2026 WA Fire and Emergency Services Conference & Awards

The 2026 WA Fire and Emergency Services (WAFES) Conference will be held at Crown Perth, Burswood, from Friday 4 to Saturday 5 September 2026. The conference brings together volunteers, DFES personnel and emergency-service partners from across Western Australia.

Friday 4 September – Tours & networking

Friday is primarily a behind-the-scenes and learning day, with a range of optional tours:

• DFES Nerve Centre – State Operations Centre, Metropolitan Operations Centre, Communications Centre and emergency coordination.
• Fleet Design, Delivery and Maintenance – visit the DFES O’Connor workshop and see how emergency appliances are designed, built and maintained.
• Lithium-ion battery fires – explore the emerging battery-fire threat and visit ChemCentre.
• Eye in the Sky – emergency-services aviation at Jandakot Airport, including RAC Rescue.
• Bushfire innovation, skills and cultural knowledge – visit the Bushfire Centre of Excellence and learn about modern bushfire training and Cultural Fire practices.
• Search and rescue and incident training – Urban Search and Rescue, vertical and confined-space rescue, heavy rescue equipment and virtual-reality training.

Ministerial Volunteer Advisory Forum

1:30 pm – 4:30 pm

Volunteers have an opportunity to meet with the Minister for Emergency Services and FES Commissioner Darren Klemm AFSM to discuss current and future issues affecting volunteers and volunteering across WA.

Friday evening – Sundowner

5:00 pm – 7:00 pm | Burswood on Swan

The sundowner provides an opportunity for volunteers and DFES staff to network, catch up with colleagues and see some of the latest DFES initiatives, technology, appliances and vessels.

Conference theme

“Bright Futures, Stronger Services”

The 2026 theme focuses on:

• embracing new ideas and innovation
• bringing together different generations of volunteers
• encouraging emerging volunteers and leaders
• strengthening connections across emergency services
• developing modern and sustainable emergency-service capability.

Saturday 5 September – Main conference

The main conference program includes keynote presentations and concurrent sessions covering subjects such as interstate deployments, flood intelligence, misinformation during emergencies, climate and weather, vertical rescue, lithium-ion incidents, social media, marine emergencies and contemporary rescue techniques.

The keynote speakers are Jessica Watson OAM and Scott Millar.

Why it is important for SES volunteers

For SES members, the conference provides a valuable opportunity to:

Learn → Network → Share experience → See new technology → Influence the future of volunteering

It is particularly relevant to the SES because many of the sessions address volunteer capability, emerging risks, community engagement, rescue operations, flood intelligence, technology and the future of emergency services.

The SES Volunteers Association of WA also lists the conference as an event on 4 September 2026 at Crown Perth.

In short: Friday 4 September is much more than the opening day—it is an opportunity for WA emergency-service volunteers to get behind the scenes, learn from specialist teams, meet senior decision-makers and see where DFES and the wider emergency-services sector are heading.