s44 Incident Controller's Report

Scope

This Operational Guideline covers the requirement for an Incident Controller’s (IC) Report, following an incident declared under section 44 (s44) of the Rural Fires Act 1997.

Fundamental Protocols underpin the actions of all NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) members and must be adhered to at all times. They outline the Principles of being an RFS member and provide guidance on conduct to support the safety and wellbeing of members.

Guiding Principles

• For any s44 incident under their control, the IC is responsible for preparing and submitting an s44 IC report. The overview will be prepared using the s44 IC Report - General template and presented as part of the Bush Fire Management Committee (BFMC) debrief, conducted in line with the BFCC rules.
• Additionally, for s44 events subject to significant review, a formal report will be required. This will be completed using the s44 IC Report - Formal template. Circumstances when a formal report will be required include:
  • Any s44 event that may be subject to formal inquiry / review (e.g., involving a fatality).
  • s44 events that resulted in significant impact/s on community/s.
  • Complex and/or prolonged events.
  • Any event where the IC has a need to make additional observations other than those determined at the BFMC debrief.
  • Any event determined by the Director, State Operations that a formal report is required.
• All s44 IC reports must be provided within 60 days of revocation of the s44 declaration unless specific extension is granted by the Director, State Operations.
• s44 IC reports are important for incident review and analysis and contribute to the overall lessons management framework of the RFS. It is recommended that s44 IC Reports are subject to an internal AAR facilitated by Operational Improvement.

Special Considerations

• Where an IC believes there are matters of a confidential nature that need to be raised, this should be done under confidential cover direct to the Commissioner and should be separate to the s44 IC report.
• A s44 event may be the subject of various review proceedings. Detailed investigations requiring independent analysis are matters for the Commissioner or Coroner to determine.
• In most instances, the summary overview presented at the BFMC debrief will also form the basis of the s44 IC report and may form an appendix to the formal report.
• Following the BFMC debrief, any identified insights or observations should be included at the end of the presentation and
• The report allows for additional detail and analysis of the s44 event to be documented – far greater than the summary that is presented at a BFMC debrief.

Related Information

• RFS OPG - s44 Incident Controller Letter
• s44 Incident Controller Letter - Template
• s44 Incident Controller's Report – Formal Template
• s44 Incident Controller's Report – General Template
• BFMC Debrief - Summary Report Template
• BFCC Policy 1/2024 Management of Bushfire Operations