Division 1 The Service

8   NSW Rural Fire Service

(1)  There is established by this Act the NSW Rural Fire Service.

(2)  The Service comprises the following members:

(a)  the Commissioner and other staff of the Service,

(b)  (Repealed)

(c)  volunteer rural fire fighters.

(3)  In this Act:

volunteer rural fire fighters means:

(a)  officers and other members of rural fire brigades, and

(b)  any person other than a member of a rural fire brigade who, without remuneration or reward, voluntarily and without obligation engages in fighting (or in activities associated with fighting) a fire with the consent of or under the authority and supervision of an officer of a rural fire brigade.

9   Functions of Service

(1)  The NSW Rural Fire Service has the following functions:

(a)  to provide rural fire services for New South Wales,

(a1)  to issue public warnings about bush fires and bush fire threats in the State for the purpose of protecting life and property,

(b)  to assist other emergency services organisations at incidents and at emergencies under the control of those organisations,

Note. The State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 provides for the State Emergency Management Plan to identify combat agencies primarily responsible for responding to an emergency. The Service is identified as the agency primarily responsible for responding to an emergency due to fire occurring in rural fire districts.

(b1)  to provide advisory services (whether within or outside the State) relating to fire fighting and other matters with respect to which it has expertise,

(c)  to carry out such other functions as may be assigned to it by or under this or any other Act,

(d)  to do anything necessary for, or incidental to, the exercise of its functions.

(2)  The functions of the Service are to be exercised in accordance with the State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 and, in particular, with the requirements under the State Emergency Management Plan or any state of emergency under that Act.

(3)  The Service is to have regard to the principles of ecologically sustainable development described in section 6 (2) of the Protection of the Environment Administration Act 1991 in carrying out any function that affects the environment.

(4)  In this section:

rural fire services includes the following:

(a)  services for the prevention, mitigation and suppression of fires in rural fire districts,

(b)  the protection of persons from dangers to their safety and health, and property from destruction or damage, arising from fires in rural fire districts,

(c)  the provision of services referred to in paragraphs (a) and (b) throughout the State in accordance with Part 3,

(d)  any other service prescribed by the regulations.

Note. Other provisions of this Act also affect the exercise of Service functions. See, for example, sections 38 and 133 (2).