A career firefighter in Perth has welcomed a State Government initiative to boost firefighters to record levels.

“We don’t have enough,” says Perth Fire Station Officer Ash Gasmier.

“There has been an introduction of a few more but it is still not enough for how many we have on shift,” he says.

As part of the upcoming State Budget, the Cook Labor Government says it will invest more than $75 million to employ new firefighters and equipment.

They are hoping to employ 60 extra career firefighters into Western Australia’s frontline.

The hope is the additional firefighters and equipment will better protect the state.

Firefighters have responded to more than 4,000 fires across WA, something Mr Gasmier says is more than usual.

Despite the challenge, Mr Gasmier says he finds his job is rewarding.

“Personally, I have always enjoyed looking after different areas and helping out the community,” he says.

While travelling, Ash Gasmier discovered firefighting and decided it was something he wanted to be a part of.

As Western Australia is the largest state in the country, professional and volunteer firefighters are often overstretched.

According to Mr Gamier, weather has triggered many fires around WA this fire season.

Climate change, lithium batteries and electrical cars have caused a number of recent fires in WA.

The Department of Fire and Emergency services says the package will also include around eight million dollars for volunteer emergency services.

Executive Officer of the Volunteer Fire & Rescue Service Association, Tim Sonsee says, “volunteers are the backbone of emergency services across regional WA. Over 90 per ent of all emergency calls for assistance within WA are responded to by volunteers.”

WA has about 26000 volunteer firefighters. According to the DFES, in 2021, more than 9500 volunteers attended fire incidents.

“It is very important for our frontline emergency services to have an extra 60 firefighters. This will allow for other senior firefighters to be involved in training,” Mr Sonsee says.

Australia uses ‘Bushfire Attack Levels’ to assess the risk of the environments to fires.

Bushfire Front is an organisation advocating for better management of fires in the state.

Bushfire Front chair John Clarke says it is important to have clear measures in place in a fire prone state like WA.

“WA is so prone to fires both in the bush and in urban areas. One of these methods is prescribed burning, carried out by local fire brigades,” he says.

Mr Clarke says prescribed burning is a necessary part of fire prevention in WA according to Clarke.

“Prescribed burning today aims, as much as practicable, to mimic the past,” he says.

“To stop burning would simply lead to the inevitable occurrence of uncontrollable and devastating bushfires, devastating to people, devastating to our built assets, and devastating for our environment.”