NSW firefighters quit amid ‘a culture of bullying and harassment’

A scathing report alleges ‘culture of bullying and harassment’ within the Fire and Rescue NSW.

FRNSW firefighters extinguishing a house fire in Taree. Picture: Fire and Rescue NSW

An occupational firefighters health and safety report claims “a culture of bullying and harassment” together with Fire and Rescue NSW management failures contributing to staff suffering PTSD leaving the service.

The findings come after an investigation by The Australian revealed FRNSW had engaged in an expensive rebrand, despite soaring fire fatalities and falling firefighters numbers, with questions raised about the priorities of commissioner Paul Baxter.

The focus group report in April by the University of Newcastle’s Centre of Full Employment and Equity found that as well as traditional stressors of the job, firefighters identified the “growing sense of dislocation and distrust of FRNSW management” as a new major stress.

They “were characterised as careerists obsessed with achieving their own KPIs to advance their own fortunes while neglecting the needs and concerns of operational firefighters,” the report commissioned by the NSW Fire Brigade Employees Union said.

“This was a very strong resonance throughout the focus groups and indicates a major cultural problem exists within FRNSW.”

The report highlighted a prevalence of post-traumatic stress disorder among firefighters and a lack of FRNSW resources devoted to mental health support, with respondents saying it was contributing to increasing staff turnover, with the support provided considered a box-ticking exercise “to satisfying KPIs”.

One respondent said the atmosphere cultivated by senior management in FRNSW had seen them seek private counselling to deal with myriad personal and professional issues.

“They intimidate people, they threaten people. They act in a manner that is unfair. It affects you in the workplace. It affects your interaction with colleagues. It affects you at home. It affects you on your days off,” the respondent said.

“I think that’s one of the major things that’s creating a disconnect between … the people at the coalface, let’s say, and the people who sit up in the ivory tower in management,” another stated.

A perceived lack of training created a significant stress for firefighters, with a recurring theme in focus groups noting the increasing prevalence of medical incidence they felt “unqualified to deal with, rather than the traditional ambit of firefighting”.

As the first responders to deadly scenes, some respondents considered themselves lacking requisite training to deal with families coming to grips with the death of a loved one, with one respondent saying it was where “most of the damage psychologically would be done”.

FRNSW’s Plus Plan rebrand was also criticised by firefighters, who said the “spin” behind the “we are prepared for anything” narrative was incongruent with the lack of training and support “to ensure responsibilities imposed on the firefighters could be undertaken with minimal stress”.

A spokesman for Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said he was yet to receive this report, but “as a matter of principle, bullying and harassment is unacceptable in any workplace”.

A FRNSW spokesman said he was unable to comment as the ­organisation was not aware of the report.