Volunteering

Volunteers are a key part of the ACT Emergency Services Agency. They provide frontline response to emergencies such as bushfires, storms and floods.

Our volunteers also deliver community education to the ACT community on a range of hazards and how to prepare for them to reduce the impact on your family.

The volunteer positions include rural firefighters, state emergency service members, community education practitioners and community fire unit members.

ACT Fire & Rescue Community Fire Units are made up of residents in areas identified as at high risk to the threat of bushfire. CFU's are equipped and trained to provide basic protection of their homes during a bushfire in their local area. CFU team members also engage with their local community by providing education in relation to keeping safe from fires and other hazards.

ACT Fire & Rescue Fire Museum volunteers are retired firefighters, professionals in the preservation of historical items and interested community members who join the ACT Fire Brigade Historical Society. Volunteers provide community education at events, the Canberra Show, motor vehicle exhibitions etc, as well as opening the Fire Museum at 14 Empire Circuit Forrest most Saturdays throughout the year. The museum can also be made available on other days for interested groups.

ACT Rural Fire Service is made up of volunteers who are members of one of nine different Brigades located throughout urban/rural interface areas of the ACT. ACTRFS firefighters are trained and equipped to respond to bush and grass fires in the Territory and also provide support to other emergency services in various emergency situations.

ACT State Emergency Service is made up of volunteers who are members of one of seven units located across the ACT. ACTSES members are trained and equipped to respond to storms and floods. ACTSES also provide support to other emergency services in various emergency situations.

Risk and Planning is coordinated from within the Emergency Management, Risk and Spatial Services group (EMRSS), under the Spatial Services section at ESA, reporting to the ESA Commissioner as its chief.

The purpose of Risk and Planning is to maintain a surge capacity to emergency service organisations in mapping and GIS capabilities. The group consists of local ACT region industry spatial professionals who are then trained in emergency management procedures and systems. These volunteers take an all-hazards approach to preparing to assist across all emergency organisations. MAPS is also supported by the ESA to provide this function across all Jurisdictions in Australia offering the ability to provide supplementary support during, or in readiness to major, protracted or complex emergencies.