‘Never know what you’re going to get’: CQ firecom operators handle the heat

They are seldom seen, yet no two days in the life of a firecom operator is ever the same. Find out about their crucial work behind-the-scenes.

Rockhampton based Queensland Fire Department Firecom operators Ryan Stanton and Ashleigh Coleman are the point of call for those seeking the Fire Department’s assistance.

It’s a crucial and demanding job, but for Rockhampton-based firecom operators Ryan Stanton and Ashleigh Coleman clearly have no regrets about their career choice.

Often forgotten and unseen, firecom operators manage the Queensland Fire Department’s phones and are often the first point of contact for the public.

Mr Stanton and Ms Coleman work above the Rockhampton Fire Station, with Mr Stanton joining the department in January 2025 while Ms Coleman started her career last year.

“I just wanted to give back to the community and a day in this job is never really the same,” Mr Stanton said.

“You never know what you’re going to get.”

Rockhampton-based Queensland Fire Department firecom operator Ryan Stanton joined because he wanted to give back to the community and said no day was ever the same.

As firecom operators, both Mr Stanton and Ms Coleman are the first point of reference for those seeking emergency assistance, but their duties extend beyond that.

“We take triple-0 calls for our region, which expands from Rosedale to just north of Proserpine then out to Winton,” Ms Coleman said.

“Plus anyone who wants to light a permit fire, we take all those calls.

“And general line calls as well, just people asking for information.”

Other duties also comprise transcribing information from firefighters at incidents and dispatching fire trucks.

Mr Stanton said his favourite part of the job was being able to help people and being a calming presence.

Meanwhile, Ms Coleman said her favourite part of the job was writing up the information from call outs.

“It feels really rewarding getting it all right,” she said.

Rockhampton-based Queensland Fire Department firecom operator Ashleigh Coleman said that the flexible work arrangements which sees two day shifts, two night shifts and four days off really helped her maintain a work/life balance.

A typical day for the duo comprises getting a handover brief from the preceding shift, including any information about jobs that are ongoing, before taking calls, be they emergency or otherwise.

“Hopefully nothing comes through,” Ms Coleman said.

“We don’t want emergencies.”

Ms Coleman said one of the benefits of the job was the flexible work arrangements, which sees operators do two day shifts, two night shifts followed by four days off, which she said was appealing to her as a young mother.

Mr Stanton added that their work wasn’t solely desk-bound, and they could be deployed to incident control centres in other towns and even overseas.

Mr Stanton and Ms Coleman agreed that it is a rewarding career.

“I love coming to work every day,” Ms Coleman said.

Firecom operators Ashleigh Coleman and Ryan Stanton work above the Rockhampton Fire Station.

“If people are looking to join a service, or if you want to look for a career change into something emergency service, we have our applications open now,” Mr Stanton said.

“Give it a go.”

Both operators had to complete a 13-week training course, of which an initial six weeks was done at the Firefighter Recruit Training Academy in Brisbane, five weeks was done working under a training supervisor, before the final two weeks saw both return to Brisbane to complete their training.

Mr Stanton said the best part of the training was meeting fellow recruits and staff.

“Everyone has different learning styles and they adapt that into their teaching,” he said.

Originally published as ‘Never know what you’re going to get’: CQ firecom operators handle the heat