Fire and Rescue NSW Commissioner Jeremy Fewtrell spent 17 years in frontline crew, station officer and inspector roles. Photo: Jeremy Fewtrell.
Jeremy Fewtrell will oversee some 7000 full-time and on-call firefighters operating from a network of 335 fire stations as the new Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) Commissioner.
The immediate appointment of Commissioner Fewtrell follows a competitive recruitment process undertaken by the Department of Communities and Justice to select FRNSW’s next leader.
As well as responding to fire emergencies, FRNSW also provides rapid response to car accidents, hazardous materials emergencies, building collapses and terrorism consequence management.
“Every four minutes, a FRNSW truck is rolling out the door to an emergency,” Commissioner Fewtrell said.
“My intention and direction is to ensure those men and women are supported with the best training, equipment and systems from across our organisation to ensure we can deliver on our mission to protect the irreplaceable in the community, whenever and wherever we are needed.”
Commissioner Fewtrell joined FRNSW in 1997 as a firefighter, spending 17 years in frontline crew, station officer and inspector roles.
After working in metropolitan and regional units, he progressed to management roles in 2014 and most recently served as Deputy Commissioner of Field Operations.
He oversaw the FRNSW emergency response to major incidents, including the recent Surry Hills warehouse fire and Greta bus crash and played a key leadership role in major disasters such as the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires and the 2022 floods. Along with his extensive operational and leadership experience, Commissioner Fewtrell also holds a Master of Business Administration.
The new Commissioner said it was an honour, privilege and a dream come true to be selected to lead an organisation with a proud 140-year history of serving the community.
“My priority as Commissioner is to ensure FRNSW continues to deliver exceptional prevention and emergency response services to the NSW community,” he said.
NSW Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said he was pleased by Commissioner Fewtrell’s appointment.
“Jeremy is a highly accomplished emergency services leader who has dedicated his career to keeping the people of NSW safe with a quarter of a century of service at Fire and Rescue NSW,” he said.
“He has shown his leadership and management abilities time and again, both in high-pressure scenarios and in peacetime and has proven he is ready to take the helm of this critical first response agency. I look forward to working with the new Commissioner closely to deliver on the Minns government’s commitment to ensure this vital service is strong and sustainable into the future.”
