Parks Victoria is deeply saddened by the death of a Forest Fire Management Victoria (FFMV) firefighter and Parks Victoria staff member in active duty in East Gippsland on 11 January 2020, Bill Slade.

Bill was involved in an incident while working on a fire in the Omeo area which resulted in his tragic death.

Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson advises Bill Slade was a Parks Victoria employee with extensive experience in firefighting, a respected colleague and well regarded member of the Wonthaggi community.

“A much loved colleague, friend and member of the Wonthaggi community Bill Slade will be sorely missed by Parks Victoria, and our thoughts are with his family, his wife Carol and children Ethan and Steph, his colleagues within South Gippsland, along with his community at this deeply tragic time.

Bill contributed over 40 years to firefighting and caring for National Parks in South Gippsland, and I pay tribute to his incredible service in land management and fire management over many years - and acknowledge the profound loss many in the community will be feeling today and in coming days.

We are committed to supporting our teams in South and East Gippsland at this difficult time and have arranged counselling and additional support to our team members who have been fighting fires and working in Incident Control Centres in East Gippsland over several weeks. Parks Victoria, as a partner in the firefighting efforts with Forest Fire Management Victoria, is committed to the safety of our team. We are doing everything we can to keep our teams safe during this unprecedented fire season.” says Parks Victoria CEO Matthew Jackson.

Immediate steps have been taken to support Parks Victoria employees, including immediate counselling support to fellow emergency management personnel.