Phil Koperberg AO AFSM BEM

Phil Koperberg started as a volunteer firefighter in the Blue Mountains in 1967 and later became the full time Fire Control Officer in one of the most fire-prone areas of NSW. In later years he became emergency services adviser to the NSW Government Minister, then Director General of the Department of Bushfire Services. After leading firefighting efforts as Bushfire Service Commissioner during the statewide 1994 bushfires, he established the NSW Rural Fire Service. In 2007, he was elected to the NSW Parliament and served as Minister for Climate Change, Environment and Water. After leaving Parliament, he was appointed as Chair of the NSW Emergency Management Committee, responsible for advising the NSW Government on emergency response strategies.