The Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) serves all Western Australia (WA) by working together to achieve a safer State.
DFES’ purpose is to support the WA community to prepare for disasters and protect them against the unpredictability of natural hazards and emergency incidents.
We operate 24 hours per day, seven days per week, on land, in the air and by sea across the vast 2.5 million square kilometres of our great state.


DFES employs over 1,800 operational personnel and corporate staff. DFES also has an extensive network of more than 26,000 volunteers who generously donate their time to deliver essential emergency services to the WA community.
DFES collaborates with local communities and other government agencies to prevent, prepare for, respond to, and recover from natural hazards.
Refer to the Strategic Plan 2026-2031 (PDF) and Strategic Plan 2026-2031: Plan on a Page (PDF) for more information.
DFES works closely with the WA Police Force and St John Ambulance Australia to assist with road emergencies and coordinate search and rescue missions, both on land and at sea. Our department also provides expert emergency management advice to local, state, and national stakeholders.
DFES has a multidisciplinary workforce spanning a broad range of sectors and skills. Our people play an essential role in making WA a safer place. Together with our partners, we deliver emergency management services to the largest jurisdiction in Australia. We work around the clock to protect the lives and property of 2.5 million Western Australians.

Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM has more than 30 years of fire and emergency services experience.
His service to the community began in 1990 with the South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service. Three years later he returned to his home State, joining the Western Australian Fire Brigades Board, where he built an illustrious career spanning frontline operations, management and executive leadership.
After progressing through senior leadership roles within the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), he was appointed Commissioner in 2017.
Since his appointment, Commissioner Klemm has led one of the largest and most complex emergency management organisations in the Southern Hemisphere. He is responsible for more than 29,000 staff and volunteers across Western Australia’s 2.5 million square kilometres.
Under his guidance, DFES has grown into a multi-faceted State Hazard Management Agency responsible for managing bushfires, structure fires, cyclones, storms, floods, tsunamis, earthquake and hazardous materials spills.
Alongside his operational management, Commissioner Klemm has played an active role in public sector leadership and reform as a member of the WA Premier’s Public Sector Leadership Council. In recognition of his work, he received the Institute of Public Administration Australia’s Leader of the Year Award in 2019.
As well as being AFAC President, Commissioner Klemm is a member of several State and National emergency management committees and holds a Graduate Certificate in Management from the Australian Institute of Management.
Deputy Commissioner Jon Broomhall AFSM brings more than 30 years of experience in emergency management, commencing as a career firefighter with the Western Australia Fire Brigades Board in 1994. Since then, DC Broomhall has progressed through a range of operational and leadership roles, building extensive expertise in emergency response, operational capability and strategic leadership through all ranks.
As Deputy Commissioner Operations, he oversees all operational functions across the Department, including firefighting, natural hazards, aviation and marine services, special operations, communications, and State-wide emergency coordination. He leads the delivery of frontline emergency services while driving strategic initiatives that enhance organisational resilience, strengthen capability and ensure the Department remains prepared to meet future challenges.
DC Broomhall also plays a significant role in shaping Western Australia’s emergency management policy and practice at both State and National levels through his participation in a range of strategic committees and advisory groups. He serves on the Australian and New Zealand Council for fire and emergency services (AFAC) Urban Operations Group and represents DFES on the National Aerial Firefighting Centre (NAFC) Strategic Committee, Australian Council of State Emergency Services and the AFAC Collaboration Group Strategic Committee.
DC Broomhall holds a Graduate Certificate in Executive Leadership and Management, and a B.A. and B.Ed. from Edith Cowan University. In recognition of his outstanding leadership, commitment to public safety, and significant contribution to the fire and emergency services sector, he was awarded the Australian Fire Service Medal in 2022.
Deputy Commissioner Melissa Pexton has 20 years’ experience in the emergency management sector at a national, state and local level. She was appointed Deputy Commissioner Strategy and Emergency Management in May 2022.
Ms Pexton has served as the Cyclone Seroja State Recovery Controller since April 2021 providing leadership to a whole-of-government recovery operation and was previously Director Risk, Capability and Analysis at DFES.
She was also the Deputy Chair of the State Emergency Management Committee (SEMC) and has held positions of Executive Officer and Chair of the SEMC Recovery and Community Engagement subcommittee.
Previous to her roles at DFES, Ms Pexton was the Manager Emergency Management for the Western Australian Local Government Association (WALGA), an independent, membership-based group representing and supporting the work and interests of Local Governments state-wide.
Ms Pexton held positions with Emergency Management Western Australia (EMWA) as Principal Policy and Planning Officer and Manager Community Emergency Management Services overseeing the WANDRRA, NDRP, AWARE and regional staff.
Ms Pexton commenced her career in emergency management at the Fire and Emergency Services Authority (FESA) working with communities, emergency service volunteers and staff, alongside local governments to build resilience and understanding of the impacts of natural hazards in the community.
Patrick Leach began as the Executive Director Corporate Services Command in September 2022. Patrick has extensive knowledge of complex corporate services and varied experience in leading change and improving capability across multiple domains. This experience includes previous roles leading human resources, ICT, security coordination and financial reforms.
Before beginning at DFES, Patrick led enterprise business innovation and digital strategy in his role as Director Business Innovation at the Department of Mines, Industry Regulation and Safety. Patrick has also contributed to the design and delivery of broader public sector reform at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet of WA, linking program and project interfaces across multiple government agencies.
Outside of WA, Patrick gained extensive experience working at the Commonwealth Government level in various security cooperation areas. Serving in the Australian Army and with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade provided Patrick with valuable lessons in the application of various problem solving approaches. Patrick has transformed these lessons into organisational and corporate contexts over subsequent decades.
Murray Carter has dedicated much of his life to combatting bushfire risk in WA. Starting as a 17-year-old cadet with the then Forests Department, he spent 13 years with the then Department of Conservation and Land Management conducting prescribed burns and fighting large scale bushfires in country WA.
Mr Carter then took on the role of Chief Executive Officer for Lord Howe Island Board, leading marine and land management, before returning to WA and working in policy positions within the State Government. He dedicated five years to the role of Fire Manager for the then Department of Parks and Wildlife and more than three years as Director of the Office of Bushfire Risk Management, leading key reforms in rural fire management at DFES.
The current Chair of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council Rural and Land Management Group, Mr Carter is also a member of the National Forest Fire Management Group. He is on the Board of Directors of the International Association of Wildland Fire and is the current (inaugural) Chair of the WA State Bushfire Coordinating Committee.
Georgina Camarda commenced at DFES in October 2012, taking up the dual role of Director of Business Services and Chief Finance Officer.
Ms Camarda has over 25 years of experience in financial management. She worked for 17 years with the Office of the Auditor General, specialising in Assurance Services and undertook a 12-month secondment to the Office of the Auditor General of British Columbia in 2011-12. Prior to this, she worked with the National Australia Bank in Perth and has completed 12 months of service with the Australian Army Reserve.
Ms Camarda has a broad range of knowledge in accounting, auditing, and regulatory and statutory reporting requirements, particularly in the WA public and emergency management sectors.
Ms Camarda was awarded the Special Commendation for the WA’s Institute of Public Administration Australia Finance Practitioner of the Year in 2018 in recognition of her commitment to her profession and technical expertise.
Ms Camarda holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Western Australia and is a Certified Practising Accountant.
Allyson Lardner has more than 28 years of experience in land, fire and emergency management across Australia.
As an experienced government leader, her extensive background including emergency management, land and biodiversity management and sustainability supports Statewide efforts to enhance bushfire capability, manage risk and build community resilience.
At the Victorian Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action, she led Victoria's bushfire preparedness and response to bushfires on public land program. Ms Lardner also facilitated the enhancement and capability uplift for other emergency readiness and response hazards including water, energy, wildlife and agriculture. She also served as Assistant Commissioner State Operations at Emergency Management Victoria.
Ms Lardner also brings valuable national and international experience, having contributed to major emergency management initiatives, such as Australia’s resource-sharing arrangements during Canadian wildfire season.
In 2021, Ms Lardner was awarded one of IPAA Victoria's Top 50 Public Sector Women for Established Leadership. Ms Lardner led the re-design and finalisation of Victoria's State Control Centre operating model reform in 2026.
The Statement of Business Ethics (PDF) provides guidance about what partners, contractors, subcontractors, and suppliers can expect when conducting business with DFES and the ethical standards we meet. It also sets out our expectations of those who do business with us.
Our employees and volunteers are expected to uphold our values and act with the highest level of ethical conduct at all times in accordance with the DFES Code of Conduct (PDF). We expect those doing business with us to do the same to help us create a safer state.
For information about DFES's Public Interest Disclosure policy, please click here.