Fire Fighting Industry Award

Coverage is narrow and technical. Getting the industry question wrong can put the whole classification and payroll setup on the wrong footing.

• Start with the industry definition, not the employer's trading description.
• Separate true fire fighting industry work from excluded rescue work, excluded spill response and fixed or semi-fixed systems.
• If another award or an enterprise instrument covers the employee, this award may not apply.

This award does not use a one size fits all employment model. Public and private sector rules are different from the outset and should not be merged in one template.

• In the public sector, any classification may be full-time, but only Qualified Firefighter and above may be part-time.
• In the private sector, employees may only be engaged as full-time or part-time.
• Part-time patterns must be agreed in writing, with a minimum 3 consecutive hours on a shift, and excess hours are overtime.

Classification is not just a title choice under this award. Service, training and formal appointment all matter, so progression needs to be tracked carefully.

• Progression from Recruit through Firefighter Levels 1 to 3 is tied to service and successful completion of modules.
• Qualified Firefighter, Leading Firefighter, Station Officer and Senior Station Officer each have their own service and appointment requirements.
• Fire Service Communications Controller is a separate public sector classification.

Public sector rostering is highly structured. It should be built directly from the award rather than borrowed from a general shiftwork template.

• Public sector full-time employees on a 10/14 roster average 42 hours a week, with 2 hours paid as overtime and 2 hours taken as annual or accrued leave.
• For 10/14 rosters, the award sets limits of 14 hours in one day, 48 in one week, 96 in 14 days, 192 in 28 days and 336 in 56 days, with at least 48 hours notice of a rostered shift change.
• Public sector day work can run up to 10 ordinary hours per day between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm Monday to Sunday, or up to 12 by majority agreement.

Private sector operations need a separate roster and pay setup. Public sector rules are not a safe shortcut for private sector fire fighting work.

• Private sector ordinary hours average 38 per week over a cycle of up to 8 weeks.
• Private sector day work runs between 7.00 am and 6.00 pm Monday to Sunday, with up to 10 ordinary hours a day or up to 12 by majority agreement.
• Private sector shift rosters and emergency rosters have their own rules, and part-time overtime starts once the agreed hours are exceeded.

The award contains specialist payroll items beyond minimum rates. Small businesses should not finalise pay without checking whether a higher duties, allowance or recall rule was triggered.

• Check higher duties, availability, relieving, qualification, duty, meal, travel and vehicle entitlements against the employee's actual work.
• A Station Officer performing higher duties is treated differently from other employees, so higher duties rules should be read carefully before acting up arrangements are approved.
• An employee recalled to duty must be paid at least 4 hours at the applicable overtime rate.

PR799391, PR799546

The current consolidated award incorporates these recent variation determinations. Use the consolidated wording when checking any affected clause, schedule, rate or allowance.

Affected: 15 - Minimum rates - public sector, 16 - Minimum rates - private sector, 19 - Allowances - wage-related allowances, 20 - Allowances - expense-related allowances, Schedule A - Summary of Hourly Rates of Pay, Schedule B - Summary of Monetary Allowances