Mark Jones named new boss of SA Country Fire Service despite criticism of selection process
His appointment was criticised before it was even announced but the new Country Fire Service chief says he’s thrilled to be in South Australia.
A former British fire chief has been officially unveiled as the head of South Australia’s Country Fire Service days after volunteers criticised the selection process.
Emergency Services Minister Corey Wingard said appointing former Buckinghamshire Fire and Rescue Service chief officer Mark Jones was a “great coup” for the CFS, defending the selection process that appointed him.
“Having Mark at the helm is just a real win for our state,” Mr Wingard said.
“One of the things I was very focused on coming into this role was making sure we had strong leadership, and we’ve got that with Mark Jones at the head of the CFS and Dom Lane as the head of the SA Fire and Emergency Services Commission.”
Mr Wingard wrote to all CFS volunteers and staff to explain the appointment after The Advertiser revealed this week that the Country Fire Service Volunteer Association had written to all members accusing Mr Wingard of appointing someone who failed to meet the appropriate criteria.
In a letter to volunteers and staff, Mr Wingard said he was “disappointed in the decision of the CFVSA to use the public arena to air their apparent grievances with the selection process” and said the association had ignored his repeated requests to meet with him since June.
He stressed he did not have a “Piccolo 2.0 reform agenda”, referring to former Labor emergency services minister Tony Piccolo’s controversial plan to merge the state’s emergency services.
Mr Jones — who previously reformed the ACT’s Emergency Services Agency — said he was not in SA to reform the agency.
”I’m here to do the very best I can to continue to give them what they need to deliver for the people of South Australia,” he said.
Mr Jones said fire conditions varied all over the world but the basic firefighting principles and techniques were similar.
“I’m confident that the learning I’ve had over many years is applicable here and of course there’s a wealth of fantastic experts in our fire fighting community in South Australia already,” he said.
Former CFS chief Greg Nettleton left in April after his contract was not renewed, with Mr Wingard declaring he was taking the organisation in a “new direction”.