NFA partners with Queensland Fire Department to strengthen emergency skills

The National Fire Authority is improving its technical rescue operations by adopting international standards and working more closely with other Pacific Island emergency services.

The NFA says it has started a full training programme in Urban Search and Rescue Level 1 and Swift Water Rescue for its frontline officers and members of the Samoa Fire and Emergency Services Authority.

The Authority says this training is part of a five-year agreement between the NFA and the Queensland Fire Department, with support from the Fiji–Australia Vuvale Partnership.

The training programme aims to build skills in areas such as fire engineering, technical rescue, research, risk analysis, mentoring, and using modern firefighting equipment.

The NFA says the programme also shows growing teamwork in the Pacific region, and as part of a separate agreement signed last month with SFESA, two Samoan firefighters are taking part in the training.

NFA CEO Puamau Sowane, says the programme will help improve how the Authority responds to emergencies by using global best practices and strengthening its core systems.

He says this training is extremely important now as the Pacific is facing more extreme weather, like flash floods, cyclones, and earthquakes.

Sowane also mentions the 7.3 magnitude earthquake that hit Port Vila in Vanuatu, on 17th December 2024, is a clear reminder of how vulnerable the region is.

He says the event caused widespread damage, landslides, and major loss of infrastructure, including the collapse of buildings that housed diplomatic missions.

Sowane adds that it was a painful reminder of current limitations, noting that Fiji, like many Pacific neighbours, didn’t have the capacity to send a USAR team to help Vanuatu,.

He says this training is part of the NFA’s effort to ensure that such shortfalls do not occur in the future.

The NFA adds that once the programme is completed, all participants will receive USAR Level 1 certification under INSARAG standards.

INSARAG is a UN-affiliated global network set up in 1991 to coordinate international search and rescue teams and set global disaster response standards.

The Authority says the training will equip its officers with the skills for complex rescues and prepare them to become future instructors, spreading knowledge throughout the organisation.

Sowane also emphasises the evolving nature of Fiji’s urban landscape, highlighting vertical expansion in cities due to space constraints as a growing concern.

He says taller buildings are becoming more common due to limited space, and in the next 10 to 20 years, Fiji’s cities will look very different, so the NFA must be ready for the challenges this brings.

The CEO is urging participants to use this opportunity to develop life-saving skills, reminding them that they are learning not just for themselves, but for their communities and the wider Pacific region.

The training programme will be delivered in two parts - the first group of 18 officers started their training this week, while the second group will begin next week.

All participants in the current group are senior officers, chosen to help with knowledge transfer at their fire stations.