Fire Rescue Victoria 2022-23 Annual Report tabled in Parliament

Fire Rescue Victoria’s (FRV) Annual Report was tabled in the Victorian Parliament today, Thursday 7 February 2024.

The Annual Report, Responding to Emergencies, Preparing for the Future, shows FRV responded to 67,198 incidents in 2022/23 – a 5.8 per cent increase on the previous financial year, while preventable deaths from fire decreased from 12 to nine.

FRV attends an average of one emergency call for every 100 Victorians each year, with this demand increasing. 

Fire Rescue Commissioner Gavin Freeman AFSM said FRV was responding to an average of 184 emergencies every day and that he expected the figure to grow. 

 “Victoria’s population is forecast to reach 7.9 million over the next decade and we know climate change will bring more extreme weather events. That is why, in addition to being well prepared to respond, we are committed to working with Victorians to help them understand their risks to enable them to help us reduce the number of emergencies and know how to act when they do occur,” Commissioner Freeman said. 

Commissioner Freeman said he expects these challenges to be particularly relevant to regional cities as their growth was expected to outpace Melbourne.

FRV's resilience was tested in December 2022 when the organisation fell victim to a cyber-attack. The attack rendered some systems inaccessible. 

Despite the challenges presented by the cyber-attack, and thanks to the professionalism, dedication and resilience of our people, FRV continued to turn out fire trucks and crews to respond to all emergencies.

FRV maintained an 83.7% response rate (incidents attended within 7 minutes and 42 seconds) and exceeded its response target of 90% for emergency medical response calls, achieving a 93.3% response rate (incidents attended within 9 minutes and 12 seconds).

Commissioner Freeman said the cyber-attack highlighted the need for even more robust cybersecurity measures, which FRV was continuing to put in place. 

“While we experienced a technology outage, our business continuity actions were effective. FRV continued to respond to protect life and property,” he said.

In the last financial year, FRV continued to boost the number of women firefighters in its ranks to 200 and launched its Reconciliation Action Plan, while exploring new technologies and equipment, including starting the process to acquire an electric fire truck. 

2022-2023 was the first year since FRV’s inception where incident numbers were not impacted by COVID-19 lockdowns, with public activity moving closer to pre-pandemic levels.

One of the most significant emergency responses was to the October 2022 floods, with FRV deploying 360 staff who collectively worked 1,500 workdays to assist flood victims. 

Gavin Freeman AFSM was appointed as the Fire Rescue Commissioner in May 2023. 

“I am committed to working with our emergency service partners to deliver the Fire Services Reform. In parallel, I will work closely with our staff to strengthen FRV’s operational capability and maintain our strong focus on safety and innovation,” he said.

To access the full Annual Report 2022-23 including case studies about lithium-ion battery fires, use of aerial drones in firefighting and more, visit frv.vic.gov.au

Note, the tabling of FRV’s Annual Report was delayed due to the Victorian Auditor-General’s Office’s (VAGO) audit of FRV’s financial statements not concluding until after Parliament’s last sitting day of 2023.