FORMER Bendigo firefighter Craig Lapsley has officially been appointed Victoria's first Emergency Management Commissioner.
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A newly created position will consist of an over-arching management role during major emergencies, including bushfires, floods and other natural disasters.
Emergency Services Minister Kim Wells said Mr Lapsley had performed an outstanding job as Fire Services Commissioner, his current position, and he expected Mr Lapsley would be driven and committed in his new role.
"He will be responsible for improving the way we manage emergencies," Mr Wells said.
"These reforms will change the way we prepare for, respond to and recover from emergencies.
"It is the first major overhaul of Victoria's emergency management system since 1986.
“I am confident that Mr Lapsley’s new role, alongside our broader suite of reforms, will ensure Victoria’s emergency management system provides the best possible response to future emergencies in the state."
The Bendigo Advertiser reported last year that Mr Lapsley had been assigned the position but it could not take effect until the Victorian Parliament passed the Emergency Management Act in December 2013.
The legislation will take effect on July 1 this year.
Mr Lapsley started working for emergency services as a volunteer firefighter with the CFA.