Fire union criticises department's 'flawed' $6.2m helmet rollout
The Queensland Professional Firefighters Union has criticized the fire department's $6.2 million rollout of new jet-style helmets, claiming it was poorly managed. Union general secretary John Oliver stated that the department ignored serious concerns raised by the union regarding the helmets' operational effectiveness. Following tensions, the fire minister has allowed firefighters to continue using their previous helmets for the next three years while a review is conducted.
- ▪The Queensland Professional Firefighters Union accused the fire department of poor decision making regarding the new jet-style helmets.
- ▪General secretary John Oliver claimed the helmets failed to meet operational expectations and ignored union concerns.
- ▪The fire minister agreed to allow the continued use of the current Pacfire F3 helmet for the next three years.
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Queensland minister intervenes after tensions between fire union and departmentBy investigative reporter Eden GillespieTopic:UnionsWed 27 May 2026 at 5:42amWed 27 May 2026 at 5:42amWed 27 May 2026 at 5:42amThe then-Palaszczuk government announced the rollout of the jet-style helmets in 2023 to "improve frontline communication". (Supplied: Parabellum International)In short: In an email to members, the Queensland Professional Firefighters Union has accused the fire department of "poor decision making" over the rollout of new jet-style helmets.General secretary John Oliver has claimed the fire department had ignored the union's "serious concerns" about the rollout, which it had held from the outset.What's next?The union said Minister for Fire Ann Leahy agreed to allow station officers and…
Excerpt limited to ~120 words for fair-use compliance. The full article is at ABC News (Australia).