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| Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (Tasmania) | |
|---|---|
| Agency name | Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (Tasmania) |
| Formed | 2014 |
| Jurisdiction | Tasmania |
| Headquarters | Hobart |
| Minister | Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management |
| Chief1 | Secretary |
| Parent department | Government of Tasmania |
Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (Tasmania) The Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management (Tasmania) is a Tasmanian executive agency responsible for public safety, emergency response and law enforcement coordination across Tasmania, Australia. It administers Tasmania Police, Tasmania Fire Service and State Emergency Service functions while interacting with the Tasmanian Parliament, Hobart institutions and national bodies such as the Australian Federal Police and Emergency Management Australia. The department interfaces with the Premier of Tasmania, the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management and statutory authorities in delivering operational capability, policy and community resilience.
The department was formed through administrative arrangements influenced by precedents such as the 19th-century establishment of the Hobart Town constabulary, reforms following inquiries like the Hope Royal Commission and structural changes echoing models in New South Wales, Victoria (Australia), and Western Australia. Its development reflects responses to events such as the Black Saturday bushfires, the 2013 Tasmanian bushfires impacts on communities including Dunalley, and national reviews by bodies including Australian Institute of Criminology and Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council. Over time it absorbed functions from legacy entities associated with the Tasmanian Legislative Council debates and machinery influenced by the Commonwealth of Australia emergency frameworks.
The department is led by a Secretary reporting to the Premier of Tasmania and the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, with executive management aligned to divisions mirroring counterparts in Australian Capital Territory and Northern Territory agencies. Key directorates include strategic policy, operational delivery, corporate services and intelligence collaboration with agencies such as the Australian Federal Police, Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission, and liaison units connected to the Attorney-General of Australia. Regional commands coordinate with municipal bodies across locations like Launceston, Devonport, Burnie and the island communities of Bruny Island and Flinders Island.
The department provides policing oversight through Tasmania Police, fire suppression and prevention via Tasmania Fire Service, and disaster coordination through State Emergency Service arrangements akin to protocols used by Emergency Management Australia and the National Emergency Management Agency (New Zealand). It delivers regulatory functions linked to legislation enacted by the Parliament of Tasmania, operational readiness for incidents comparable to responses in Cyclone Tracy aftermath planning, and inter-jurisdictional cooperation with entities like Australian Maritime Safety Authority for maritime search and rescue and Civil Aviation Safety Authority interfaces for aeromedical evacuations.
Primary agencies administered include Tasmania Police, Tasmania Fire Service and State Emergency Service, alongside specialist units such as Search and Rescue teams, Forensic Services comparable to Victoria Police Forensic Services, Counter-Terrorism Liaison, and Emergency Management Coordination Centres similar to those used by Queensland Police Service. Support units encompass Communications Centres reflecting standards of the Australian Communications and Media Authority, Volunteer Coordination analogous to Rural Fire Service (New South Wales), and training academies paralleling the Policing Academy of New South Wales.
Oversight mechanisms involve the Minister for Police, Fire and Emergency Management, accountability to the Tasmanian Parliament and scrutiny from bodies including the Tasmanian Audit Office, ombudsman processes like those in the Commonwealth Ombudsman model, and periodic reviews by commissions similar to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Policy and operational doctrine are benchmarked against standards from the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience and cooperative agreements with the Australian Government.
Funding is allocated through Tasmanian budget processes endorsed by the Treasury of Tasmania and appropriations debated in the Tasmanian House of Assembly, supplemented by federal grants under programs administered by Emergency Management Australia and capital support influenced by national initiatives such as the National Partnership Agreement frameworks. Resources include fleet assets, aviation support comparable to capabilities used by Royal Australian Air Force taskings, and equipment procurement aligned with national procurement guidelines overseen by the Department of Finance (Australia).
The department has coordinated responses to significant events including statewide bushfire seasons reminiscent of Black Saturday, coastal search and rescue operations near Freycinet Peninsula, storm recovery efforts after severe weather impacting Hobart and multi-agency responses comparable to national operations during the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season. It has also participated in multi-jurisdictional law enforcement actions with agencies such as the Australian Federal Police andAustralian Border Force.
Community programs include volunteer recruitment and partnership initiatives with local councils like Glenorchy City Council and community groups such as surf lifesaving clubs affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia, public education campaigns modelled on national campaigns by Safe Work Australia, and training delivered at academies collaborating with tertiary institutions including the University of Tasmania and technical colleges that mirror training partnerships seen with the TAFE NSW system. The department supports youth, Indigenous and multicultural engagement through programs connected to organisations like Reconciliation Australia and local Aboriginal services.
Category:Emergency services in Tasmania Category:Government agencies of Tasmania