When Erin Tassell kicked off her career in fire as a helicopter-based firefighter in Canada she had no idea she’d one day be inspiring a new generation of women with her leadership on the other side of the globe.
But this woman who once tackled fires amid mountainous Canadian landscapes is now just as adept in a control centre leading the response to bushfires in Western Australia.
Ms Tassell was recently promoted to the role of State Duty Officer—the first female in DBCA’s Parks and Wildlife Service with the title.
This job puts her at the helm when it comes to managing major incidents in bushfires and prescribed burns. It’s a job that relies on the steady nerves she honed working from helicopters in the skies of the Rocky Mountains many years before.
Erin Tassell’s journey is one of courage, communication and leadership. Photo – DBCA/Samille Mitchell
Relishing the challenge
“When I found out that I was going to get an opportunity to be a State Duty Officer, I was excited,” she said.
“It’s a chance to really use some of my skills and experience but also learn new skills and experience within the team.
“I think there's critical skills around assessing risk, being part of a team, listening and providing support. And looking at a lot of big picture thinking and asking tough questions.”
Australia beckons
Ms Tassell first came to Australia as a seasonal firefighter deployed from Canada to Western Australia’s Blackwood District. Building on her previous experiences, she returned to Australia and took up the role of Regional Leader Fire Management in the Kimberley in 2020. The Kimberley is about as different from Canada as you can get. In place of soaring mountains and towering trees, Ms Tassell found herself enchanted by a whole new landscape.
“I’d gone from the Rocky Mountains in Canada to the savannahs of northern Australia and fell in love with the differences. It really demonstrated to me the diversity of fire management across the world,” she said.
Hover exiting to mountain wildfire in Mount Revelstoke National Park, British Columbia, Canada. Photo – Erin Tassell
Flight training in Kootenay National Park, British Columbia, Canada. Photo – Erin Tassell
Operations meeting, the Northwest Territories, Canada. Photo – Erin Tassell
Prescribed burning in Grasslands National Park, Saskatchewan, Canada. Photo – Erin Tassell
From here, Ms Tassell progressed her career by taking on the role as Fire Aviation Manager for the Parks and Wildlife Service in Perth.
In this role she manages aviation across the department—from fire suppression and prescribed burning to aerial-based feral animal control and monitoring uncrewed aircraft.
In addition to her aviation role, she joins a roster of high-level State Duty Officers on hand 24/7 to support major incidents across the state.
“As a State Duty Officer, you play a critical role in a large incident,” she said.
“You help facilitate, whether it's resources or coordination, providing support to duty officers in the regions and districts or coordinating with other expertise and support staff across agencies.”
Managing large scale fires takes considerable multitasking skills. Photo – DBCA/Samille Mitchell
Erin progressed from various fire roles across the state, honing her leadership skills. Photo – DBCA/Samille Mitchell
Inspiring women
During her career Ms Tassell has been buoyed by increasing diversity in the workplace.
“In the time that I've been in my fire management career, I've seen quite a few changes,” she said.
“I think one of the major things I've seen is a lot of women in leadership roles and women in spaces that had generally been reserved for our male counterparts. The diversity of people across fire management has changed over time, which is really exciting to see.”
She believes fire management can only benefit from diverse personnel.
“There's a lot of benefits to bringing diversity to the fire space,” she said.
“I think we get new ideas, new perspectives. We get a variety of people who've had different experiences and it brings together a more holistic picture of what we need to do in fire management.”
Despite the changes, fire remains a male-dominated world, so Ms Tassell hopes her role may encourage other women to consider careers in fire management.
“Continuing to champion diversity in fire management can only bring benefits in the work that we do. Supporting others to take on leadership roles provides opportunity for continuous improvement.”
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