@article {bnh-8332, title = {Engaging communities to prepare for natural hazards: a conceptual model}, journal = {Natural Hazards}, year = {2022}, month = {03/2022}, abstract = {

Natural hazard preparation by communities reduces disaster-induced physical health problems and adverse experiences, lowers potential for post-traumatic stress disorders, and aids faster recovery. However, approaches to community engagement for preparedness vary widely leaving those responsible confused and often overwhelmed. This study builds on natural hazards behavior, community development, participatory, and codesign research to understand current community engagement approaches in an Australian context. Key principles for engaging communities were operationalized from document analysis and interviews with 30 community engagement practitioners from 25 Australian emergency management agencies. A thematic analysis of the agency documents and interviews led to a visualization of the pathway to community-led preparedness with the iterative community-centered engagement model for preparedness. The model reflects both current practice and aspirations. It contributes theoretically to a collaborative community-led engagement approach for risk personalization and protective action by highlighting the need to develop a deep understanding of the specific features of local communities. The model maps a pathway through different levels of community engagement toward the ultimate aim of a community-led approach to natural hazards preparation. It recognizes the changing circumstances and the situation of communities within their environment, and the barriers and enablers to support community-led preparedness. The model is significant in that it delivers a practical framework for engagement practitioners to build capacity in their communities and support their local communities to prepare for natural hazards and build relational capital for longer-term resilience.

}, keywords = {community engagement, Community-centered, model, Multi-hazard, Preparedness, risk mitigation}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1007/s11069-022-05290-2}, url = {https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11069-022-05290-2}, author = {Kim Johnston and Maureen Taylor and Barbara Ryan} } @article {bnh-8322, title = {Recognising and measuring competency in natural hazard preparation: A preparedness competency index}, journal = {International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction}, volume = {73}, year = {2022}, month = {03/2022}, abstract = {

With weather-related natural hazards increasing in number and severity, it is more important than ever for communities to prepare for all types of hazards. However, the literature does not reveal what such preparedness looks like {\textendash} how much preparation is enough and, conversely, how low levels of preparation can be easily recognised by emergency agencies. This study maps Australian emergency agency understanding of competencies that are needed by individuals and communities for effective preparation.

Using in-depth semi-structured interviews of 30 emergency agency, local council and not-for-profit organisation staff from all Australian states, participants identified a range of community and individual features that they had seen in un-prepared and well-prepared communities and which they believed were key competencies for protective action. These competencies were then mapped against participants{\textquoteright} perceptions of five different levels of preparation, resulting in a Preparedness Competency Index that allows agencies to benchmark preparation in communities, as well as to recognise when lack of preparation competency leaves groups vulnerable.

}, keywords = {community, Competency, Natural hazards, Preparedness, protective action}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2022.102882}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420922001017?via\%3Dihub}, author = {Barbara Ryan and Kim Johnston and Maureen Taylor} } @article {bnh-8136, title = {Capability Maturity Assessment facilitators guide}, number = {681}, year = {2021}, month = {07/2021}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {MELBOURNE}, abstract = {

Catastrophic events pose unique challenges and are inevitable. Previous reviews have highlighted gaps in Australia{\textquoteright}s preparedness for catastrophic disasters. Australia has no recent experience of a catastrophe that has truly overwhelmed our society.

An essential component of planning for severe-to-catastrophic disasters is to develop an understanding of capability maturity to deliver the desired effect. Knowledge of capability gaps can then be used to enhance planning and identify alternate sources of capability.

The Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements stated:

Jurisdictional approaches to capacity and capability development have served fire and emergency services well in the past. However, climate and demographic changes are likely to increase the demand on fire and emergency services. The ability of individual jurisdictions to meet this demand at peak times is likely to become increasingly difficult, prompting a need for increased resource sharing. There is a need to consider capabilities nationally, and for a more consistent and connected approach to capability planning across jurisdictions.

The Australian Disaster Preparedness Framework outlines a direction to improve understanding of national capability in the context of severe-to-catastrophic disasters.

Purpose

This guide provides instructions on how to conduct a first-pass capability maturity assessment for a jurisdiction to identify capability gaps and development priorities.

Audience

This guide is directed towards those who may manage or participate in the capability maturity assessment process.

}, keywords = {assessment, Capability, Emergency management, guide, maturity, Policy, Preparedness, tool}, issn = {681}, author = {Andrew Gissing} } @article {bnh-6964, title = {Community engagement for disaster preparedness: A systematic literature review}, journal = {International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction}, year = {2020}, month = {05/2020}, abstract = {

Disaster management agencies invest differing levels of resources into guiding communities to get ready for a range of hazards, and are increasingly turning to community engagement as a way of increasing preparedness. This paper presents a systematic literature review that reports on the effect of community communication and engagement techniques that have been used in a hazard preparedness context. The review findings suggest that most community engagement techniques are effective in generating some level of increased preparedness. For techniques that were found not to work, lack of benchmarking research, context and skill levels of those implementing the engagement were thought to be at fault rather than structural or conceptual problems with the technique itself. Face to face techniques were more consistently successful than mass media campaigns. However, all of the intervention types reported had some measure of success, even though there were individual failures. The 41 studies included used a wide variety of research methods that also varied greatly in rigor and replicability. Agency efforts to engage communities in preparedness should include a wide range of techniques that work together to change behaviour, including face-to-face community engagement that triggers and supports community-led preparedness activity.

}, keywords = {community engagement, Community engagement tools, hazard, Preparedness, risk reduction}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2020.101655}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2212420919317893?via\%3Dihub}, author = {Barbara Ryan and Kim Johnston and Maureen Taylor and Ryan McAndrew} } @article {bnh-6995, title = {A systematic literature review of effectiveness of community engagement for preparedness techniques}, number = {514}, year = {2020}, month = {06/2020}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

This systematic literature review originally aimed to provide detail of the effect of disaster preparedness activities by individuals on their household{\textquoteright}s safety and coping during a natural hazard. The aim was presented as:

To present an index of what has been found to be the most effective household/personal preparedness activities across a range of hazards.

However, as the review proceeded, two things indicated to the research team that the focus of the project needed to be reviewed.

Firstly, no articles were found that effectively measured the effect of any single preparedness activity on the safety or coping of people in a natural hazard. This is explained further in the report.

Secondly, the review process uncovered significant numbers of studies that had measured the effect of community engagement techniques.\  At this point, the research team decided to add an engagement tools evaluation to the review and present the results of both aspects of the preparedness picture, with this additional overall aim:

To present a review of community engagement techniques and their levels of success.

This report details the process and outcomes of the systematic literature review component of the project.

It documents a systematic literature review that is part of a larger Bushfire and Natural Hazards Co-operative Research Centre project, Mapping Approaches to Community Engagement for Preparedness in Australia.

As a systematic literature review, it uses protocols already employed by disaster social scientists (such as Miller et al., 2017) and is informed by the Campbell Collaboration and similar protocols for these types of documents. The review builds on the work of a number of researchers (Dunlop, McNeill, Boylan, Morrison, \& Skinner, 2014a). Dunlop et al. 2014; Heagele 2016; Kohn et al., 2012; Uscher-Pines et al., 2013) to identify most effective and therefore most important preparation activities.\ \  The objectives of the project were to:

  1. Collate a list of personal preparedness activities that have been examined for their effect around the world, and these examinations published in English
  2. Collate a list of all of the community engagement tools and techniques that have been evaluated around the world and these examinations published in English
  3. Review the success or otherwise of these tools in quantifiable terms
  4. Emerge from the review with a tool kit for community communication and engagement containing a wide range of tools for a variety of circumstances

Four research questions guided this systematic literature review:

  1. What are the most effective household/personal preparedness activities across a range of hazards?
  2. What philosophical or engagement frameworks are being used or examined in the literature?
  3. What tools are being used to engage communities?
  4. What research methods were used to evaluate these tools or programs?

Using a systematically developed set of search terms that focused on preparedness activity , we searched a range of databases and secured 1,331 articles.\  In addition, we searched a range of grey literature sites and found a further 120 possibilities. After a search for duplicates, we had a database of 1,451 studies.\  Two screening processes were then employed {\textendash} searches of titles and abstracts, at which point, 1,328 studies were discarded because they were off topic, about recovery, conceptually off track, dealt with human-generated hazards, used descriptive data, or researched agency responses instead of community.

At this point we realised that studies researching the effect of discrete preparedness activities were not emerging and that community engagement techniques were.\  Once a decision was made to also consider community engagement techniques, the process was repeated for the same result. The search was effective for both because of the focus on preparedness activity, which is also an effect of good community engagement.\  Articles were then read in full to assess eligibility on the same criteria as the previous step, with 82 excluded at this point, leaving 41 articles for review.

The next step was the review the articles with each of the objectives in mind.

Objective 1 was not achieved because of the lack of research undertaken on this topic.

Objective 2 was collation of a list of community engagement tools used and evaluated around the world and this is presented in table form.\  The engagement techniques ranged from our own strategic community fire safety programs such as Community Fire Safe and FireGuard, to one off tools such as gaming simulations, exercises and co-design workshops.\  It also included information and education tools, some of which were shown to be effective.

Objective 3 related to a review of the success or otherwise of these engagement tools.\  Evaluation methods ranged from statistically rigorous pre and post surveys, as well as some attempts at longitudinal studies, to observation of workshop activity.\  Because of the systematic review process, research quality has been calculated and reported according to formulae developed for this process. The outcomes and quality are summarised in Tables 5 and 6, but detailed further in the report.

Objective 4 related to emergence of a toolkit of community engagement techniques that is also a deliverable for the wider project.\  The toolkit is detailed in raw form in Table 5, and articulated in more detail in Section 3.5.\  A toolkit format that sits more comfortably outside the systematic literature review and is more easily used by practitioners has been developed as a deliverable of the larger project and is available on the BNHRC website.

We have made recommendations arising from the limitations that we encountered in undertaking this study.\  The key of these limitations was that agencies establish a more systematic process of evaluation, and a more scheduled subsequent sharing of program and technique evaluation results.\  As well, agencies have taken the lead on preparedness checklists as an easy mechanism for the community to undertake preparedness.\  Academic research has followed, but has overlooked testing the assumptions on which these checklists rest.\ 

Household preparation techniques are backed by fire science, and building and property codes subsequently based on this science, but personal safety and coping preparation activities have not been tested for efficacy. We recommend from this limitation that the effect of discrete preparedness activities be tested, and we have suggested research techniques that could be used. Thirdly, the studies we reviewed lacked consistency and rigour, making comparisons difficult and context hard to determine.\ \  We believe that industry and academia could collaborate to develop minimum requirements for such research that enables full closure of the community preparedness knowledge loop.

}, keywords = {community engagement, literature review, Preparedness}, issn = {514}, author = {Barbara Ryan and Kim Johnston and Maureen Taylor and Ryan McAndrew} } @conference {bnh-6530, title = {Climate Ready Communities: empowering communities to spread climate preparedness messaging and take local action}, booktitle = {AFAC19 powered by INTERSCHUTZ - Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forum}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, publisher = {Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience}, organization = {Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change has articulated an urgent need to address climate change in its recent report on the impacts of global warming of 1.5{\textdegree}C. Even the most optimistic projections indicate the inevitability of some increase in global temperatures, even if emissions were to be significantly reduced today. With the most vulnerable likely to be the hardest hit by changing weather patterns driving natural hazards of increased severity and frequency, it is essential that communities have access to resources and support to adapt.\ 

Download the full non-peer reviewed research proceedings\ from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forumhere.

}, keywords = {Climate change, communities, community support, Global warming, local action, Preparedness, resources}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/australian-journal-of-emergency-management-monograph-series/}, author = {Nick Banks and Dani Austin} } @article {bnh-6373, title = {Defining pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters: A Delphi study}, journal = {PLoS ONE}, volume = {14}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, abstract = {

Introduction Pharmacists are uniquely placed in the community to be of assistance to disaster-affected patients. However, the roles undertaken by pharmacists in disasters are identified based on their own experiences and networks. There is currently no definition or acknowledgment of pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters.

Objective To acquire consensus from an expert panel of key opinion leaders within the field of disaster health on pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters throughout the four disaster phases{\textemdash}prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery.

Methods A Delphi study consisting of three rounds of online surveys was utilised. Twenty-four key opinion leaders were contacted, with 15 completing all three rounds. The 15 expert panellists were presented with 46 roles identified in the literature and asked to rank their opinions on a 5-point Likert scale. This study used an international, all-hazard, and multijurisdictional approach. Consensus was benchmarked at 80\% and any role which did not reach consensus was re-queried in the subsequent round. The third round provided the results of the Delphi study and sought commentary on the acceptance or rejection of the roles.

Results Of the 46 roles provided to the expert panel, 43 roles were accepted as roles pharmacists are capable of undertaking in a disaster. There were five roles for the prevention phase, nine for the preparedness phase, 21 for the response phase, and eight for the recovery phase. The experts were asked to prioritise the top five roles for each of the disaster phases. The three roles which did not make consensus were deemed to be specialised roles for disaster pharmacists and not generalisable to the broader pharmacy profession.

Conclusion This study identifies pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters which have been accepted by the international disaster health community. The international key opinion leaders recommended that pharmacists could be undertaking 43 roles in a disaster, however, this is dependent on individual jurisdiction considerations. Pharmacy professional associations need to advocate to policymakers for legislative support and to ensure pharmacists are equipped with the training and education required to undertake these roles within specific jurisdictions.

}, keywords = {Delphi, disaster, Pharmacists, Preparedness, prevention, recovery, response}, doi = { https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0227132}, url = {https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0227132}, author = {Kaitlyn Watson and Judith Singleton and Vivienne Tippett and Lisa Nissen} } @conference {bnh-6532, title = {JASMIN: a high-resolution soil moisture analysis system for fire prediction}, booktitle = {AFAC19 powered by INTERSCHUTZ - Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forum}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, publisher = {Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience}, organization = {Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Soil moisture is found to be a key factor that influences fuel moisture content. Consequently, operational forest fire prediction systems typically include soil moisture as one of the inputs for fire behaviour calculations. The soil moisture input to these fire prediction models is usually provided in the form of moisture deficit. There is evidence that the current operational methods used in Australia for fire prediction perform poorly in estimating soil moisture status. A research project was initiated in partnership with the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre to develop an advanced, state-of-the-art soil moisture analysis for Australia. Consequently, a prototype, high-resolution, land surface modelling-based soil moisture analysis called JULES based Soil Moisture Information (JASMIN) has been developed. JASMIN can provide hourly moisture estimates for four soil layers, at a spatial resolution of 5 km.

The present paper will discuss the evaluation of JASMIN carried out against observations from ground-based networks. Among the results, the mean Pearson{\textquoteright}s correlation for surface soil moisture across three in-situ networks is found to be between 0.78 and 0.85. We also focus on the research carried out to downscale the JASMIN product from 5 km to 1 km spatial resolution. The downscaling research is motivated by the desirable impact a higher resolution soil moisture product can provide for fire prediction, considering the high spatial variability in soil moisture and fuel moisture. We discuss the application of three downscaling algorithms: two regressionbased methods and one with a theoretical basis. The three methods applied in the present study are based on the information derived from characterizing a two-dimensional surface temperature/vegetation index scatterplot domain obtained from thermal and optical remote sensing observations. We present an overview of the application of each method, along with an evaluation against ground-based soil moisture observations. Evaluation results indicate that the regression methods, in general, fail to capture the observed temporal variability. The theoretically based method, on the other hand, provides a temporal correlation of 0.81 and captures the skill of the parent JASMIN product.

Download the full non-peer reviewed research proceedings\ from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forumhere.

}, keywords = {analysis system, fire prediction, Preparedness, risk management, Soil moisture}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/australian-journal-of-emergency-management-monograph-series/}, author = {Vinod Kumar and Imtiaz Dharssi and Paul Fox-Hughes} } @article {bnh-5594, title = {Public health and natural hazards: new policies and preparedness initiatives developed from an Australian bushfire case study}, journal = {Australian and New Zealand Journal of Public Health}, year = {2019}, month = {05/2019}, abstract = {

Objective: Public preparedness for natural hazard events is low. With worsening severe weather events due to climate change, public health policy and practices must evolve to more effectively engage communities. This study{\textquoteright}s findings identify and suggest new strategic public health policies to shift the practice of all-hazards preparedness into routine, everyday life.

Methods: Semi-structured interviews, focus groups and Thematic Analysis were used to investigate the interactions between participant groups: emergency responders and animal owners.

Results: Three policies designed to improve human safety and well-being are proposed and discussed. These are (i) a new system of workplace leave, (ii) an innovative regime of financial incentives for fire-ready properties, and (iii) review of the use of firebreaks on farms and rural blocks.

Conclusion: Policies proposed in this research aim to proactively narrow the awareness-preparedness gap and build adaptive capacity to minimise risk to human health in all-hazards contexts. Further research could evaluate the efficacy of trialled public policy.

Implications for public health: These new policies seek to contribute to establishing and maintaining a culture of preparedness as a routine aspect of everyday life, and thus promote and protect public health in the short, medium and long terms.

}, keywords = {animal owners, Bushfire, emergency responders, Preparedness, public health policy}, doi = {https://doi.org/10.1111/1753-6405.12897}, url = {https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1753-6405.12897}, author = {Rachel Westcott and Kevin Ronan and Hillary Bambrick and Mel Taylor} } @conference {bnh-6526, title = {Research activities within European Union research program for improving preparedness and resilience }, booktitle = {AFAC19 powered by INTERSCHUTZ - Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forum}, year = {2019}, month = {12/2019}, publisher = {Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience}, organization = {Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The International Emergency Management Society (TIEMS) is an international not for profit non-profit organisation, registered in Belgium, operating in its 26th year. TIEMS has chapters in 14 countries around the world and is in the process of establishing three new chapters this year. TIEMS activities comprise international conferences and workshops; research and development activities; and education, training and certification programs. TIEMS{\textquoteright}s slogan is: Preparedness saves lives.

Since 2006 TIEMS has participated as a consortium partner in European Union (EU) Research and Technology Development (RTD) programs to improve emergency preparedness. In addition, TIEMS experts have been members of user groups and advisory boards for a variety of other EU projects focusing on preparedness in Europe and worldwide. The present running EU program is Horizon 2020, which will have invested more than 100 billion Euro in RTD by the end of 2020, by EU RTD funding and private investment.

Four EU projects where TIEMS has been a consortium partner are: NARTUS (addressing important public safety communication issues); ASSET (improving trust between authorities and the public for pandemics and epidemics); HERACLES (protecting cultural heritage sites towards climate change), and DG ECHO Wildfire HUB (establishing an expert HUB in Europe to support wildfire fighting and to serve as a prototype for additional expert HUB{\textquoteright}s for other disasters in Europe). This paper summarizes the approaches developed by these programs to improve emergency preparedness.

TIEMS has also launched its own internal RTD project to develop a curriculum and on-line system for TIEMS International Certification {\textendash} TQC, which aims to become an internationally recognised certification of qualifications in international emergency management. This paper describes the structure and operational aspects of TQC.

Download the full non-peer reviewed research proceedings\ from the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forumhere.

}, keywords = {Emergency management, Preparedness, protection, research program, resilience}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/australian-journal-of-emergency-management-monograph-series/}, author = {Drager, Kaare H and Robertson, Thomas} } @mastersthesis {bnh-5696, title = {The roles of pharmacists in disaster health management in natural and anthropogenic disasters}, year = {2019}, month = {06/2019}, school = {Queensland University of Technology}, address = {Brisbane}, abstract = {

This study investigated pharmacists{\textquoteright} roles in disasters and identified the acceptance and expectations of pharmacists throughout the different stages of a disaster. Taking an all-hazard and inclusive approach, this research included key stakeholders from international disaster and emergency management organisations as well as pharmacy organisations. Pharmacists{\textquoteright} skills and knowledge are typically underutilised in disasters and it was identified that their abilities extend beyond the traditional role of logistics and supply management. There are multiple practice areas in a disaster in which a pharmacist{\textquoteright}s expertise could be valuable in patient care, logistics, governance, and public health.

}, keywords = {Disaster management, disasters, Logistics, Patient care, Pharmacists, Preparedness, prevention, recovery, response, Roles}, url = {https://eprints.qut.edu.au/130757/}, author = {Kaitlyn Watson} } @article {bnh-4690, title = {Bushfire Preparedness, Planning, and Response among Animal Guardians: A South Australian Case Study}, journal = {PLOS Current Disasters}, year = {2018}, month = {08/2018}, abstract = {

Animal ownership has been identified as a risk factor for human survivability of natural disasters. Animal guardians have been reported to react or act in ways that may put their own safety and that of emergency services personnel at risk when faced with a natural disaster. Recent research has suggested that this risk factor could be reconfigured as a protective factor, whereby desires to save animals from natural disaster harm could motivate increased planning and preparedness behaviours amongst animal guardians. However, there has been no research to determine if bushfire planning and response behaviours differ between pet owners with low and high attachment; and how the relationship may differ in relation to small or large animals. Methods and procedure: We investigated the relationship between people{\textquoteright}s emotional attachment to different types of pets and their preparation and actions during the Pinery bushfire in South Australia in November 2015. Thirty-four people who were impacted by the fire participated in an online survey. Data were collected about their preparedness, planning and response behaviours as well as their animal attachment (high or low). Results: We identified 10 characteristics (behaviours, attributes, skills and beliefs) associated with high animal attachment scores, and eight associated with low animal attachment scores. Discussion: Our discussion of the differences in demographics, preparedness, planning and response characteristics of participants with high and low animal attachment confirms research suggesting that animal guardians take risks to save their animals during disasters. Our findings also support recent propositions that animal attachment and ownership could be used to increase the natural disaster preparedness and survivability of animal guardians. However, making sure that animal attachment functions as a protective factor requires active and effective intervention through education, behaviour change and social marketing strategies. Whilst our study is high in ecological validity, future research with larger samples sizes is required to determine the generalisability of our findings to animal owners and guardians in other locations, facing fires with other characteristics, especially for owners and guardians with low levels of attachment.

}, keywords = {animals, disasters, Emergency management, Planning, Preparedness, response.}, doi = {10.6084}, url = {http://currents.plos.org/disasters/article/bushfire-preparedness-planning-and-response-among-animal-guardians-a-south-australian-case-study/}, author = {O{\textquoteright}Dwyer, Lisel and Kirrilly Thompson} } @article {bnh-4689, title = {Community values survey}, year = {2018}, month = {08/2018}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

Values are the basis of decision-making. They direct the beliefs that determine what is most important and so underpin desirable goals that motivate action (Schwartz, 2012, p4).
Understanding similar and differing values is increasingly being used by organisations as a way to understand gaps between their organization, clients and communities they serve. For emergency management services to better represent the diversity of the communities they service, they need to not just understand the demographics of those communities, but also the values across their communities, particularly in relation to diversity.
This study undertook a community survey across 539 community members to ascertain values and attitudes in relation to Emergency Management Organisations (EMO). The survey used Schwartz{\textquoteright}s measurement of values, comprised of ten different values, based around four key areas: openness to change, self-transcendence, conservation and self-enhancement, as a basis. Questions from the Schwartz values study were amalgamated with the World Values Survey to develop the survey. The demographic varied across age, gender and cultural spectrums.
The data from this survey provide a baseline for understanding existing community values relating to diversity and inclusion. These results will be compared to those held by EMOs and their staff in later work. This has potential to help discern where there may be significant similarities and differences between EMS organisations and the community that influence current and future strength and capability of diversity and inclusion in the emergency management sector.

}, keywords = {decision-making, diversity, Emergency management, inclusion, multi-hazard., Preparedness, response}, issn = {365}, author = {Craig Cormick} } @article {bnh-4676, title = {Flood levee influences on community preparedness: a paradox?}, journal = {Australian Journal of Emergency Management }, volume = {33}, year = {2018}, month = {07/2018}, pages = {5}, chapter = {39}, abstract = {

Flood levees are a commonly used method of flood protection. Previous research has proposed the concept of the {\textquoteleft}levee paradox{\textquoteright} to describe the situation whereby the construction of levees leads to a lowered community awareness of the risks of flooding and increased development in the {\textquoteleft}protected{\textquoteright} area. The consequences of this are the risks of larger losses in less frequent but deeper floods\ when levees overtop or fail. This paper uses the recent history of flooding and levee construction to investigate the {\textquoteleft}levee paradox{\textquoteright} through a study of flood preparedness and floodplain development in Lismore, NSW.

}, keywords = {communities, emergency management., Flood, levee, Preparedness}, url = {https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/ajem-jul-2018-flood-levee-influences-on-community-preparedness-a-paradox/}, author = {Andrew Gissing and Jonathan Van Leeuwen and Matalena Tofa and Katharine Haynes} } @article {bnh-2755, title = {Examining bushfire policy in action: Preparedness and behaviour in the 2009 Black Saturday fires}, journal = {Environmental Science \& Policy}, volume = {63}, year = {2016}, month = {09/2016}, chapter = {55}, abstract = {

An important part of reducing the risk of disaster is the preparedness of the people at risk. Australian bushfire authorities have policies and publicity about what households should do to be prepared {\textendash} which include knowledge about fire risk, awareness of one{\textquoteright}s own risk, taking specific steps to reduce risk including having an emergency plan. Yet, there is sparse empirical evidence about the link between preparedness and actual behaviour in the face of a major disaster.

The authors had an opportunity to examine the circumstances surrounding the 172 civilian fatalities which occurred in the 2009 Victorian {\textquoteleft}Black Saturday{\textquoteright} bushfires, through the examination of a detailed fatality dataset compiled by the Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission. This dataset allows detailed examination of Victorian bushfire safety policy ({\textquoteleft}Stay or go{\textquoteright}) in action on a day of extreme fire danger: from preparedness (both before and on the day of the fire) to behaviour on the day of the fire itself.

This analysis presents three overarching findings. First, some aspects of {\textquoteleft}Stay or go{\textquoteright} appear to be supported: being well-prepared to evacuate remains the safest option in a bushfire; sheltering passively is very dangerous. Second, successful implementation of {\textquoteleft}Stay or go{\textquoteright} depends on a multitude of factors, which can challenge even the most capable householders. Third, events like Black Saturday challenge the {\textquoteleft}Stay or go{\textquoteright} approach, and indicate the need for a different approach on extreme fire danger days. We conclude by reflecting on the findings from this research in terms of the most recent changes to bushfire policy in Victoria.

}, keywords = {Behaviour, Preparedness, Safety policy, Vulnerability, Wildfire}, doi = {doi:10.1016/j.envsci.2016.05.011}, url = {http://authors.elsevier.com/a/1T6tW5Ce0rOF7M}, author = {John Handmer and O{\textquoteright}Neill, Saffron J} }