The first woman to lead a NSW emergency service agency will retire as the search for her replacement begins.
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NSW SES commissioner Carlene York has led the agency since October 2019 but will retire in May.
"While it is bittersweet to be leaving a job I love, I look forward to seeing the future achievements of the incredible SES team," she said on Thursday.
Deputy commissioners Damien Johnston and Deborah Platz will alternate as acting commissioner while a permanent head is recruited.
Ms York was the first woman to lead an emergency service agency in the state when she joined the SES after almost four decades in the NSW Police Force.
Her time at the helm coincided with several major natural disasters in the state, such as the 2019-20 Black Summer bushfires.
The SES was also called into action during repeated bouts of flooding, including severe inundation in the Northern Rivers region in 2022 that led to criticism of the agency's response.
Emergency Services Minister Jihad Dib said Ms York had a long and distinguished career serving the state.
"She leaves the NSW State Emergency Service in a stronger position to face future disasters, with a strengthened organisation a testament to her leadership," he said.
Ms York had established a positive culture among SES volunteers, improving workforce welfare and community preparedness for emergencies, Mr Dib said.
The news of her retirement follows the recent appointment of NSW Police Deputy Commissioner Mal Lanyon as acting chief executive of the state's Reconstruction Authority for six months, starting on Monday.
It rose from the ashes of Resilience NSW, set up following the Black Summer bushfires, which was scrapped after inquiries established it failed its first test in leading the disaster response following major floods in 2022.
A parliamentary inquiry found both Resilience NSW and the SES "failed as lead agencies to provide adequate leadership and effective co-ordination".
A separate inquiry into the floods, commissioned by the Berejiklian government, similarly found the SES "failed to use many of the resources that were available to it" and "did not have the operational ability to co-ordinate multiple flood rescues".
The SES launched a major recruitment campaign for new volunteers in regional areas in March.
Australian Associated Press
