In an Australian first, all four emergency service organisations in Tasmania have come together to jointly pledge their support for the ‘Racism. It Stops with Me’ campaign.

Tasmania Police, Ambulance Tasmania, the Tasmania Fire Service and the State Emergency Service today joined with Australia’s Race Discrimination Commissioner, Dr Tim Soutphommasane and Tasmania’s Anti-Discrimination Commissioner, Robin Banks, to sign up to the national campaign.

The event coincides with Human Rights Week 3-10 December and International Human Rights Day on 10 December.

Tasmania Police Commissioner, Darren Hine, said:

“Tasmania’s emergency services are at the frontline serving the community every day. We do so without fear or favour – serving everyone regardless of who or where they have come from, whatever their background.

“It is an important statement for us to make that racism has no place in the way we operate, both as organisations and in the way our services are delivered or in the behaviour we expect within the community,” Commissioner Hine said.

“Our goal is to foster harmony and understanding. Showing respect for every individual is a fundamental underpinning of crime prevention in a vibrant and tolerant multicultural community,” he said.

“Signing this Agreement sends a strong message that there is no room for harassment or bullying on the basis of race within our community. Racism hurts people. It robs them of their dignity and it perpetuates an injustice that will not be tolerated.”

“It takes strength to stand up to racism; strength to say it is wrong and strength to let someone know that what they have said or done is offensive. At the end of the day it may also require the involvement of Tasmania Police in situations where racist behaviour makes someone feel unsafe or threatened. Signing this Agreement sends a strong signal that racism will not be tolerated, in any form.” said Commissioner Hine.

Chief Executive Officer of Ambulance Tasmania, Dominic Morgan said:

“Ambulance Tasmania, Tasmania Police, the Tasmania Fire Service and the SES provide essential services to Tasmanians in their greatest time of need. Thousands of Tasmanians have firsthand experience of the services we deliver; we are organisations that they know they can rely upon.

“It is important that all Tasmanians feel equally confident that when they call on any of our emergency service personnel they will be treated with appropriate sensitivity to their background.”

Acting Director of the SES, Andrea Heath, spoke of her organisation’s role in the community.

“We take pride in working with the community every day to make Tasmania a safer place; whether it is preparing for natural disasters or increasing awareness of emergency preparedness at community events,” she said.

“It makes sense for us as an organisation to be clear that racism and intolerance won’t be tolerated,” she said.

“Just as we reach out to everyone in times of need, we support action that emphasises what brings people together rather than divides them. The ‘Racism – It stops with me’ campaign fits that ethos nicely and we are happy to help spread the message,” Ms Heath said.

The Chief Officer of the Tasmania Fire Service, Mike Brown welcomed the opportunity for the emergency services to combine together to sign the Agreement.

“Coming together sends a strong signal that we are united in our belief that there is no room for racism in Tasmania,” Mr Brown said.

The TFS operates over 230 fire brigades across Tasmania, with over 250 career fire fighters and close to 5000 volunteers.

“We are a diverse organisation and a lot of what we do is based on getting different people to work harmoniously together. There is no room for racism either in the way we operate or in the community we serve.”