Fire And Emergency Act 1996

• Jurisdiction: Northern Territory
• Year: 1996
• Type of Document: Acts

NORTHERN TERRITORY OF AUSTRALIA

FIRE AND EMERGENCY ACT 1996

As in force at 10 February 2026

Table of provisions

Part 1 Preliminary matters

1 Short title ......................................................................................... 1

2 Commencement .............................................................................. 1

3 Interpretation ................................................................................... 1

4 Emergency response areas ............................................................. 4

Part 2 Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service

Division 1 Establishment of Northern Territory Fire and

Rescue Service

5 Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service .................................... 5

6 Role of Fire and Rescue Service ..................................................... 5

7 Commissioner of Fire and Emergency Services .............................. 6

7A Acting Commissioner ....................................................................... 7

8 Chief Officer ..................................................................................... 8

8A Approved forms ............................................................................... 8

9 Powers and functions of Chief Officer ............................................. 8

10 Delegation ....................................................................................... 9

Division 2 Establishment of fire and emergency

response groups

11 Establishment of fire and emergency response groups ................... 9

12 Operation of fire and emergency response group ........................... 9

Division 3 Auxiliary members and volunteer members

13 Auxiliary members ........................................................................... 9

14 Volunteer members ....................................................................... 10

15 Protection of employment rights .................................................... 10

Division 4 Operation of Northern Territory Fire and

Rescue Service

16 Powers and functions of members ................................................ 10

17 General orders ............................................................................... 10

Fire and Emergency Act 1996 ii

Part 3 Fires and other emergencies

Division 1 Dealing with fires and other emergencies

18 Members to attend all incidents ..................................................... 11

19 Incident commander ...................................................................... 11

20 Powers of incident commander ..................................................... 12

21 Authority of incident commander to be recognised ........................ 15

Division 2 Investigations of fires and other emergencies

22 Fire investigators ........................................................................... 15

23 Powers of fire investigators ............................................................ 16

24 Fire investigations .......................................................................... 16

Division 3 Prevention of fires and other emergencies

24A Definition........................................................................................ 17

25 Hazard reduction powers of entry and inspection .......................... 17

26 Review of requirement ................................................................... 19

27 Liability where notice not complied with ......................................... 20

27A Certain buildings to be inspected regularly .................................... 20

27B Certain buildings may be treated as within different prescribed

class .............................................................................................. 21

Part 4 Restrictions on lighting fires

Division 1 Fires in open air

28 General prohibition against lighting fires in open air ...................... 21

29 Lawful fires .................................................................................... 22

30 Granting of permits ........................................................................ 22

Division 2 Fire ban days

31 Declaration of fire ban days ........................................................... 22

32 Fires prohibited on fire ban days ................................................... 23

Part 5 Responsibilities of occupiers of land in

relation to fires

33 Occupier to extinguish fire ............................................................. 23

34 Power of occupier to enter land etc. .............................................. 23

Part 6 Offences

Division 1 Offences relating to fires

35 General offences ........................................................................... 24

Fire and Emergency Act 1996 iii

36 Fires to be extinguished ................................................................ 25

Division 2 Offences in relation to Fire and Rescue

Service

37 Delivery of property ....................................................................... 26

38 Communication of information ....................................................... 26

39 Personation ................................................................................... 26

40 Offering bribe ................................................................................. 26

Part 7 Miscellaneous matters

41 Restrictions on sale of notified articles .......................................... 27

42 Damage within insurance policy .................................................... 27

43 Fees and charges .......................................................................... 27

44 Commissioned ranks ..................................................................... 29

45 Fire and Rescue Service Gazette .................................................. 29

47 Protection of members .................................................................. 29

48 Liability of person for fire lit by agent or employee ......................... 29

49 Criminal liability of executive officer of body corporate .................. 29

50 Evidence in proceedings ............................................................... 31

51 Commencement of prosecutions ................................................... 31

52 General penalty ............................................................................. 31

53 Continuing offence ......................................................................... 31

54 Regulations .................................................................................... 31

Part 8 Transitional matters for Statute Law

Amendment (Directors' Liability) Act 2015

55 Offences – before and after commencement ................................. 33

Part 9 Transitional matters for Fire and

Emergency Legislation Amendment Act

2024

56 Definition........................................................................................ 33

57 Chief Fire Officer ........................................................................... 33

58 Actions, agreement and arrangements .......................................... 34

ENDNOTES