QFES commissioner Greg Leach on not attending Izabella “Izzy” Nash’s memorial

Senior government sources have confirmed they are “very disappointed” by the fire commissioner’s decision not to return from overseas for a memorial for a fallen firefighter.

Senior government sources have confirmed they are “very disappointed” the Queensland Fire and Emergency Services commissioner Commissioner did not return to Queensland from an overseas holiday to attend the memorial of fallen firefighter Izabella Nash.

But commissioner Greg Leach has defended his absence from the memorial service, saying he was spending time with family overseas after they had endured long periods of Covid-enforced separation.

Ms Nash died following a factory fire at Slacks Creek on May 2. Her colleague Lia Drew was also seriously injured.

QLD Fire and Rescue firefighter Izabella Nash

Ms Nash, known as ‘Izzy’, was farewelled at a state memorial service in Brisbane on Monday.

It was attended by fire commissioners from across the country, as well as Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk and Emergency Services Minister Mark Ryan.

Firefighters have expressed anger over Mr Leach’s non-attendance.

This morning, he released a statement to media saying he did not usually reveal details about his private life.

He said he considered returning for the service but decided to stay overseas with his partner and watch the livestream of the event.

“Only those close to me are aware I encountered very long periods of separation from my partner and children during the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mr Leach said.

“This significant period of separation from loved ones and the personal impact of being apart for so long is something I am sure many people would understand.

Queensland Fire Commissioner Greg Leach. Picture: Steve Pohlner

Mr Leach described the decision as one of “the hardest decision he has ever made”.

“I feel the genuine sorrow and gravity of the loss of Izzy as much as anyone in our organisation,” he said.

“Given the circumstances, the decision to stay with my family is one of the hardest decisions I’ve ever made but it reflects the message I always give to my staff, that your family is the most important thing you have and you must prioritise them.

“The long period separated from my loved ones in recent years has reinforced that for me personally.”

Mr Leach said when he returned to work he would reach out to Ms Nash’s family and Ms Drew.

Police Minister Mark Ryan on has defended Mr Leach, saying he had been “working very hard”. “He’s provided an explanation (and) I’ll speak more with him when he returns,” Mr Ryan said.

The Brisbane memorial service for Izabella Nash.

However, a senior firefighter said while Mr Leach was right that family must come first, the organisation he led was also a “big family, a brotherhood and sisterhood” and they had expected him to be there at such an important occasion.

“Some will understand his decision but most will be very disappointed by it,” he said.

“He could have come back for a day or two and the department would have paid for it.”

The Commissioner is paid a salary of $525,000 a year according to the 2021-22 QFES report.

This includes $462,000 in monetary expenses, $10,000 in long term employee expenses and $53,000 in post-employment expenses.

Deaths in the line of duty in the fire service are rare, with the last being in 2001 when firefighter Jeffrey Penfold was killed. Prior to that, Noel Watson and Herbie Fennell were killed in a blaze in 1994.