The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends Queensland Fire and Emergency Services facilitate an annual state level exercise of the Queensland Bushfire Plan that includes all relevant stakeholders and land managers. The exercise should focus on roles, responsibilities, interagency arrangements and handover arrangements between agencies and land managers.

The Inspector-General Emergency Management recommends the Department of Environment and Science review the format and delivery of Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service annual fire refresher training to include a scenario-based exercise.

A single point of truth be established for accurately capturing and reporting on disaster management group activation levels for any given timeframe. 

Exercising should focus on vertical integration and include all levels of the system. A strategic program of exercises should be developed and implemented.

All disaster management groups should run an exercise that has full involvement of a hazard-specific primary agency in the next 12 months and regularly thereafter.

QFRS introduce a system to collate and analyse performance information for use in management reporting and to support effective decision making processes. 

This Report should be considered for publication so that the insights, data, conclusions and recommendations are available within Queensland and other jurisdictions to assist with disaster management issues in the future.