A former British fire chief who called for cuts to ACT firefighting management has been appointed by the ACT government to head its major overhaul of emergency services.
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Former Buckinghamshire fire chief Mark Jones was named as the head of the Emergency Services Agency's structural reform agenda, a major program aiming to, among other things, reduce duplication and drive efficiency in the ambulance, fire, and state emergency services.
Mr Jones has previously been contracted to review ACT Fire and Rescue and handed his confidential report to government earlier this year.
The review, obtained by Fairfax Media, found there was considerable scope to cut from senior fire management.
It also found the management structure was designed to deal with the most testing disasters, something he described as "extravagant".
ESA Commissioner Dominic Lane announced Mr Jones' appointment on Wednesday.
"Mark will be in a position as a career firefighter himself to bring forward a whole host of knowledge about how we can help implement those reforms," Mr Lane said.
"One of the key roles that we see Mark will be able to perform for us is being able to consult extensively with the union."
But a brief statement from the United Firefighters Union suggested it was taken aback by the decision.
Acting secretary Greg McConville said:
"We are surprised and concerned about the announcement."
In his previous role in Buckinghamshire, Mr Jones oversaw job cuts and significant changes to the fire service, creating a volatile relationship with the local fire union.
"What we do know is very clear from the work that Mr Jones has done over there, is that he's been able to undertake certain cuts without cutting delivery of service, and I think that's the key thing the community would expect," Mr Lane said.
The commissioner also announced that long-serving ambulance chief David Foot is moving to a new role as director of risk and planning.
His deputy Peter Le Lievre will fill the role, while the ESA begins a recruitment drive to secure a permanent replacement.
Mr Foot said he was not pushed to leave, and that he saw new opportunities and challenges in his new role.
He said it was a difficult decision to leave the service in which he had served for so long, and used his last public appearance in the role to praise the work of his staff.
"The ACT Ambulance Service is a service of which the ACT community can be incredibly proud," he said.
"They are the best performing service in Australia from a response time point of view. The men and women of the service do an incredible job out there every day."
Shadow Emergency Services Minister Brendan Smyth questioned the appointment of Mr Jones, and criticised the government's reforms as simply adding an extra layer of bureaucracy to the agency.
"What is the minister and the commissioner trying to achieve here?" Mr Smyth said.
"The government is not reforming, that's the problem. A new layer bureaucracy is not reform."
Mr Jones is expected to start in the new year.
