The Canberra Fire Brigade was established under the Department of Home and Territories by June 1924. The Chief Fire Officer was charged with fire prevention and fighting, the maintenance of watchmen's' clock systems, fire alarms and fire equipment, the inspection of explosive magazines and enforcement of ordinances relating to fire prevention and control. The First officer-in-charge and later Chief Fire Officer was PF Douglas. The Brigade was headquartered at Empire Circuit, Forrest from June 1924, on the site of the old Narrabundah School.

Administration of the Forrest Fire Station, Canberra Fire Brigade has undergone some complex changes, involving two levels of administrative responsibility. From its creation in 1924 until 1958, the Forrest Fire Station, Canberra Fire Brigade was directly administered by a number of different successive sub-agencies under a Department of State. These sub-agencies handled all administration; staffing, leave, pay, equipment and implementation of major policy initiatives.

An extra level was added to this pattern when in 1958 administration of the Forrest Fire Station, Canberra Fire Brigade was handed over to the NSW Board of Fire Commissioners. The Board was thereafter entrusted with the staffing, training, equipment and financing of the Forrest Fire Station, and with the Ainslie, Phillip and Belconnen Fire Stations when opened in 1962, 1967 and 1971 respectively. Under this arrangement nominal administrative responsibility remained with the appropriate sub-agency, with ultimate Ministerial responsibility under the Department of State.

In April 1975 the Canberra Fire Brigade was returned to the Department of the Capital Territory to be directly administered by a sub-section of the City Manager's Office.

In April 1975 the Canberra Fire Brigade became the ACT Fire Brigade, with control of fire services in the ACT being removed from the NSW Fire Brigade. The position of Commissioner was created; the Commissioner is responsible for the control and management of the ACT Fire Brigade and exercises the powers and functions of Chief Officer of the Brigade.