Chris Hardman is the Executive Director, Forest and Fire Operations Division (FFOD) and the Chief Fire Officer (CFO) of Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMVic).
Chris joined DELWP on 27 August 2018, having worked with Parks Victoria for 32 years. Chris is responsible for ensuring delivery of state forest management operations, and fire management operations on public land, leading the Forest and Fire Operations Division.
Chris is also the lead for FFMVic’s command and control arrangements for fire and emergency response, along with fuel management operations. His division works across the department, with FFMVic partners, and with other fire and emergency management agencies to support the operational implementation of Safer Together.
Chris’s previous Parks Victoria roles included: Executive Director Melbourne Division; Regional Manager Bays and Maritime; Senior Manager Mt Buffalo Revitalisation Project; and Chief Ranger City and Waterways District. Chris’s knowledge of land management operations is complemented by his significant experience in fire and emergency management. Chris is one of Victoria’s State Response Controllers and a Level 3 Incident Controller – with experience as an Incident Controller from the 2010 floods, 2009 Black Saturday fires, and 2006 and 2003 fires. Originally a merchant seaman, Chris arrived in Australia from the UK in 1983, to marry his wife Lyndie.
Updates from the Fire and Emergency Group
Champions of Change Fire & Emergency
Chris Hardman is a Member of the Champions of Change Fire & Emergency Group which was established in 2017 in partnership with the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC). The group includes Chief Executives and Commissioners leading more than 30 agencies responsible for fire, emergency and land management services across Australia and New Zealand. The group is committed to advancing gender equity, inclusive cultures and achieving significant and sustainable improvements in the representation of women in their workplaces.