Commissioned Fire Officer

A Commissioned Fire Officer leads fire and rescue operations across a fire service, managing personnel, resources, and incident response within a defined geographic area or functional command. They develop operational strategies, ensure compliance with fire safety legislation and Safe Work Australia standards, and oversee training and welfare of firefighting personnel. The role combines incident command authority with administrative responsibility for station budgets, equipment maintenance, and community fire safety initiatives.

Command and coordinate multi-crew fire suppression operations at incident scenes, applying incident control systems and making real-time tactical decisions. Deploy personnel and equipment (pumps, aerial appliances, breathing apparatus) according to hazard assessment and operational priorities. Conduct post-incident reviews and prepare incident reports documenting cause, damage, casualties, and resource deployment for state fire authority records. Manage station budget allocation, procure operational equipment and consumables, and ensure compliance with asset maintenance schedules. Develop and deliver induction and ongoing competency training programmes for firefighting personnel in line with fire service training standards. Enforce workplace health and safety obligations under the Work Health and Safety Act 2011, including hazard identification and incident investigation. Liaise with local government, building inspectors, and businesses to coordinate fire safety education campaigns and conduct premises risk assessments. Review and update operational procedures, incident response protocols, and station standing orders in line with legislative changes and fire service policy.

The standard entry pathway requires a bachelor degree or higher (ABS Skill Level 1). Specific qualification requirements vary by employer and state. Some employers may accept equivalent experience. Check yourcareer.gov.au for available courses and dewr.gov.au/skills-reform/free-tafe for subsidised training options.

You'll spend half your time on paperwork, compliance audits, and budget justifications instead of operational work. Career progression is capped by the size of your station and state fire authority structure: you won't earn significantly more than mid-level officers. The emotional load is real: you command people into danger and live with the outcomes of their injuries or deaths.

Regional towns have fewer positions and slower promotion tracks. State and territory fire services are the main employers. Remote work doesn't apply. Your location is tied to station postings, which limits flexibility.

Published for ANZSCO unit group 1391, the wider group this job sits in, not for this job on its own.

This is the median for full-time employees who are not managers and are paid at the adult rate, before tax and salary sacrifice. It is a guide to what the work pays, not a wage rate.

Source: ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.

• Conflict De-escalationcore
• Incident Reportingcore
• Policy and Procedure Adherencecore
• Problem Solvingcore
• Regulatory and Legislative Awarenesscore
• Report Writingcore
• Risk Identificationcore
• Stakeholder Communicationcore
• Team Collaborationcore
• Time Management and Prioritisationcore
• Verbal Communicationcore
• Workflow Prioritisationcore
• Written Communicationcore
• Active Listening
• Adaptability and Flexibility
• Continuous Learning and Upskilling
• Empathy and Emotional Intelligence
• Goal Setting and Planning
• Process Improvement Identification
• Record Management
• Research and Analysis
• Trauma-Informed Communication

• ABS OSCA 2024, occupation definition and task statements
• ABS Survey of Employee Earnings and Hours, May 2025, customised report.
• ABS, 2021 Census of Population and Housing based on usual place of residence (Custom Report). OSCA Experimental Estimates.

Role data is drawn from official Australian Government sources, and each figure names where it comes from. Where a role is not in the ABS classification, the page shows no government figures for it. Data may not reflect every local variation.

Where our numbers come from.

Last updated: 30 October 2026