Victorian Consolidated Legislation

Emergency Management Act 1986 - SECT 16

Control of response to fires

16. Control of response to fires



(1) At the request of a co-ordinator referred to in section 13, or of their
own volition, the chief officers of the agencies responsible for the
suppression of fire may, by agreement, appoint an officer of one of the
agencies to have the overall control of response activities in relation to any
fire which is burning or in relation to any fire which may occur in any area
specified by the chief officers and, in the absence of such agreement, the
co-ordinator may direct a chief officer to appoint an officer to have the
overall control.

(2) At the scene of a fire, any officer appointed under subsection (1) may
exercise the powers and authorities conferred by the
Country Fire Authority Act 1958 on the Chief Officer of the Country Fire
Authority.

(3) The provisions of this section prevail over sections 33(2) and 93B(1) of
the Country Fire Authority Act 1958 and section 55A of the
Metropolitan Fire Brigades Act 1958.



(4) In this section, chief officers means-

   (a)  the Chief Fire Officer of the Department of Natural Resources and
        Environment, the Chief Officer of the Country Fire Authority and the
        Chief Fire Officer of the Metropolitan Fire Brigades Board-

and includes-

   (b)  any person nominated by a person referred to in paragraph (a) to
        exercise the powers of that person under this section; and

   (c)  any two of the persons referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b).