Legacy of dedication and innovation
Peter Langridge’s legacy is one of dedication, innovation and an unwavering commitment to protecting those who serve on the frontline.
His leadership and commitment to research have transformed CFA’s approach to firefighter health, safety and rehabilitation, and has earned him an Australian Fire Services Medal in today’s King’s Birthday Honours.
“When I found out I was receiving an AFSM I was surprised at first and then when it sunk in, I felt honoured to have been nominated and to be receiving this award,” Peter said.
The strong safety culture enshrined in CFA is a reflection of the important contribution volunteer and staff member Peter Langridge AFSM has made over his long and distinguished career at CFA as both a volunteer and staff member.
Peter has dedicated more than 40 years to CFA and the emergency services sector, demonstrating exceptional leadership and innovation in firefighter health, safety and wellbeing during that time.
A CFA volunteer for more than 20 years, Peter has been a member at Lilydale (1982-1985) and Mooroolbark brigades (2003-2006), and is a current member at Yellingbo. He was also a founding member of the District 13 Headquarters Brigade and its captain for seven years. The first registered headquarters brigade in CFA, its members continue to offer essential incident management and welfare support during major emergency operations.
“I joined as a volunteer after moving to a CFA area in 1982. One of my neighbours was a CFA member and he told me about the brigade at Lilydale, so I went along to have a chat with the captain and decided to join,” Peter said.
“In hindsight, it was probably not the best year to join as I went straight into a very bad fire season being the year of the Ash Wednesday fires. But being thrown into the deep end, I learned a lot very quickly - and I did stay on as a volunteer.”
With 11 years as an Ambulance Victoria paramedic and highly regarded as an experienced health researcher and practitioner, Peter’s genuine interest in CFA volunteers and their health and safety has led to many significant changes at CFA and in the fire and emergency management space.
As CFA’s Manager, Health Monitoring and Rehabilitation, Peter has been instrumental in improving firefighter health practices, establishing health programs, leading innovative research initiatives and advocating for firefighter safety. He has also transformed CFA’s approach to health monitoring and firefighter rehabilitation through the implementation of a health monitoring program for firefighters.
In 2015 he established a network of Firefighter Rehabilitation Units across the state, setting a national standard for real-time health checks in fire and hazardous material incidents. There are now 22 CFA volunteer-led Rehab Units available for dispatch to incidents. They are making a real and tangible difference to members, with a reduction in the number of heat-related incidents. In addition to supporting CFA firefighters, the units provide health monitoring and support to our partner agencies including DEECA, FRV and Victoria Police.
Peter has led large-scale health monitoring operations during significant fires including the 2009 fires, the 2019-20 fires, Kaladbro peat fire, Somerton tip fire, Portland ship fire and Coolaroo Recycling Plant fire. He spent 45 days at the site of the Hazelwood coal mine fire (2014) to ensure the safety of members and fellow emergency services workers. More than 62,000 health tests and carbon monoxide tests were conducted on more than 7,000 firefighters and 1,600 mine staff for the duration of the firefight to ensure their levels were within safety standards.
“The Hazelwood mine fire in 2014 stands out as a key moment of my time at CFA,” Peter said.
“We learned many lessons during the 2004 and 2008 Hazelwood mine fires and each time had to modify how we managed these incidents.
“After 2008 we developed a plan for any future fires of this kind, and this helped immensely in our management of the 2014 fire. This plan is now part of EMV’s State Smoke Framework.”
In addition to managing large-scale health monitoring operations, Peter’s research into firefighter health has seen the implementation and development of new programs, equipment and training:
- Health Program innovations: Led the development of HealthWatch, Cardiovascular Risk Reduction Program and Medical Review Program, shaping CFA’s approach to firefighter health.
- Health research leadership: Conducted pivotal studies on firefighter physiology, leading to advancements in breathing techniques, heat stress management and cardiovascular risk reduction safety guidelines and training both in Australian and international fire agencies.
- Health innovation: Assisted volunteer firefighter Peter Schaede to design and develop Arm Core Coolers in 2016 together to reduce firefighter core body temperature both relieving heat stress and speeding up recovery during fire-related incidents. These are often used by members prior to Rehab Units arriving on the fireground.
Peter’s expertise, commitment and forward-thinking approach were also pivotal to CFA’s successful pandemic response, reinforcing his reputation as a leader in firefighter health and safety. Central to this was the training he developed and delivered across the sector to ensure members were kept safe whilst on the fireground. He also facilitated cross-agency training for CFA, VICSES and EMV on key COVID-19 roles to ensure firefighters and emergency responders could continue operations safely.
His work continues to shape best practice at CFA to safeguard the lives of those who protect our communities.