Greg Mullins is an internationally recognised expert in responding to major bushfires and natural disasters, with more than 50 years’ experience as a firefighter. He coordinated responses to many major natural disasters over more than two decades and retired as Commissioner of Fire & Rescue New South Wales in January 2017 after nearly 14 years in the role. On retirement, he immediately rejoined the rural fire brigade where he started as a volunteer in 1972, and fought fires throughout New South Wales during Black Summer.
During his 39 year career with Fire & Rescue New South Wales, he served as President, Vice President and Board Chair of the Australasian Fire & Emergency Service Authorities’ Council, Deputy Chair and Acting Chair of the New South Wales State Emergency Management Committee, Australian Director of the International Fire Chiefs Association of Asia, New South Wales representative on the Australian Emergency Management Committee, Australian representative on the UN’s International Search & Rescue Advisory Committee, and as a member of the New South Wales Bushfire Coordinating Committee. He is currently Chair of the New South Wales Ambulance Service Advisory Board and a member of the Nature Conservation Council’s Bushfire Advisory Committee.
Greg worked with bushfire fighting authorities in the USA, Canada, France and Spain during a Churchill Fellowship in 1995, studied at the USA National Fire Academy in 2001-02, and has a Masters Degree in Management. In 2019, he formed Emergency Leaders for Climate Action (ELCA), a group of former fire and emergency service chiefs from every state and territory concerned about the impacts of extreme weather driven by climate change. ELCA repeatedly tried to warn the Morrison Government early in 2019 of an approaching bushfire catastrophe, but was ignored.
