Shane Fitzsimmons

Fitzsimmons joined the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) as a volunteer member of Duffys Forest Brigade in 1985. After qualifying as a motor mechanic he became a salaried officer in the NSW RFS in 1994, taking on the role of Regional Planning Officer for the Central East Region. He became State Operations Officer in 1996 and two years later was named Assistant Commissioner, Operations. This role later became expanded and restyled as Assistant Commissioner, Regional Management and Strategic Development. He was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal in 2001.[1]

In 2004, Fitzsimmons became the inaugural visiting fellow of the Australasian Fire Authorities Council to the Australian Institute of Police Management. He held this role for 12 months.

After serving as Executive Director Operations and Regional Management, Fitzsimmons was appointed Acting Commissioner in mid-2007 following previous Commissioner Phil Koperberg's resignation to take up a role in NSW Parliament. Fitzsimmons was officially endorsed as NSW Rural Fire Service Commissioner on 18 September.

Fitzsimmons received widespread and varied comments for his leadership during the 2019–20 Australian bushfire season after he commented that NSW Rural Fire Service volunteers wouldn't want to be paid.[2] He has been praised for his high level of empathy, solemnity and calmness in an extremely difficult time. [3]

In April 2020, Fitzsimmons accepted an appointment to be the Head of Resilience NSW, a new government agency focused on disaster preparedness and recovery approach.[4] He started his new position on 1 May 2020.[5]

He was named the NSW Australian of the Year in 2020 and is a contender for the Australian of the Year in 2021.[6]