Mics and Sirens

Women on the frontline was once a rare sight, but they are now a rising force in emergency services. It’s a change DFES and other fire agencies have, and continue to, champion. We sit down with the Department of Biodiversity Conservation and Attractions Allison Donovan and WA’s first female Level 3 Incident Controller who shares her insights about gender equality in firefighting and an initiative...

Volunteers are the heart of emergency services, but knowing everyone’s strengths can be difficult to identify…until now. Meet Michael Tovine from Fire and Emergency New Zealand and volunteer firefighter who helped design a portal containing the superpowers of local volunteers to be used for special missions.  *This series was recorded live at the AFAC25 Conference in Perth. ----- Find us on:  Face...

While there’s an increasing number of electric vehicles on our roads, it’s fortunate that not many of them have caught fire in Australia yet.  But when electric vehicles ignite, their high-voltage lithium batteries release a toxic gas and take a long time to get under control. It’s important for our first responders to know what to do if they ever catch fire.  This episode explores a new tool deve...

Drones aren’t a new technology, but emergency services are increasingly taking their eyes in the sky to expand their line of sight and improve incident response.  Hear from Russell Turner from Fire and Rescue New South Wales, the agency that manages Australia’s largest Remotely Piloted Aircraft System on the swarms of drones flying directly into the frontline and keeping firefighters safe.  *This...

There’s a new game-changing fire-spotter in the sky, named one of TIME Magazine’s Best Inventions of 2025. Fires as small as five square metres can be detected in just minutes, which helps emergency services act faster, smarter and safer.  Hear from the scientist and strategist Dr Karen O’Connor from the Earth Fire Alliance who is behind the first-of-its-kind technology changing the way we detect...

Every emergency is typically defined by preparation, prevention, response and recovery. But in the words of the former Head of United Nations Disaster Risk Reduction, it’s a vicious cycle that needs to be broken.  Hear Mami Mizutori’s strategies for anticipating risks, reducing impacts and building communities that are truly resilient. *This series was recorded live at the AFAC25 Conference in Per...

Images from the 2017 Grenfell Tower fire tragedy are unwillingly etched in the minds of people all over the world. Flames took hold and got to the top of the 23-storey housing block in 30 minutes.  This episode Mark Hardingham CBE QFSM takes us inside the lessons of the UK’s deadliest residential building fire that claimed the lives of 72 people.  *This series was recorded live at the AFAC25 Confe...

Wildfires are typically fuelled by wind, heat and overgrown vegetation. But what happens when people’s homes are what propel flames into an unstoppable firestorm.  The former head of the US Fire Administration Dr Lori Moore-Merrell sits down with us to talk about a firestorm that flattened multiple neighbourhoods in Los Angeles and the insights that came from the tragedy.  *This series was recorde...

Mics and Sirens is the official podcast of the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) in Western Australia.  Season 2 of Mics and Sirens was recorded live at the 2025 Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authority Council Conference in Perth, WA. We sat down with international and national experts to unpack disasters that shook the world and gain insights into emergency management in...

Overseeing fire and emergency services across Australia’s largest State is no small feat. It’s not a 9 to 5, Monday to Friday job because emergencies don’t keep business hours.   When critical decisions need to be made, the Fire and Emergency Services Commissioner is always on call.   It’s a role Darren Klemm AFSM has held since 2017 and in that time, he has led DFES through major change and growt...

Imagine the year 2075.   Firefighting robots navigate burning buildings, guided by intelligence from AI-powered drones in the sky …or a fire truck extends its retractable legs, stepping over a traffic jam to reach an house fire in record time.   These technologies could be 10, 20 or 50 years away...or they may never leave the realm of science fiction. Either way, the Department of Fire and Emergen...

Bushfires, cyclones and floods can change people’s lives forever.   But when the flames are out, the sirens fade, and the roads reopen, the impact is far from over. In fact, that’s when the huge task of recovery begins.   Deputy Commissioner Mel Pexton, who happens to be the highest-ranking female at Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), leads the teams who helps communities rebuild af...

Most of us have seen a house or building destroyed by fire – in real life or in pictures – and know there is usually very little left among the ashes.   Fire can erase its own trail, turning the task of figuring out what happened into a complex puzzle with missing pieces. Understanding how or why a fire started goes beyond appeasing our curiosity.   It’s part of the Department of Fire and Emergenc...

Within Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES)  there are five groups of emergency services volunteers.   Bush Fire Brigade, Volunteer Fire Rescue Service, Volunteer Fire and Emergency Services, Marine Rescue and the State Emergency Service or the SES.   In her own words, SES volunteer Maxine Burrell, is one of the people in orange you see on the TV.   The ones on people’s roofs after a s...

Science isn’t a word we’d expect to hear when talking about fire or emergency services.   But major spills and leaks, hazardous material fires, poisonings and explosives are all emergencies that involve chemicals – and we know there is a lot of science behind that.   Jeff Davis is DFES’ only scientist and it’s his job to give advice on how to safely handle potentially dangerous chemicals before, d...

On 28 December 2022, Ex-Tropical Cyclone Ellie crossed over the coast of Western Australia and dumped around 500 millimetres of rain in less than a week.   River levels in the Kimberley town of Fitzroy Crossing got to almost 16 metres high.   More than 200 homes were damaged - several roads and highways too - and remote communities were left isolated. The destruction was widespread. As the Inciden...

With so many layers to Western Australia's Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES ), it’s impossible to capture all its stories, and the stories of the people behind the uniforms.   So, let’s start at the very beginning.   That first Triple Zero phone call – where someone in the community has an emergency unfolding before them.   Mark Spatocco, a Communications Systems Officer at DFES, is...

Mics and Sirens is the official podcast for the Department  of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) of Western Australia.   With staff and volunteers, both on and behind the frontline, dedicated to protecting our State of more than 2.5 million square kilometres, there are many stories of hope and resilience.   From that very first call for help, to those on the frontline putting themselves in harm’s...