Australia needs a unified body to manage major emergencies, the ACT's emergency services chief said on Thursday.
Commissioner Peter Dunn said it was time for a national crisis centre, a single organisation to handle both natural and man-made emergencies.
"Currently, we have a system where if we are dealing with a terrorist initiated event, coordination occurs simultaneously up two chains," Commissioner Dunn said.
"I would argue that having two chains is not a success story.
"I believe the time has come to consider a national crisis centre."
Commissioner Dunn was speaking as Canberra continues to recover from the horrific bushfires of January 2003.
Inquiries into the fires which razed 500 homes revealed communication between interstate emergency services had to be improved.
Commissioner Dunn said a national crisis centre would streamline communication between authorities.
"I think we have real problems if we don't recognise the reality of unity of coordination," he said.
Commissioner Dunn also called on the government to contribute more money to emergency response capabilities.
"There has been a massive investment in prevention but response and recovery funding has not seen the same level of investment," he said.
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