Mark Gunning AFSM
Mark Gunning’s more than four decades of service to CFA, Fire Rescue Victoria and the broader fire and emergency services is testament to his commitment to the protection and wellbeing of all Victorians.
Mark has been recognised for his dedication and contribution with an Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM) in today’s Australia Day Honours.
With more than 44 years of firefighting and emergency management service under his belt, Mark Gunning AFSM has been a driving force in the protection of communities throughout Victoria and beyond. His remarkable contributions span frontline response, incident management, fire operations, flood response and crisis leadership – all of which have had a lasting impact on the safety, wellbeing and recovery of communities across Victoria.
Although he stems from a family of CFA volunteers, Mark said he was inspired to join Mortlake Fire Brigade in 1980 as a teenager after working on different farms in the area and getting a taste for firefighting.
“Back in those days you would work on people’s farms during the day and proactively burn with local landowners to reduce fire risk during the evening,” Mark said. “That experience, together with that family connection, very much shaped me and encouraged my long-term involvement in CFA and broader emergency services."
Mark attended when the largest Victorian Ash Wednesday fires erupted at Ballangeich-Cudgee on 16 February 1983 and a move to North Geelong Brigade (now Corio) in 1985 saw him on the frontline during the Little River fire. He credits this experience for further teaching him important skills and knowledge about firefighting and fire behaviour.
"Ash Wednesday had a huge impact on me as a volunteer, especially being local to the area and knowing so many of the people who had been affected,” Mark said.
In 1988, Mark joined CFA as a career firefighter, working in various locations across the state including Hamilton, Dandenong, Bairnsdale, Casterton and Horsham as well as CFA’s Fiskville training ground and CFA headquarters. During this time, he has contributed significantly as an operational leader, working his way through the ranks to his current role as Assistant Chief Fire Officer (ACFO) Regional Commander based in West Region, seconded to CFA from Fire Rescue Victoria (FRV).
A respected figure in the emergency management community, Mark’s innovative and inspirational leadership has been pivotal during major emergencies such as the 2009 bushfires, St Patrick’s Day peat fires, Black Summer bushfires 2019-20, the 2011 and 2022 Victorian Floods, and the Victorian COVID-19 response.
Mark is well known for his commitment to ensuring communities are not only protected during emergencies and supported in their recovery but are better prepared for future fires and other emergencies. Most recently he was an Incident Controller at Horsham Incident Control Centre, managing response to the Grampians complex fires which started in December 2024 and burned for three weeks. Mark’s leadership has also extended beyond Victoria's borders, and he has provided invaluable support during operations in New South Wales, South Australia and Queensland.
“Out of all the fires and events I’ve experienced, the Linton fire, Black Saturday and the St Patrick’s Day peat fires of 2018 have all stayed with me for different reasons,” he said.
“The fire at Linton on 2 December 1998 was my worst day at CFA. You never want to be in the position where you have to look someone in the eye and tell them their child is not coming home.
“Black Saturday and the peat fires, in particular, highlighted how important those connections with our communities are in times of emergency.
“You spend weeks building relationships with members of communities; you get to know them and their lives, and they start to see you as one of their own. I took what I learned at those fires about working with communities into the approach to the recent Grampians fires."
In addition to the Australian Fire Service Medal announced today, Mark has received the National Medal (two clasps) and a National Emergency Medal and clasps for his roles on Black Saturday and for the 2019-20 Bushfires. He is also a Life Member of CFA.
“I am humbled to receive an AFSM in today’s honours,” Mark said. “It’s just nice to know that someone thought that much of me to nominate me.
“Working in the emergency services is a privilege in many ways. We are there helping people on their worst day. But the challenges you face, you can’t do on your own, and that’s when fellow agencies whether local, interstate or international are there to support you. The value of teamwork in our sector is the best thing you can take away.”