Steve Bates

As a professional firefighter in the capital city of the most natural disaster-prone state in Australia, Steve Bates has seen his fair share of emergencies and disasters.

Steve has been heavily involved in some of the biggest bushfires, cyclones, and flooding disasters of the last few decades, both in Queensland, and across the country. He has seen how people react to the challenges faced by disasters, and how it brings out the best and the worst in people. From tropical cyclones to the Brisbane floods, to the more recent NSW bushfires, Steve has seen it all in the past 20 years. Steve Bates has worked across a diverse number of roles with the Queensland Fire and Emergency Service.

From project management to Area and Zone Commander, Ministerial Liaison, to Duty Manager of Operations, Steve has witnessed how people act, react, and lead in tough and demanding times. As an astute observer of human behaviour, Steve can provide insights into how people respond in emergency situations: understanding how people will react is the key to knowing how to lead them. In times of crisis, great leaders need to step forward, and Steve is keen to share his leadership insights and knowledge, combining his ability to understand people, with his skill to speak in an engaging and humorous way to entertain and inform. A multi award-winning speaker and storyteller, Steve has a natural talent not only to entertain, but also to inform, based on his ability to read and understand an audience.

An enthusiastic Toastmaster for over 6 years, Steve has delivered hundreds of speeches and won numerous local and national competitions. In his professional capacity, Steve is often called upon to facilitate Queensland Fire and Emergency Services’ conferences and to be their Master of Ceremonies at medal and award ceremonies, and recruit graduations.

Currently acting Superintendent in the Executive Manager role of Fire and Rescue, Steve uses his experience and knowledge to develop, guide, and influence policy for the organisation. A winner of numerous awards, including the Australia Day Award, and Minister’s and Commissioner’s Awards, Steve also has a Graduate Certificate in Applied Management (Policing and Emergency Services), and an Advanced Diploma of Public Safety (Firefighting Management).