Qld Fire communications staff ‘urgently needed’ across the state

From co-ordinating crews for fires and floods to car crashes and rescues, the Queensland Fire Department has put the call out for a fresh batch of fire communications officers. How you can join.

QFD fire communications supervisor Karen Davies and fire communications manager Jesse Luaao. Picture: Catherine Duffy

From co-ordinating crews for fires and floods to car crashes and rescues, the Queensland Fire Department has put the callout for a fresh batch of fire communications officers.

Cairns-based fire communications supervisor Karen Davies said the department was looking for a fresh batch of regionally basedrecruits.

“We take all triple zeros for the fire department, which means we look after an area from Torres Strait all the way down toCardwell, inland, so we’re the first point of contact for emergencies in the fire department,” Ms Davies said.

She said the role entailed taking emergency calls for QFD, and co-ordinating crews to various emergencies.

Ideal candidates would be calm under pressure, able to multi-task, think creatively and talk and type at the same time.

“You have to maintain a good awareness of everything that’s going on, because you’ve got to be listening to the phones, listeningto radio, listening to what your shift partner’s doing and … you’ve got to think ahead,” she said.

The statewide recruitment drive will close on Sunday, July 26, however Ms Davies said applications were open all year, withsuccessful applicants undergoing a 16-week “intensive” metropolitan and regional training process.

“They’re just doing a really hardcore push because we are short (on officers) across the state, regionally,” she said.

“But it’s a great job … the people I work with are my friends, and you develop camaraderie with the on-road crews and otheragencies as well.”

Applications are open via the Queensland Fire Department website.

Originally published as Qld Fire communications staff ‘urgently needed’ across the state