🚒 Ignite Your Future: Why the New Queensland Fire Department Is a Brilliant Place to Work
From drone-guided bushfire mapping to swift-water rescues during the wet season, the newly formed Queensland Fire Department (QFD) offers tech-savvy, community-minded Australians a career that’s equal parts purpose and adrenaline. If you’re searching “Government jobs Australia” or “Australian Public Service careers” on your phone right now, this quick overview lets you size up the department—without wading through 130-plus pages of its latest Annual Report.
AT-A-GLANCE
• Name of Department / Council: Queensland Fire Department (formerly QFES)
• Location: State-wide across Queensland; HQ Kedron, Brisbane
• CEO: Commissioner Stephen Smith AFSM
• Total Revenue: $1.028 billion in 2023-24
• Total Number of Employees: 5,598 (headcount) / 3,846.84 FTE
DID YOU KNOW? 🤯
QFD backs 1,408 rural fire brigades—one of the largest volunteer networks in the Southern Hemisphere .
THE QUALIFICATION, CERTIFICATIONS, TRADES, PROFESSIONS, WORK EXPERIENCES & SKILLS MOST SUITED TO QFD
🔬 Top 5 Academic Qualifications
• Certificate III in Public Safety (Firefighting): Meets entry standards for frontline roles.
• Diploma of Emergency & Disaster Management: Equips you to coordinate multi-agency incident response.
• Bachelor of Engineering (Fire Safety/Mechanical): Essential for building-audit & fire-system design reviews.
• Bachelor of IT (Cyber/Networks): Supports QFD’s shared ICT & cyber-security platforms .
• Master of Business Administration (Public Sector): Positions you to steer Strategy 2030 and $578 m reform projects .
🛠️ Top 5 Certifications
• Medium Rigid (MR) Driver Licence: Required to operate fire appliances.
• Remote Pilot Licence (RePL): Fly aerial drones for bushfire intelligence.
• Project Management Professional (PMP): Manage station builds & fleet roll-outs.
• GIS Mapping Certification: Turn real-time data into actionable fire-ground insights.
• Advanced First Aid & Resuscitation: Provide frontline medical support at incidents.
👷 Top 5 Trades / Professions
• Electricians – maintain critical power & alarm systems across 244 stations .
• Heavy-Vehicle Mechanics – keep more than 1,000 appliances disaster-ready.
• Carpenters/Builders – upgrade facilities under the $578 m reform program .
• Communications Officers – run the 24/7 State Operations Centre.
• Data Scientists – build predictive bushfire-risk models from sensor feeds.
💡 Top 5 Skills
• Risk assessment • Critical decision-making • Stakeholder engagement • Technical rescue • Digital literacy
🏆 Top 5 Work Experiences
• Volunteer brigade or SES service • Military logistics • Mining-site safety • Large-fleet maintenance • Call-centre customer care
THE KEY FACTS
• Name of Department: Queensland Fire Department
• Name of CEO: Commissioner Stephen Smith AFSM
• Location: Queensland-wide service footprint
• Year Founded: 1990 (as QFES); transitioned to QFD on 1 July 2024
• Main Mission & Purpose: Protect life, property and the environment—for example, QFD’s drone-assisted rapid mapping helped crews contain Cyclone Jasper flood impacts in Far North Queensland.
• Main Duties: Urban & rural firefighting, disaster relief, community education, building-safety inspections and haz-mat response.
• Key Projects / Strategic Priorities / Future Plans:
– Emergency Services Reform—$578 m over five years + 500 new FTEs
– Beyond the Smoke 2030—tech-enabled, climate-ready roadmap
– “ALL IN. ALL FRONTS.” recruitment drive
THE EMPLOYEES & REVENUE
• Total Number of Employees: 5,598 (headcount) / 3,846.84 FTE
• Total Number of Employees by Stream: 88.49 % frontline & support; 11.51 % corporate
• Salary Bands:
• Recruit Firefighter — $2,774.05 per fortnight (≈ $72 k p.a.)
• Firefighter — $3,742.61 per fortnight (≈ $97 k p.a.)
• Rural Fire Service Officer L1 — $4,317 per fortnight (≈ $113 k p.a.)
• Inspector — $6,160.38 per fortnight (≈ $161 k p.a.)
• Chief Superintendent — $7,079.55 per fortnight (≈ $185 k p.a.)
• Average Salary (all-in): ~ $163 k per FTE (employee expense ÷ FTE)
• Total Revenue: $1.028 billion (2023-24)
• Average Revenue per Employee: ~ $184 k (revenue ÷ headcount)
GETTING A JOB AT QFD 🔍
Which Academic Subjects Are Valued?
• Certificate / Diploma Level: Public Safety, Automotive Tech, Business Admin, IT Networking, Indigenous Land Management
• Bachelor / Master Level: Fire Engineering, Environmental Science, Data Analytics, HR Management, Cyber Security
• PhDs: Climate Modelling, Bushfire Behaviour, Resilient Infrastructure Design
Which Trades & Professions Are Sought After?
Boilermakers • Plumbers • ICT Support Technicians • Finance Officers • Exercise Physiologists
Which Work Experiences Shine?
Incident command, defence logistics, major-event crowd safety, large-fleet maintenance, community teaching
Which Skills Make You Stand Out?
• Soft skills: Teamwork • Clear communication • Situational awareness • Resilience • Empathy
• Technical skills: CAD review • UAV piloting • GIS spatial analysis • Hydraulic calculations • SCADA systems
• General skills: Report writing • Budget monitoring • Media liaison • Procurement • Mentoring
Hobbies & Interests That Align
Trail-running • Drone racing • Surf-lifesaving volunteering • Woodworking • Coding side-projects
WANT MORE INFORMATION? 📞
Queensland Fire Department – Corporate HQ
125 Kedron Park Rd, Kedron QLD 4031
Phone: 13 QGOV (13 74 68)
Email: recruitment@fire.qld.gov.au
Website: https://www.fire.qld.gov.au
Current Vacancies: https://smartjobs.qld.gov.au
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