The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) was established on 1 November 2012 and performs a critical role coordinating emergency services for a range of natural disasters and emergency incidents threatening life and property. It comprises more than 1600 operational personnel and corporate staff members. It also has an extensive network of more than 27,000 volunteers engaged in the delivery of services to the community. DFES works in collaboration with Western Australian communities and other government agencies to help prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from diverse hazards including fires, cyclones and floods, to name a few. DFES personnel and volunteers also work closely with other agencies such as Western Australia Police and St John Ambulance, helping to coordinate and carry out search and rescue missions on land and at sea, and assist at road and traffic emergencies. Additionally, DFES provides advice on emergency management issues to various local, state and national stakeholders. Across DFES there is a wide range of experience and skills and our people play an important part in making Western Australia a safer place to live. Together with our emergency management partners, we are responsible for delivering emergency management services for the largest jurisdiction in Australia, with a population of more than 2.5 million. We operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, on land, in the air and by sea across the vast 2.5 million square kilometres of our great state.