Fire boss goes as report exposes blaze cover-up

The Barnett Government is scrambling to prepare for the upcoming bushfire season after the Fire and Emergency Services Authority was thrown into disarray by a scathing report which claimed the scalp of its chief executive.

The report, by former Australian Federal Police boss Mick Keelty, has also left question marks over the future of the State's most senior firefighter and exposed a cover-up of failings.

With Emergency Services Minister Rob Johnson washing his hands of responsibility for the problems uncovered by the inquiry into WA's firefighting capabilities, the Government is rushing to implement its recommendations before the fire season starts in October.

Changes recommended by Mr Keelty in his inquiry into the Roleystone-Kelmscott fire in February include the appointment of a fire commissioner to ensure what Premier Colin Barnett called "clear lines of management, responsibility and command".

He also recommended the creation of a department which answered directly to the Government rather than an independent board.

In the report tabled in State Parliament yesterday, Mr Keelty identified a litany of errors by FESA on February 6, the day when 71 homes were razed.

FESA failed to follow its emergency plan when it did not declare a level-three event, volunteers were diverted from Roleystone to minor scrub fires and communication problems were rife.

These included confusion over radio channels, volunteers being unable to raise their incident controllers on the phone and firefighters getting lost because their GPS system failed.

Mr Keelty laid bare the poisonous relationship between FESA and the firefighting arm of the Department of Environment and Conservation, detailing how FESA called on Victorian units for support rather than consulting with the DEC. They had officers Mr Keelty argued would have been more familiar with the area.

The decision to look to the Eastern States meant the best resources to fight the fires were not provided - an error which FESA officers then tried to "cover up" in their submissions and evidence.

Mr Barnett said FESA chief executive Jo Harrison-Ward, whose contract was renewed for five years by State Cabinet in January, had agreed to "stand aside" as part of "changes at the top".

FESA's executive director of corporate services, Frank Pasquale, has been appointed acting chief.

FESA deputy chairman Bruce Brennan commended Ms Harrison-Ward and praised everyone who fought the February blaze.

Department of Premier and Cabinet boss Peter Conran has been charged with overseeing the reforms - a move which State Opposition Leader Eric Ripper leapt on as evidence Mr Barnett had no faith in Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson said he had done nothing wrong and took no responsibility for FESA's failings, saying its status as an agency instead of a department meant he had limited power to intervene.

He threw a lifeline to FESA chief operations officer Craig Hynes, saying he had confidence in WA's most senior firefighter despite questions being raised in the Keelty report about the quality of Mr Hynes' evidence.