New VICSES CEO appointed

Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) would like to officially welcome Robert Purcell as the agency’s new Chief Executive Officer, beginning his tenure on Tuesday 11 March.

Most recently the Director of Emergency Management and Business Continuity at the Royal Children’s Hospital, Rob brings with him more than three decades of experience in community safety and is a highly experienced and respected leader in emergency management. 

Rob started his career at the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (now Fire Rescue Victoria) in 1989 and has held key leadership roles including Assistant Chief Fire Officer, Director of Community Resilience and Emergency Management and Acting Deputy Chief Fire Officer.

Rob was also previously the Head of Aerodrome Services and Chief Fire Officer of the Aviation Rescue and Firefighting Service at Airservices Australia. Rob is deeply committed to people, and his extensive experience driving cultural change and enhancing performance across a team of 800 staff members and 27 locations will be a tremendous asset to VICSES.

Rob has a genuine respect for community and a deep appreciation for volunteerism, which has been shaped not only by his professional experiences but also by his hands-on involvement in his own community.

As an expert emergency management executive and strategic consultant, Rob brings valuable insight into the important role of VICSES and the services we provide. He is an invested leader, with a strong focus on building people and teams to grow and achieve. His thoughtful, calm, and approachable leadership style stood out during the recruitment process, and his credibility and motivation in the sector will make him an invaluable addition to our organisation.

He holds a Graduate Diploma in Management, an Advanced Diploma in Fire Management and an Associate Diploma in Applied Science (Fire Technology). Rob succeeds Greg Leach AFSM, who in 2024 started as the Country Fire Authority’s new CEO.

VICSES is the control agency for flood, storm, tsunami, earthquake and landslide throughout Victoria and also provides the largest road crash rescue network in Australia – all powered by 5,000 volunteers across 154 units.