Off-duty senior Victorian firefighters can be called to check their availability during emergencies after a dispute went to the Fair Work Commission.
About one in three Metropolitan Fire Brigade officers called in sick last Saturday night, which the MFB believed was at the direction of the Firefighters Union.
The MFB said it needed to be able to call on all its resources during extreme fire danger days.
The dispute was lodged with the Fair Work Commission and Saturday's outcome means off-duty officers can be called when off duty to check their availability.
"My frustration is the fact that we do have these disputes in the most critical period," emergency management commissioner Craig Lapsley told reporters on Saturday.
"In my memory we haven't had disputes on what are absolutely critical days to the state."
Union secretary Peter Marshall said the high number of absentees was due to firefighters being unable to work after the suicides of two colleagues from the same fire station.
Mr Marshall said it was a disgrace to use the deaths of the veteran firefighters to slur others, and denied the union told members to be unavailable.
"Once again the MFB and state government have tried to denigrate firefighters with lies," Mr Marshall said.
MFB CEO Jim Higgins said the matter revolved around firefighter and community safety.
"Our people put their safety on the line every day and the community can be assured we will be there when they need us," he said.
Mr Lapsley said he did not have absentee numbers for Saturday, but all MFB trucks and stations were running.
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