Shane Fitzsimmons won’t forget fire victims in new role

NSW RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says fire victims won’t be forgotten as he takes on a new role.

The 51-year-old Commissioner has served a 35 year career in the NSW Rural Fire service. Picture: Jonathan Ng

The incoming Resilience Commissioner for NSW, Shane Fitzsimmons, promises that people devastated by bushfires and drought will not be forgotten as he heads up a new disaster recovery agency in the state.

The current NSW RFS Commissioner will retire from the volunteer firefighting service and start his new role in early May and said people who were hit by drought have also been impacted by the worst fire season in the state’s history.

“And now they have got the separation and the isolation as a result of the COVID outbreak,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.

“How heartbreaking was it last week when the deputy premier issued the press release to request people stay away from rural and regional NSW,” he said.

“The last couple of months we have desperately wanted people out there to help rebuild, to help them spend money.”

Mr Fitzsimmons said he is “very keen” to continue supporting people affected by crises as the head of Resilience NSW.

Shane Fitzsimmons has released some historic photos from his album.

Shane Fitzsimmons in his younger years as a volunteer fire fighter.

“We’re really keen as a state in NSW to get our planning instruments and prevention instruments in place, and most importantly get that recovery underway straight away,” he said.

“I am very keen to play a role in that space and I’m optimistic that I can make a difference working with an extraordinary team of people to help those who have been so terribly affected by the disasters they have experienced.”

Mr Fitzsimmons will work closely with NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian, the Deputy Premier John Barilaro and the Emergency Services minister David Elliott.

He said Resilience NSW would be resourced by teams from the office of emergency management and disaster recovery office.

“It’s about a principal focus on recovery and building resilience in the community so we can better prepare for and bounce back from disasters and emergencies.”

Ms Berejiklian said the agency, formally announced on Monday, would be devoted to “world-leading disaster preparedness and recovery”.

“The NSW community has shown extraordinary resilience in the face of many disasters — bushfires, drought, flood and now the COVID-19 pandemic,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Through Resilience NSW, we will redouble our efforts to prevent, prepare and recover from crises which impact NSW.”

Mr Fitzsimmons joined the RFS in 1985 and held a number of senior roles until his appointment as commissioner in 2008.

Commenting on the appointment, the 51-year-old said it had been an honour to serve the ­people of NSW in his capacity as RFS commissioner. He will remain at the NSW RFS until May, when he is appointed commissioner of the new agency. “There was never a more important time to make sure that communities devastated by drought, bushfires and now COVID-19 are getting the help they need to rebuild and recover,” Mr Fitzsimmons said.