Core service and community profile
The MFB is a community safety organisation committed to providing world-class protection from fire and other emergencies in Melbourne's major metropolitan area.
MFB firefighters work closely with Melbourne's diverse communities and identified at-risk groups of all ages, to promote community safety and coordinate emergency prevention and preparedness activities.
The MFB has consistently reported some of the fastest emergency response times and achieved the highest percentage of fire containment to room of origin among all other fire services in the nation.
MFB firefighters undertake a number of functions including:
- Suppression of all types of fires
- Urban Search and Rescue
- High angle rescue
- Road accident rescue
- Emergency Medical Response (EMR)
- Emergencies on waters in Port Phillip Bay and the metropolitan river system
- Industrial accidents and hazardous material handling and storage incidents
- Supporting other combat agencies in emergencies
- Chemical, biological and radiological emergencies
- Strategic, expert advice to the State Government on major events and anti-terrorist activities
Strong partnerships with community stakeholder groups, other emergency service organisations, and private industry throughout metropolitan Melbourne, are critical to ensuring the MFB is an effective community safety organisation.
The MFB is responsible for emergency response inside the Metropolitan Fire District (MFD).
The MFD covers 1,096 square kilometres from Deer Park to Mentone and Somerton to Port Melbourne. It is divided into four zones (central, southern, northern and western) and each is responsible for managing a number of fire stations.
Through a variety of community education campaigns and programs, MFB firefighters work closely with Melbourne’s diverse communities, across all age groups, to promote community safety and coordinate emergency prevention activities.