Queensland Fire Department

The Queensland Fire Department (QFD) provides fire prevention, preparedness and response services to fire in the built and landscape environments, as well as scientific and specialist capabilities to Queensland communities. The QFD provides a multi-hazard emergency response, including road crash rescue, bushfire, hazardous material, technical and vertical rescue, severe weather incidents, remote and swift water rescue, and provides a number of functions supporting community safety outcomes.

The department encompasses Queensland Fire and Rescue (QFR), Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ), as well as the broader department which work together to pre-empt, prevent, mitigate and manage the consequences of fires and other emergencies on Queensland communities and support our large volunteer membership across the state.

RFSQ is the lead service for the control and prevention of bush and grass fires in Queensland and is proudly one of the largest volunteer-based organisations in Queensland.  The service is supported by nearly 300 salaried staff and 27,000 volunteer members across 1,400 rural fire brigades who have well developed and strong connections to Queensland communities.

The QFD is an organisation that is focused on reframing the department’s relationship with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, communities, and organisations through the Path to Treaty, Closing the Gap and building our cultural capability.

Rural Fire Service Queensland

The Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) is made up of approximately 28,000 volunteer members who make up the 1,400 rural fire brigades and 2,400 fire warden districts, ensuring community safety and enhancing community resilience.

Although there is a general perception that the main role of volunteer members is active firefighting there is much more to being a member of a rural fire brigade.

RFSQ volunteer members provide services in their local area, including:

• Firefighting landscape fires

• Hazard prevention and mitigation advice

• Issuing permits and fire warden activities

• Community education and engagement

• Disaster management response and recovery options.

The recent bushfire seasons experienced in Australia highlight the important contribution that volunteer members make not only to the state of Queensland but across the country. Our volunteers provided duties including firefighting, catering,  incident management, logistics support, operational planning, community education, and evacuations.

Brigades across the state work to help prepare for fire seasons by training new members, conducting hazard reduction burns, and educating members of the community to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from the impacts of fire and emergency events.

It's the generous contribution of our volunteer members that makes a massive impact in Queensland and Australian communities.