Supporting the wellbeing of a high-risk, statewide workforce

About Fire Rescue Victoria

Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV) is responsible for fire and emergency response across metropolitan and major regional areas. Their firefighters and operational staff work in high-risk, high-pressure environments where mental and physical wellbeing must be proactively supported.

The challenge

FRV required a comprehensive, integrated medical and mental health support program that would meet the needs of a geographically dispersed workforce and the unique operational realities of emergency service personnel. The program needed to be flexible, reliable, and scalable—capable of delivering consistent, high-quality care across diverse locations while aligning with the operational needs and cultural context of emergency services.

Our approach

In March 2023, Cogent Thinking implemented a statewide Integrated Health and Wellbeing Services Program, designed to deliver coordinated medical, psychological, and wellbeing support across a geographically dispersed workforce.

• The program integrates 24/7 injury triage, Health Monitoring, Prevention, and Employee Assistance Program (EAP) services, enabling early intervention, continuity of care, and seamless support from recruitment to retirement.
• Our approach is grounded in partnership and integration, and includes:
• Leveraging established clinical and operational infrastructure across metropolitan and regional locations to ensure consistent service delivery
• Delivering Health Monitoring to support early identification of occupational cancer, cardiovascular, physical and psychological risk
• Deploying an experienced multidisciplinary team with deep understanding of the operational and psychosocial demands of high-risk, frontline work
• Providing a flexible, hybrid delivery model (onsite, face-to-face, and telehealth) to ensure care is accessible, timely, and operationally aligned