News

SitRep 2/2026

January 30, 2026

NEW FBEU JUNIOR VICE PRESIDENT

Following the resignation of Junior Vice President Gabrielle Lee, the State Committee of Management has acted to fill the resulting casual vacancy in accordance with Rule 24(1) and (2) of the Union’s Rules.

Station Officer Aidan Cook of 32 Station Mount Druitt has been appointed to the position of Junior Vice President.

The Committee congratulates Aidan on his appointment and looks forward to working closely with him as he undertakes this important role. We are confident he will serve the membership with commitment and integrity, and we encourage all members to offer him their full support as he commences his new responsibilities.

The Committee also extends its sincere thanks to Gabrielle Lee for her dedicated service as Junior Vice President and for her long-standing contribution to the Union. Gabbi’s work, particularly her efforts during the recent presumptive cancer campaign, has had a lasting impact on members across the state. We wish her all the very best in her future endeavours and thank her for everything she has given to the Union.

REMINDER – FBEU DELEGATES CONFERENCE 24 & 25 MARCH, SYDNEY

This is a reminder that the 2026 FBEU Delegates Conference will be held in Sydney from midday Tuesday 24 March to Wednesday 25 March.

The conference is an important forum for shaping the future direction of the FBEU and the priorities that will guide our work in the years ahead. Delegate participation is critical.

Members rostered during the conference will need to access trade union leave and are asked to confirm arrangements via the RSVP link.

Further details are available in SitRep 1/2026.

 

HEALTH SCREENING GOES LIVE NEXT WEEK

As announced in SitRep 37/2025, the new health screening process will begin next Monday 2 February.

Health screening will be conducted by your own Nominated Medical Practitioner and should represent the only process by which the Department assesses your fitness against the inherent requirements of your role. All results, information and discussions between you and your doctor that form part of the process, including the cancer screening, will be strictly confidential.

Health screening will be conducted on the fifth anniversary of your employment or five years after your last health check determination. Members can check their due date through ESS.

The FBEU was also in the Industrial Relations Commission today to enforce Award clauses providing that the health screening is the only process by which the Department can assess a firefighter’s fitness for duty.

The FBEU’s position remains that requests for medical information made outside of the ordinary health screening process must be done in a way consistent with the Award. Requests to provide private medical information, such as hospital discharge summaries, should therefore not be made as a condition to return to work.

If you have a concern regarding the health screening or a request for medical information, please contact the Union office for assistance.

 

CONSOLIDATED LEAVE CREDIT FOR WORK PERFORMED WHILE ON ANNUAL LEAVE

About six months ago, the FBEU became aware of Permanent officers deployed to major emergencies while on annual leave, but who were not credited Cons Leave in line with clause 24.6 of the Permanent Award as the FBEU believes should have occurred.

Following extensive discussions with the Department, we are seeking to identify any other Firefighters who have been deployed to a major emergency (recalled to an incident) while on annual leave. If you fit into this category, please email office@fbeu.net with the dates of your annual leave, the dates work was performed during the annual leave, and the nature of the work undertaken on those dates.

 

UNDERPAYMENT ALERT – BACKPAY SECURED – RETAINED BRAVO PUMPER USAGE

Back in 2021, Region West 2 Command used the Bravo Pumper from Bathurst to cover staffing shortages at Blayney, thinking they could pay single time rates. We put a quick stop to that, and overtime rates were backpaid for all uses of that Bravo Pumper, with Departmental senior management understanding that using a Bravo Pumper is not a cheat code to avoid paying overtime rates to staff.

Fast forward to June and July 2025, and Metro West 3 Command decided to try the same trick, sending Springwood’s Bravo Pumper to stations across MW3 to cover Retained staffing shortages on at least 7 occasions.

This time, however, the Department was unwilling to concede that overtime rates were payable and forced us into the IRC to fight for this underpayment to be rectified.

This week, the Department finally settled with the FBEU, agreeing to backpay all staff who were sent to cover a staffing shortage on Springwood’s Bravo appliance.

To close the matter off on our end, and ensure all staff have been paid properly, we are asking all Retained staff to contact the FBEU office via email, at office@fbeu.net, if their pumper has been sent to a standby to cover a staffing shortage, from 1 February 2020 until now. This excludes standbys which have been generated because the destination station is at an incident.

Around 30 members will be receiving backpaid funds thanks to the FBEU taking this matter to the IRC. Always check your payslips and contact the Union office if a payment doesn’t look right.

In Unity,

Leighton Drury
State Secretary

Click here to download a printable version of this SitRep.