John Casey

Firefighters face hazardous situations with confidence because they are trained, equipped and supported. I believe we should bring the same level of commitment to workplace culture in our fire services.

I’ve spent my career in traditionally male-dominated workplaces. I’ve been a firefighter for almost 20 years, worked on building sites as a carpenter, in workshops as a mechanic, and served for ten years as a diver in the Royal Australian Navy Reserve.

Across these roles, I’ve witnessed the impact of workplace culture. Strong cultures build trust, resilience and foster high-performing teams. Poor cultures undermine safety, wellbeing and people’s ability to do their best work. Too often, women and minority groups in fire services experience the greatest impact.

These observations have shaped my passion for cultural improvement. Firefighters are trained to solve problems and perform under pressure and I believe we should approach workplace culture in the same way. By equipping people with practical skills that they can draw on in difficult and uncomfortable moments, we can change culture from the ground up.

My focus is not on perfection. It’s on supporting firefighters and officers to recognise harmful behaviour; intervene early, support their colleagues and have difficult conversations before harm escalates.

Australia is already doing important work to improve culture across fire and emergency services. Through a Churchill Fellowship, I hope to learn from leading international organisations that are successfully translating legislation, policy, and good intentions, into meaningful change on the station floor.

My aim is to bring these lessons home and develop practical approaches to make our fire stations a place where every firefighter feels safe, valued and can perform at their best.