From humble informal beginnings, the Country Fire Authority (CFA) is one of the largest volunteer-based emergency services organisations in the world specialising in bushfire and incident management, and operating as Australia’s second largest urban fire service behind Fire Rescue New South Wales. CFA is a professional organisation, highly trained to nationally recognised training packages that facilitates interoperability, and is appropriately equipped. As members of the communities we protect, the capacity and capability of CFA goes beyond traditional fire service approaches – capitalising on local knowledge, empowering communities, and through engagement changing localised human behaviour.
CFA is committed to delivering exceptional service to the communities of Victoria. As we face increasingly complex and severe fire seasons, it is imperative that we continuously refine and enhance our operational and organisational frameworks. This document for the first time launches a critical initiative aimed at establishing clear and accepted services for delivery across CFA.
The CFA Service Catalogue initiative is designed to ensure that our service offering is not only well-defined but also aligned with contemporary benchmarks and best practices. By conducting a thorough analysis and assessment, we aim to ensure a robust, future-ready organisation. This catalogue will allow the development of a comprehensive framework for service delivery, encompassing expected outcomes and performance metrics that demonstrate transparent and accountable results for the community.
CFA has a genuine commitment to continuous improvement and operational excellence. Knowing the services we provide, and how we provide them, highlights the importance of a structured approach to service delivery, ensuring that all CFA services are underpinned by rigorous standards and supported by effective systems and processes. By embedding these standards across all tiers of service delivery, we aim to enhance our readiness and resilience, ultimately strengthening our capacity to protect and support the communities we serve.
We recognise that the success of this initiative is centred on the active engagement and collaboration of stakeholders, including our dedicated volunteers, staff, and community partners. Together, we will work towards a safer and more resilient Victoria, equipped to face the challenges of future fire seasons with confidence and capability.
This CFA Service Catalogue Summary is a living document, as part of the overarching Operating Model Review. It is anticipated that a need will exist to revisit this document as we progress through the Operating Model projects to ensure the final catalogue reflects who we are and what we do.
The value of a document such as this is its integration into key CFA processes such as strategy setting, business planning, budgeting, risk management, and financial reporting. By developing a basic understanding of each service, and by adopting a common language and nomenclature, we are now able to capture how each of CFA’s service categories informs and influences these processes, and the follow-on effect on the services themselves.
The CFA Service Catalogue is a key knowledge foundation to several upcoming CFA Operating Model initiatives, such as SD1.2 - Service Delivery Standards Definition and BG2 – Service Delivery Tiers Review.
We wish to thank all the individuals and teams that committed their time and knowledge to the Service Catalogue initiative, without whom creating this document would not have been possible.
Our final thanks go to our hard-working volunteers and staff who continue to demonstrate their dedication to our mission.
Jason Heffernan
CFA Chief Officer
A PDF version of the catalogue summary is available for download.