LEADERSHIP
VIEW FROM THE TOP:
PHOTO: AFAC
LEADING UNDER PRESSURE The commissioners and chief officers from jurisdictions most affected during the 2019–20 bushfire season shared their insights on leadership and pressure in the 2020 Knowledge Event Series. BY
ALANA BEITZ
AFAC
O
ne of the key functions of AFAC is to collaborate and share knowledge. This is the aim of the Knowledge Event Series, held annually across nine locations in Australia and New Zealand, supported by the Motorola Solutions Foundation. The theme for the 2020 Knowledge Event Series was: ‘Leading under
pressure: how our leaders manage themselves and their agencies during intense and sustained operational periods’. Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the event was held virtually and focused on the experiences of Australian fire agency commissioners and chief officers. AFAC CEO Stuart Ellis remarked that it was a fitting adjustment following the scale and intensity of the Black Summer bushfires in 2019–20.
“Historically we have invited overseas speakers to talk about events and developments across the globe. Of course, that has not been possible in 2020, and so we have looked inward, we have looked to our own chiefs and commissioners, and I’m so glad we have, because we have received insights from four chiefs and commissioners who were heavily impacted by the season just past.” Four chief officers and
Above: The NSW Rural Fire Service State Control Centre during the 2019–20 bushfire response.
ISSUE ONE 2021 FIRE AUSTRALIA
41
