of emergency preparedness, response and recovery. Existing approaches to government policy in general and in emergency management in particular divide responsibilities into discrete areas which can then lead to silo mentalities and rivalries guarding authority and resources. In addition there is a problem with command and control culture that reacts and responds.

 This paper presents findings from interviews with senior personnel about the challenges they see in emergency management in the future and the changes that need to be made. These include a need to manage:- the uneven attention given to the broader issue of disaster risk reduction and reacting to emergencies; new frameworks for operating within increased physical, social and ecological complexities; the operational-political nexus; community expectations and resilience- including the capacity for taxpayers to pay for emergency services and disaster risk reduction and industry change that provides a strategic and longer term approach rather than reactive and short-term change. All of these challenges place new demands on leadership and capability. The presentation will also report on a workshop conducted with industry personnel who discussed these challenges, developed strategic options and proposed suggested changes for the future.