Fire Fighting Industry Award

MA000111 covers employers throughout Australia in the fire fighting industry and their employees in the listed classifications. The industry includes suppressing fires, providing rescue services at emergencies (other than police, ambulance, SES or military), handling hazardous material spills, fire prevention, and the sale, supply, installation, maintenance and inspection of fire protection equipment. Employees covered by certain enterprise or state public sector instruments are generally excluded, so confirm coverage against the award and the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The award uses a ranked structure that runs from Recruit and Firefighter levels through Qualified Firefighter and Leading Firefighter up to Station Officer and Senior Station Officer, with a Fire Service Communications Controller role alongside. Progression generally depends on length of service, qualifications and appointment rather than age. Classify each employee by the role and duties they actually perform, then read the current minimum rate for that classification from the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

MA000111 sets a minimum weekly and hourly rate for each classification, with shift loadings, weekend and public holiday penalties and overtime applied on top, and many allowances paid for all purposes so they form part of the rate. Rates differ by classification and employment type and are reviewed every year. Always take the current figure for each classification and allowance from the Fair Work Pay Calculator or the MA000111 pay guide rather than memory, as any saved figure has a use-by date.

When an allowance is paid for all purposes, it is included in the employee's rate of pay when calculating penalties, loadings, overtime and payments while they are on leave - not paid as a flat extra on top of an unchanged base. MA000111 treats a number of its allowances this way. Build all-purpose allowances into the all-purpose rate before applying penalties and leave, and confirm which allowances qualify and their current amounts from the Fair Work source.

Casual employees are paid an hourly rate plus a casual loading in place of the paid leave and other entitlements casuals do not receive. Across modern awards the loading is commonly 25%, but each award sets its own figure and casual loadings can interact with penalties for weekend, public holiday and shift work. Treat 25% as a guide only and confirm the exact casual loading, and how it combines with penalties, for this award from the Fair Work source before running pay.

Firefighting is a continuous operation, so MA000111 provides a shift penalty for each ordinary hour worked on shift, expressed as a percentage of the ordinary rate. Employees on the 10/14 roster have their hours and any overtime and leave components set out in the roster provisions. Because the award sets its own shift loading figure and roster mechanics, identify how each shift is treated and confirm the applicable shift penalty for this award from the Fair Work source.

Employees on the 10/14 roster work an average of 42 hours a week. Under the award, part of the hours above ordinary time is treated as overtime and paid as such, while another part is taken as annual or accrued leave in line with the roster set down for that purpose. Set rosters and accruals up exactly as the award provides rather than paying a flat 42 hours, and confirm the detail and the relevant rates against the Fair Work source.

MA000111 applies penalties for weekend and public holiday work, with the exact treatment depending on whether the employee is a day worker or shiftworker and on the roster they work. As a general guide across awards, weekend penalties commonly run around 25% on Saturday and 50% on Sunday, and public holiday work can attract penalties of up to 150%. These are guides only - the award's own provisions govern, so confirm the rate for the relevant day, role and employment type using the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

MA000111 provides wage-related allowances such as qualification allowances for fire safety certificates, a first aid allowance, a heavy rescue appliance allowance, a special administrative duties allowance, an availability loading for certain Station Officers, and a relieving allowance. It also includes expense-related allowances such as meal, travelling, vehicle (per kilometre) and uniform and equipment provisions. Because several are paid for all purposes or in defined circumstances, identify which apply to each role and confirm the current amounts from the Fair Work source.

Station Officers who are not working the 10/14 shift roster but are required to be available after working hours to deal with operational matters receive an availability loading on their total weekly rate, and that loading counts for all purposes. It recognises the obligation to remain contactable and able to respond. Identify which Station Officers this applies to, include the loading in their all-purpose rate, and confirm the current figure from the Fair Work source.

Overtime generally applies to hours worked beyond an employee's ordinary or rostered hours, or outside the relevant span, with the award setting overtime rates that can differ by day and circumstance, and recall to duty typically attracting a minimum payment. The 10/14 roster also has part of its hours treated as overtime. Identify which hours count as overtime for each worker, and confirm the applicable overtime rate and any recall minimum for this award via the Fair Work Pay Calculator.

Modern award minimum rates increase following the Fair Work Commission's Annual Wage Review and take effect from the first full pay period on or after 1 July. The 2026 review added 4.75% to modern award minimums. Apply increases from the correct pay period rather than the calendar date, and pull the new figures for each classification and allowance from the Fair Work source so firefighting pay stays compliant. Valont applies these increases from the right pay period as part of award-compliant payroll.

The risks with MA000111 sit in the detail: the right ranked classification, allowances paid for all purposes folded into the rate, shift loadings and weekend, public holiday and overtime penalties, the 10/14 roster's 42-hour average, and rates refreshed every July. The safest approach is to anchor every figure to the Fair Work Pay Calculator and review pay each 1 July. Valont runs award-compliant payroll for firefighting employers, mapping rosters to the correct classifications, allowances and penalties so figures stay current and accurate.