Out of Uniform project team - at 2014 Adelaide Research Advisory Forum
Newsletter 1, May 5th, 2014
Contents
1. Welcome 2. Project outline 3. Project End Users 4. Progress update 5. Upcoming events 6. Other matters / Things we would like from you 7. Project contacts
1. Welcome
Firstly, we would like to welcome all of our End Users and other interested parties to the project. It was great to meet some of you in Adelaide and we thank you for your contributions and feedback on the project. We look forward to working closely with you over the next three years.
2. Project outline
There is a significant and largely untapped opportunity for state emergency management agencies to contribute to building community resilience to natural hazards by supporting and engaging with non-traditional emergency volunteers – and volunteering organisations – in new ways. This project has three key objectives:
• To identify how non-traditional emergency volunteering contributes to building community resilience to disasters throughout different phases of emergency management.
• To identify ways the emergency management sector in Australia and New Zealand can promote community resilience through support of non-traditional emergency volunteering.
• To develop and evaluate alternative models for emergency volunteering in Australia and New Zealand that are inclusive of non-traditional volunteering and volunteering organisations.
The following people have agreed to be End User representatives for the project. If we have missed anyone, please let us know.
• John Richardson, Red Cross
• Julie Molloy, Volunteering Queensland
• David Rae, NSW State Emergency Service
• Peter Jeffrey, Department of Community Safety and Emergency Services (QLD)
• Lucas van Rijswijk, Tasmania Fire Service
• Georgina Goodrich, Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (SA)
• Gloria Caruso, Metropolitan Fire and Emergency Services Board (VIC)
• Kate Harrup, Country Fire Authority (VIC)
• Tony Brown, Country Fire Authority (VIC)
• Ali Martin, Country Fire Authority (VIC)
4. Progress update
Work on the project began in early 2014. The first outputs from the project will be two reports: (1) a global review of literature on non-traditional emergency volunteering; and (2) a review of trends influencing emergency volunteering in Australia and New Zealand. These reports are based on a systematic review of the volunteering, emergency and disaster management research literature, as well as government and non-government reports, policies and handbooks. The review process is well underway. Drafts of the reports will be circulated for your feedback in July. If you are aware of any relevant material that exists within your organisations, please let us know.
We are also compiling evidence and examples of non-traditional emergency volunteering from Australia and abroad. Again, if you have any examples or evidence that you would like like to make sure we include, we would love to hear from you.
5. Upcoming events
A number of events are planned for the coming quarter, including:
• Josh will give a presentation on the project at the Australian Emergency Management Volunteer Forum (AEMVF) in May.
• Josh will present a paper based on the project at the 2014 Royal Geographical Society Conference in London, UK, August [note: RMIT is funding participation in this conference].
• Blythe will present a paper based on the project at the 2014 AFAC and Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC conference in Wellington, NZ, in September.
6. Other matters / Things we would like from you
• We are aware that some BNHCRC projects are having regular teleconferences to keep researchers and End Users connected. Is this something that people would be interested in? If yes, how regularly?
• If you have any examples or evidence of non-traditional volunteering that you would like us to include, please send them to Josh. Note that we are particularly interested in hearing about the 'less visible' activities, volunteers and volunteer groups (e.g. those that don't have names or websites). • If you have any items for the next newsletter (meetings, conferences, news stories etc.) please send them to Josh.
7. Project contacts
Finally, please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any questions, suggestions, feedback or concerns about the project: