Delivering fire and emergency services in today’s complex operating environment presents significant challenges for agency leaders. Urban fire services no longer just respond to structure fires, and their resources must subsequently be managed as efficiently as possible to ensure that response times are minimised for the range of incidents that constitute their day-to-day business, i.e. firefighting, HazMat and rescue operations. When major emergencies occur, one of the most important tasks for a modern communications centre is to move-up or replace resources in order to ensure that the level of coverage (in terms of fire protection and other risks) is maintained across their jurisdiction with the available remaining resources.

Fire & Rescue NSW recently installed ORH’s Dynamic Cover Tool (the DCT) within both of its communications centres. This decision-support tool is linked to the service’s computer aided dispatch system, to provide officers a visual display of overall resource utilisation and underlying level of cover, as well as informing them of the most efficient move-ups based on risk profile. The DCT proved to be very beneficial during the major bushfire emergency that occurred across NSW in October 2013. This included the devastating fires that impacted the Blue Mountains where, on one day alone, 90 fire appliances were deployed from the greater Sydney area in Strike Teams to respond to major bushfires. During the bushfire emergency, Fire & Rescue NSW also responded to a 5th Alarm residential structure fire, a significant car park fire at Sydney Olympic Park in which 47 vehicles were destroyed, and a major petrol tanker fire. This paper will discuss how the DCT was used by Fire & Rescue NSW to provide a high level of confidence when undertaking operational decisions regarding resource deployment during this major emergency.