Supporting over 75,000 calls for help last year, the Queensland Fire Department (QFD) formally Queensland Fire and Emergency Services, protects the community when disaster strikes.
Unlike other departments, QFD is comprised of approximately 28,000 Rural Fire Service Queensland volunteers and approximately 2,200 permanent firefighters, more than 2,000 auxiliary firefighters and is supported by non-operational administrative support staff.
Proudly upholding the values of respect, integrity, courage, loyalty and trust, the department has embarked on longstanding leadership programs focused on a variety of in-demand skills and varying experiences across the organisation. Within this, the empowerment, development and retention of women is a focus given their limited representation in senior leadership positions.
Jarna Vilayrack
People and Culture Directorate Queensland Fire Department
QFD recognised the importance of creating a psychologically safe space for women to come together to connect, collaborate and grow. In response, the department chose Hellomonday as its preferred provider for the Connecting Women Program leveraging the Queensland Education Department SOA PQP QED1065. Importantly, the program aligns with the State Government’s Women’s Strategy (2022-27).
With recent departmental reform and large scale change, the importance of external support to help staff navigate this time of uncertainty was significant.
The outcomes of the program to date speak volumes to the adaptability and resilience of women across Queensland’s emergency response agencies with 100% indicating that they feel more effective in their roles. And a further, 97% have stronger relationships with their team and stakeholders.
With an extended workforce spread over vast distances across multiple government agencies, the department identified a rare opportunity to bring together women from emerging leaders to team leaders across QLD Fire and Rescue, State Emergency Services, Rural FireService volunteers and support staff to develop their core capabilities.
Within an industry that is typically rank based with a large gender skew, this program offered a unique opportunity of unity and connection. And within weeks, the program was inundated with expressions of interest with over 80 applications received.
"Building long standing connections centred on lived experiences is the cornerstone of this program, especially when there are limited opportunities to come together across agencies," Jarna Vilayrack said.
On the frontline of emergency response, individuals face pressure and challenges in their respective roles. With the support of an expert coach, we wanted our women to come together to openly share these experiences and empower each other forward,” she continued.
“Developing a strong pipeline of women leaders is a top priority. To do this, we needed to create targeted and supportive opportunities for women to develop their core capabilities to step into new positions,” Vilayrack said.
Four cohorts of women across multiple agencies undertook the program, including but not limited to: rural fire fighters, auxiliary Lieutenants, policy officers, frontline support services volunteers and bushfire safety officers.
The bespoke program launched with an in-person workshop encompassing keynote speeches, important networking opportunities and a program introduction. At the core of the Connecting Women Program was the focus to develop core capabilities across these four modules: self-awareness for growth; communication, presence and influence; giving effective feedback and effective development discussions.
Everyone received an expert coaching session at the start and end of their program to determine their development goals, understand key insights, track progress and identify next steps. Within each development module was a workshop and learning circle facilitated by an expert coach.
Learning circles offered a unique opportunity for the women to come together to reflect on frameworks discussed, share their personal experiences and connect with each other on a deeper level, all while contextualising the learning within their day to day roles.
“Sitting there listening to other women share similar experiences and show vulnerability was exhilarating. I realised, I am not alone in this,”said Regional Community Engagement and Recruitment Officer, SES.
The success of the program hasn’t gone unnoticed. Jarna was recognised as an Outstanding Female Leader (Corporate Support) due to her involvement developing the program. She received the award from Commissioner Steve Smith.
Since the beginning of the program in February 2024, over 105 development areas have been achieved ranging from building productive teams, communicating with impact, setting clear expectations and more. Many are seeing the impact of the program on their careers already.
“Women often prioritise others' needs over their own. With intense workloads and commitments, we knew guardrails were essential. Each woman nominated an accountability partner to support their development,” said Shehana Sicinski, Lead Coach at Hellomonday.
Prior to the program, one of the participants was an Acting Business Development Officer at the Rural Fire Service. With her coach's support, she built confidence and stepped out of her comfort zone, leading to a promotion within the State Emergency Services.
“Without Hellomonday, I wouldn’t have had the confidence to apply for this new role. The program has transformed my career. Beyond my title, now I speak up in meetings, share my insights and put forward my opinions. I have the skills, expertise, and know-how to do my role. With confidence, I can say I believe in myself,” she continued.
A Business Support Officer at the Rural Fire Service said; “I feel that this program has given my work meaning and purpose, helping me discover this professionally.”
Participant
As with all government departments, the selection of external providers requires rigour and deliberation to ensure alignment on values, implementation, outcomes and success. In turn, the procurement process can require an extended timeline.
As a pre-qualified coaching and professional development training provider for staff, under the QueenslandEducation Standing Offer Arrangement (SOA PQP QED10659), Hudson and by extension Hellomonday, was able to complete a competitive RFQ process and provide a tailor-made program addressing QFD’s needs.
Within the implementation of the program, many of the women were located in remote and rural Queensland, requiring the coaching sessions, learning circles and workshops to be virtual. Moreover, the individuals could be flexible scheduling their sessions around the demands of their roles, especially during disaster response.
As the newly formed department looks towards the heightened response required by the bushfire season and years ahead, leadership development is at the forefront of its people strategy. The importance of providing women across agencies with the opportunity to connect, share experiences and progress their careers is critical to this.
And this speaks to the department’s broader DEI policy framework to ensure those historically under-represented groups can find their voice, step into leadership positions, and ultimately help keep the community safe.
