Record-breaking Sydney showcases research

For a second straight year, the attendance record was broken at AFAC17 powered by INTERSCHUTZ, with 3,273 emergency service managers, volunteers, researchers and industry representatives gathering in Sydney from 4-7 September for the annual Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC & AFAC conference.

The conference and exhibition, held at the International Convention Centre Sydney, was a big success, with local and international leaders sharing their knowledge from a range of fields. Under the conference theme ‘Collaborating for Success – Improving performance in emergency management’ the program boasted more than 100 speakers.

The CRC's Research Forum kicked off the week, with 339 delegates hearing about how the latest Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC research is finding new ways to keep communities safe from natural hazards. This was followed by a further two days of talks from emergency managers, industry leaders and more research, and argument by the largest trade exhibition in the history of the conference.

CEO of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Dr Richard Thornton said the Research Forum was a great way to showcase the findings of CRC research.

“Findings are really flowing now from the research, and our partners are embracing the results and working hard to implement the work into their practices. It was a fantastic chance for the broader sector to see how our science is being used, as well as what is to come over the next four years,” Dr Thornton said.

Day two of the conference saw the CRC release the Southern Australia Seasonal Bushfire Outlook 2017 to a packed media conference.

Richard Thornton launches the Southern Australia Bushfire Outlook 2017

The conference closed with the professional development and field trip day, with trips looking at bushfire risk in the Blue Mountains, flood mitigation in the Hawksbury-Nepean region and the Rozelle building fire and explosion. Seven workshops also took place on learning from major incidents, geospatial intelligence, emergency management safety, resilience education at schools, prescribed burning, risk ownership and growing diversity in emergency services.

Throughout the week on Twitter, AFAC17 attendees shared approximately 3,900 conversations, encompassing a total reach of 2.2 million and trending first in Australia.

An impressive display of equipment and technology

Over three days delegates and visitors were invited to explore the largest exhibition ever staged as part of an AFAC conference. Spanning across 14,000 sqm, 189 exhibitors took part in this year’s exhibition, showcasing products, services, technology and equipment for fire and emergency services. As well as the vehicle manufacturers and supporting equipment suppliers, there were large displays of aerial solutions, breathing apparatus, communications, technology and software, confined space equipment, diesel engines, drives and generators, education and simulation providers, fire suppression, first aid and medical, hazard reduction, PPE and fabrics, rescue equipment and water rescue amongst other categories.

In addition to the comprehensive exhibition, the Expo Stage Program featured short, practical presentations aimed at operational personnel. The outdoor deck area provided an opportunity for attendees to catch live demonstrations, including a road crash rescue performed by Australasian Road Rescue Organisations. An impressive display of vehicles also featured on the outdoor deck.

Within the Exhibition the Knowledge Lounge provided delegates with an opportunity to network and engage in deeper discussions. Many keynote and invited speakers participated in the Meet the Speaker Program where they attended the Knowledge Lounge following their presentations to engage in further discussions about their projects and research. The Knowledge Lounge also included the impressive display of more than 150 conference posters, highlighting research and projects across the sector.

Conference resources available

All research resources, including the research proceedings, presentations, posters and videos are available. The October edition of The Australian Journal of Emergency Management has further peer-reviewed research papers. Papers from days two and three can be accessed via the AFAC website. Download images from the event on Flickr.