Victoria’s career firefighters will rally outside Eastern Hill Fire Station tomorrow, Thursday 22 October, demanding urgent intervention into Fire Rescue Victoria, including placing the organisation into independent administration following ongoing organisational failures, a damning Auditor-General’s report into the truck crisis and the collapse of enterprise agreement negotiations.
21 October 2026
The United Firefighters Union says confidence in Commissioner Gavin Freeman’s leadership has collapsed, with 91% of participating firefighters, corporate and technical staff voting no confidence in the Commissioner.
The rally follows the Victorian Auditor-General’s examination of FRV’s firefighting fleet, which exposed serious shortcomings in fleet management, reinforcing concerns that firefighters and Victorian communities are being left reliant on ageing, unreliable and broken-down fire trucks.
UFU Victorian Branch Secretary Peter Marshall said the situation had reached a point where independent intervention was urgently required.
“When 91% of your workforce votes no confidence in your leadership, and the AuditorGeneral exposes serious failures in the management of the very fire trucks firefighters rely on to protect the community, surely the time has come for the Government to intervene,” Mr Marshall said.
“FRV should be placed into independent administration, with Commissioner Freeman removed from operational leadership and an independent administrator appointed to restore accountability, operational capability and confidence in the organisation.”
GOVERNMENT MUST ACT BEFORE THE STATE ELECTION
The UFU says the Carroll Labor Government can no longer ignore the deterioration in confidence in FRV’s leadership or the serious concerns surrounding operational capability.
“Firefighters are expected to enter burning buildings, rescue trapped Victorians and respond to life-threatening emergencies. The very least they should expect is reliable fire trucks, appropriate equipment, adequate staffing and competent leadership,” Mr Marshall said.
“This is no longer simply an industrial dispute. It is a public safety crisis and a failure of leadership and accountability.”
“Premier Carroll and Minister Edbrooke must act now. FRV needs independent administration, not another public relations exercise designed to distract from the failures occurring under Commissioner Freeman’s leadership.”
The UFU is calling for the Government to immediately establish an appropriate independent administration arrangement for FRV, release the full fleet audit, investigate management failures and urgently address firefighter safety, staffing and equipment shortages.
“Victorians deserve a fire service they can trust. Firefighters deserve leadership they can have confidence in. Neither should have to wait until after the State Election for action,” Mr Marshall said.
For journalists – RALLY DETAILS:
• Date: 22 October 2026
• Time:10:30AM rally start (no marching – static only)
• Where: Eastern Hill Fire Station, Melbourne CBD
• Interviews: Peter Marshall; firefighters on scene; vision of stations and appliances
both prior to and following the rally
Media enquiries: Peter Marshall – 0419 127 004