The man who has been appointed state’s first fire supremo, Craig Lapsley, says it is critical that the three fire services are able to be led by one person on days of extreme danger.
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Mr Lapsley is a former deputy chief fire officer of the CFA and worked with former CFA boss Russell Rees for six years before leaving the CFA in 2007.
He is currently the director of Emergency Management of Health and Human Services, which played a role in the Black Saturday recovery.
He was raised in a fire station and joined the CFA, as a volunteer, in Bendigo in 1981.
‘‘The buck stops with me, I am the state fire controller,’’ Mr Lapsley said.
‘‘Moving forward this role will be the strong leader in making sure that the three fire services work closer together, and I think that is the important thing is looking forward and learning from the events of February 7.’’
He had applied for the role as Chief Officer of the CFA, vacated by Mr Rees, but was approached a week ago to take the new role.
Premier John Brumby said Mr Lapsley was a highly experienced and regarded man.
‘‘He comes to this job with the ideal qualifications, with on-the-ground experience, firefighting experience, who knows the CFA, who knows the SES, who knows the fire services, who knows what it is like to be on the ground fighting a fire,’’ Mr Brumby said.
‘‘But also with extensive experience in the public services so that he knows if has to, how to knock heads together to get something done.’’
Mr Lapsley will be responsible for developing and building operational capacity to prepare for the days of highest bushfire risk.
He will exercise control over all significant fires as the permanent State Controller.
The position will be formally established when legislation is introduced to the Parliament at the end of the month.
He becomes the first Fire Services Commissioner, a role recommended by the Bushfires Royal Commission to streamline the chain of command across all the fire authorities on days of extreme fire danger and during disasters.
The CFA welcomed the appointment of Mr Lapsley, chief executive Mick Bourke said Mr Lapsley had a long association with fire and emergency services in Victoria.
Volunteer Fire Brigades Victoria president Gary Lyttle said the new role is an opportunity to build co-operation among the three fire services, without making the costly mistake of trying to merge them.
Speaking to Radio 3AW today, Mr Lapsley said his job was to co-ordinate the fire responses of the CFA, MFB and DSE ‘‘to make sure we are better prepared, that our operational ability is utilised in the days of highest fire risk, and to make sure there is one person who acts as the state fire controller on the day of significant fires.’’
He said the role included a considering reforms to the way the state’s fire agencies operated and interacted.
‘‘Now, in the next number of months, and for the next number of years, it will be about being stronger in driving reform to make sure than the three fire services can operate better together, can provide a cohesive manner in which they deliver their services to the community.
‘‘We need to make sure we reflect and understand there was the death of 173 people on the seventh of February 2009, and we should never forget what that’s meant for Victoria.’’
Mr Lapsley also said part of his job would be consider over time the possibility of merging the state’s rural fire services. He while it would be more efficient to have one body responsible for fighting bushfires, it is something that would be assessed over time.
