The ACT has the fastest emergency response times in the country, according to an analysis of government statistics by Fire Recruitment Australia.

The study gathered data from the latest report Report on Emergency Services (2024) – Productivity Commission (Australian Government) for both ambulance and firefighter response times to produce the final ranking.

The Australian Capital Territory came in first place with a score of 73.02. The state reported the fastest average response time for triple zero calls which required ambulances, with only 16.8 minutes. 

Firefighters weren’t behind either, averaging a speedy 11.50 minutes to arrive on the scene. However, the state should not get too comfortable after seeing these results, since it actually recorded slower times than the previous year.

Next up is Queensland with a score of 62.89. Queensland has the third-fastest ambulance response time, at 25.20 minutes, and the third-fastest firefighter response time, at 12.50 minutes. Combined, these results show their emergency services’ overall preparedness.

Scoring a total of 62.86 and third on the ranking is Victoria. While ambulances take a bit longer to arrive, averaging over 28 minutes, the state has the fastest firefighter response time in the country, averaging 11.20 minutes. 

The Northern Territory is fourth on the list with a 60.93 score. Firefighter response times saw great improvement from last year, from 20.70 minutes to 13.10 minutes, meaning over a 36% cut in response time.

The state’s ambulance services took 25.70 minutes to arrive on the scene, reporting slower speeds than last year.

Western Australia is fifth on the list with a score of 52.57. Ambulances in the state manage an average response time of 21.70 minutes, while firefighters arrive on scene in an average of 16.80 minutes.

New South Wales follows closely behind with a 52.05 score. Both ambulance and firefighter response times in NSW have been steadily improving, with ambulances averaging 33 minutes and firefighters at 14 minutes. 

Tasmania is second to last with a score of 43.50. The island reported an average ambulance response time of 34.70 minutes, one of the slowest in the country. But not all is bad news, the average firefighter response time has been brought down from 19.70 minutes last year to 16.80 minutes, a decrease of almost 15%.

South Australia takes the unfortunate title of the state with the slowest emergency response times with a score of 30.77. It takes over 50 minutes for ambulances to reach emergency sites, which is a concerningly long time. On the bright, side this time is actually better than that of last year, with a 13% cut.

firefighter response times, they remained steady at 16 minutes.

A spokesperson from Fire Recruitment commented on the findings:

‘’There is a clear need for more resources and investment in emergency services nationwide to provide peace of mind to residents everywhere. 

Delays in emergency response can have life-or-death consequences. Investing in a robust emergency response system is not just about convenience, it’s about saving lives.

While some states like the ACT and Queensland demonstrate exceptional response times, even their performance dipped slightly compared to the previous year.’’