Abstract
Australian fire services outside major metropolitan areas depend highly on volunteer firefighters. As volunteers, they are accorded protection by legislation from personal liability for any damage or harm caused in the course of their volunteering. Volunteer firefighters are protected under two types of legislation – legislation that apply to all types of volunteers and legislation that specifically protects volunteer firefighters. This paper examines the extent to which volunteer firefighters are protected by both sets of legislation. It will also outline the exceptions and the important discrepancies and gaps in protection that volunteers and fire services should be aware of. The paper concludes that volunteer firefighters are well covered by immunities from legal liabilities, although there are some gaps in the coverage.
