Victorian fire chiefs suspected emails were hacked

As Metropolitan Fire Brigade chiefs planned sweeping changes to Melbourne’s fire services, they became concerned their emails were being intercepted to access confidential documents

Metropolitan Fire Brigade chief Dan Stephens. Picture: AAP

Melbourne’s Metropolitan Fire Brigade chiefs suspected the emergency service’s email system was hacked as part of a covert ­intelligence gathering operation.

MFB managers suspected the email system was compromised to access documents linked to a planned overhaul of the service that was likely to lead to the relocation of fire stations, The Weekend Australian has been told.

MFB concerns about the ­security of the email system peaked early in 2019 when a Power­Point presentation detailing the proposed use of fire ­incident response simulation software was leaked to the government prior to its presentation by fire chiefs.

The software maps incident types, response standards and targets for each incident type, appliances that go to each incident, location of fire stations, the number and type of appliances at each fire station, travel times and rostering patterns.

The PowerPoint presentation, dated March 6, 2019, detailed the services a UK-based software firm, Process Evolution, would provide to help implement a sweeping overhaul mapped out in a risk management report commissioned by then chief officer Dan Stephens.

In a high-level meeting with the Andrews government, MFB chiefs were surprised when it ­became clear the government had already seen a leaked a copy of the confidential Process Evolution report.

“How did (the government) get it because it hadn’t been sent to them?” one source said.

“They (MFB management) all believed that their emails were being intercepted.”

Anti-corruption investigators from the state’s integrity watchdog IBAC have been probing dealings between the Andrews government and the United Firefighters Union since 2018.

Sources said IBAC had been told about the MFB’s concerns ­relating to email hacking. In the past week, the agency has ­declined to comment on the progress of the investigation, which is codenamed Operation Richmond.

The Australian revealed this week that in 2019 then emer­gency services minister Lisa ­Neville intervened to block plans by Mr Stephens to boost services to booming population centres by relocating fire stations.

The relocation strategy was raised in the MFB’s Integrated Risk Management Plan 2018-19, which Process Evolution was going to help implement. But the entire overhaul was shelved by Ms Neville.

Ms Neville’s office this week said the Stephens reforms were stopped in 2019 because of the looming merger of the MFB and CFA paid firefighters into Fire Services Victoria in 2020.

The FRV said in the past 14 months it had “relocated and built new” fires stations, but it failed to identify which stations had been shifted. It did confirm that a ­review of fire stations was under way.

“As Victoria has grown and evolved, so too have the demands on our fire services,” a spokesman said. “Since July 1, 2020, FRV has provided additional resources, staff and facilities in growth areas such as Derrimut, Brooklyn, Clyde North, Box Hill, Shepparton, Wodonga and Bendigo that demonstrates our commitment to providing the best possible service to Victorians.

“Station locations and resource allocation are periodically reviewed to identify potential gaps in service delivery.”