Queensland Fire Department

Status: Permanent Full-time

Classification: FSINS

Salary: $160,716.24 - $163,127.10 per annum

Division: Rural Fire Service QLD

Region/Directorate: NORTHERN REG

Work Unit: Bushfire Mitigation Operations

Location: Townsville and Mareeba

Closing Date: Midnight, 8th September 2025

Reference No: QLD_QFD_20998_25

Current Queensland Fire Department employees and volunteers must apply via their internal careers site

Purpose of specific work area and position

Rural Fire Service Queensland (RFSQ) Districts are focussed on supporting a range of operational and organisational functions in the management of rural fires, enabling field-based staff and volunteers to concentrate on immediate task execution and response. Each District encompasses operational and non-operational staff, RFSQ volunteers and rural fire brigades who provide fire management, mitigation, and response services for rural and semi-rural communities, including some urban fringe areas across the state.

Reporting to the Assistant Chief Officer [District], you will be responsible for District coordination of mitigation strategies and education programs for Brigades, in alignment with statewide bushfire mitigation frameworks. You will be responsible for managing the Fire Warden network and the implementation and operationalisation of the Permit to Light System across the District, and will contribute to the planning, implementation, and evaluation of district-wide and department-wide, programs and initiatives. The role has strong linkages with the Bushfire Mitigation unit, and works closely with Area, District and Regional stakeholders to build robust bushfire mitigation networks in the community.

Mandatory requirements

Must meet the mandatory requirements and attributes as outlined in the generic RFSQ Inspector role description.

Highly desirable requirements

Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders from rural and remote communities.

Primary duties

This RFSQ Role Specification Statement appends to the generic RFSQ Inspector role description (key accountabilities and capabilities), and provides clarity on the duties of this role, and will see you lead by example and model QFD values and behaviours in the delivery of the responsibilities of the role, which includes:

Lead the planning and execution of bushfire mitigation strategies and activities across the district, including risk assessments, prioritisation, options assessment, and evaluation of residual risk.

Lead, manage and mentor Bushfire Mitigation Officers and Bushfire Mitigation Officers First Nations to ensure brigades and partners are supported in the delivery of bushfire mitigation activities to enhance bushfire preparedness, education, and engagement.

Undertake the duties of the Chief Fire Warden role in the absence of Chief Fire Warden in the Area, and mentor and support Area Managers and Brigades with bushfire operations support as required.

Manage the Fire Warden network across the District, including overseeing appointments, induction, training, and dispute resolution, to ensure Fire Wardens are appropriately supported and equipped to undertake the role.

Manage the Permit to Light Fire system in the District and actively work with the Bushfire Mitigation Unit to identify, implement, and evaluate strategies to enhance its functionality in a coordinated way.

Support bushfire risk data management through identification of trends, patterns of non-compliance, suspicious fire activities and issues in the district, and serve as the District liaison to support partners and stakeholders to access bushfire-related intelligence.

Manage bushfire mitigation and prevention regulatory tools with the district, including fire bans, and assist the Manager Bushfire Regulatory Compliance with conducting fire investigations and issuing enforcement notices for unplanned burns

Support the Assistant Chief Officer in the coordination of the District Bushfire Committee; oversee the coordination of Locality Specific and Area Fire Management Group meetings and facilitate and/or participate in forums, networks and working groups to support a collaborative approach to bushfire and emergency management.

Additional information

Applicants most suitable for the role will hold the rank of substantive Inspector, RFSQ however Rural Officer Two (RFSO2) with the appropriate skills and knowledge are encouraged to apply.

Volunteers and external parties with appropriate skills are highly encouraged to apply, noting that they may be asked to provide additional information to satisfy internal policies.

Have a proven commitment to maintaining bushfire competencies and operating in a regional team environment.

Incumbents may be required to travel and work within their area of responsibility and may also be required to undertake intrastate and/or interstate deployment and travel.

This is a day work position yet may require flexible hours of work to meet functional demands, including working at night on weekends as part of the role.

Incumbents appointed to this position will participate in a personal professional development programme developed in conjunction with their supervisor.

Incumbents must have proven commitment to maintaining competencies and operating in a team environment.

Those appointed to a role within the QDMA (Queensland Disaster Management Arrangements) framework will undertake appropriate regularly training, to maintain your role within RFSQ as a member of any QDMA appointed position.

This Role Specification Statement is linked to the generic role description, that provides the ‘key accountabilities’ and ‘capabilities’ to be addressed by the applicant. Applicants are strongly encouraged to review this role specification statement with the role description and consider the requirements when preparing their application.

​​​​​​​Note: Where there is a conflict between the Role Description and the Role Specification Statement, the Role Description will prevail.

More information on how to apply is provided in the relevant QFD Application Guide.

To find out more about the behaviours and competencies required for this role, visit Leadership competencies for Queensland | For government | Queensland Government

Want more information?

Please contact Clint Tunnie, Assistant Chief Officer on phone 0409 615 747 or email [email protected].

You can also visit our website to find out more information about joining our team.

You can also refer to the PS Senior Officers - Employment Conditions for additional information.

How to apply

Please refer to the QFD Operational Officer (Statewide) Application Guide for information on how to apply for this role.

Please refer to the Inspector (FSINS) Rural Fire Service Queensland generic role description.

The RFS-Inspector-Statement-of-Suitability.docx MUST be used in this process and uploaded with your application in Nexus.