Our Structure
The AFAC Council is made up of the most senior representative of member organisations and meets twice a year and provides strategic direction. The governance oversight is provided by the Committee of Management which is elected by Council and meets bi-monthly.Committee of Management
President: Lee Johnson AFSM, Commissioner, Queensland Fire and Rescue Service
Vice-President: Greg Mullins AFSM, Commissioner, New South Wales Fire Brigades
Treasurer: Tony Blanks, Manager Forestry Tasmania
Director: Jo Harrison-Ward, Chief Executive Officer, Fire & Emergency Services Authority of WA
Director: Mary Barry, Chief Executive Officer, Victoria State Emergency Service
Director: Mike Hall, Chief Executive Officer, New Zealand Fire Service
Director: Bob Conroy, Executive Director, Department of Environment, Climate change and Water NSW
AFAC Chief Executive Officer: Naomi Brown (About Naomi)
Executive Assistant to CEO: Lynette White Ph: + 61 3 9418 5206
Our Work
The work of AFAC is usually conducted through the use of a Group structure and from time to time cross functional project teams. Senior representatives of member agencies are represented on these groups and their work includes shaping research and policy, developing national or regional positions and assisting each other with solutions to issues that cannot be individually solved.
Through the work of its Groups AFAC produces policies, guidelines and positions for adoption by Council. This approach assists agencies work towards achieving better levels of interoperability and potentially greater community safety outcomes. The work of AFAC also includes special research projects of regional significance, development of training and learning resources and facilitation of collaborative purchasing and contract arrangements.
Position: A Position is an agreed statement of opinion, a way of viewing a matter, a stand. If a Position is approved there is an expectation member agencies will support it, for example the Bushfires and Community Safety position; Gamba Grass; Smoke Alarms in Residential Accommodation.
Policy: A Policy is a statement of a course of action decided upon as necessary. If a Policy is approved there would be an expectation that member agencies will implement it. Policy in this context would apply to AFAC business, for example, the Information Sharing and Management of Intellectual Property Policy.
Approach: A method of how an outcome can be achieved; to deal with a particular problem; or a way of doing things. For example, AFAC Leadership Capability Framework.
Guideline: A preferred or advisable course of action; a statement of desired, good or best practice. For example, Class A Recycled Water; Guidlelines for People in Cars.
Discussion Paper: A Discussion Paper is intended to alert the reader to an issue, explain the background, contributing factors and subject matter and to prompt and inform debate. It provides evidentiary support to the resolution of Policy and Position statements.
2010 Meeting Schedule
Download the schedule (pdf)
(updated: 12/02/10)
Annual Reports
Key Relationships
Inherent in the work of AFAC is the forging of close relationships with a variety of organisations and business. These relationships are either informal, developed of many years, or formal arrangements built around Memorandums of Understanding. Key relationships include:
- Australian Assembly of Volunteer Fire Brigades Association
- Australian Building Codes Board
- Australian Bureau of Statistics
- Australian Emergency Management Volunteer Forum
- Australian Institute of Police Management
- Australian Road Rescue Organisation
- Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre
- Canadian Interagency Forest Fire Centre
- Chief Fire Officers Association and Fire and Resilience Directorate of Communities and Local Government
- Emergency Management Spatial Information Network Australia
- Fire Protection Association of Australia
- Forest Fire Management Group
- Geoscience Australia
- Global Fire Monitoring Center
- International Association of Fire Chiefs
- International Standards Organisation
- National Fire Protection Association
- National Information Communications Technology Australia (NICTA)
- National Spatial Information Management (NSIM)
- National Risk Assessment Advisory Group (NRAAG)
- Standards Australia
- US Forest Service
