The NSW Rural Fire Service was established in 1997 and includes over 2,000 volunteer rural fire brigades with a total membership of over 73,000 volunteers. The Service is the world’s largest volunteer fire service with members providing fire and emergency services to approximately 95 percent of NSW. It provides training programs for volunteers, fire and related agencies, and is a registered training organisation (RTO).
NSW Rural Fire Service’s functional Records Retention and disposal Authority FA326 was identified as being due for review in 2022 by State Records NSW. The authority was more than 10 years old and changes in legislation and operating environments had impacted records retention requirements identified in FA326.
Records Retention and Disposal authorities are key recordkeeping tools, clearly established in industry and professional standards as a means of helping organisations manage records, identifying those records with long term value and meet compliance requirements. Authorities are designed based on an analysis of the core business functions and activities, legal and regulatory requirements and organisational risks. They provide agencies with a tool to make decisions about how long records should be kept for, and when records can be disposed of or transferred to the appropriate body as a State Archive.
The NSW Rural Fire Service engaged RKIC to perform a gap analysis of their current functional retention and disposal authority and to develop an updated version for approval by State Records NSW. Through comprehensive analysis, RKIC identified areas requiring updates and provided the NSW Rural Fire Service with modernised retention rules tailored to their operational needs. These updated guidelines enable the organisation to effectively manage its records and information, ensuring compliance with legal requirements while supporting operational efficiency and accountability.
RKIC played a critical role in updating the NSW Rural Fire Service’s functional Records Retention and Disposal Authority. Our work included:
The collaboration between Recordkeeping Innovation and the NSW Rural Fire Service delivered significant benefits, ensuring that the organisation could effectively address its records retention challenges. These outcomes reflect a comprehensive approach to modernising and streamlining records management, aligning with legislative requirements, and fostering operational excellence. Results achieved include:
Explore how Recordkeeping Innovation’s advanced Recordkeeping Control Tools can simplify your organisation’s records management processes while ensuring full compliance. Our metadata-driven tools are system-independent, designed to seamlessly integrate recordkeeping capabilities into any system.
With decades of industry-leading expertise across various sectors, we empower organisations to retain valuable information while eliminating the burden of redundant records and data.
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Recordkeeping Innovation is an industry-leading Australian provider of expert records, knowledge, and information governance consulting services.
