A new era for disaster resilience knowledge

At the launch of the Australian Institute of Disaster Resilience (18 November) Andrew Coghlan, from the Australian Red Cross, spoke on behalf of the consortium chosen by the Australian Government to deliver emergency management training and education.

The Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council, Australian Red Cross and Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre are pleased to be working together with the Commonwealth Government to deliver professional development products and services on behalf of Emergency Management Australia.

I am speaking today on behalf of this consortium and, in particular, on behalf of my colleagues Dr Richard Thornton, of the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, and Andrew Coghlan, of the Australian Red Cross.

This is a unique point in time for Australia to advance its approach to disaster resilience and to collectively respond to the many ongoing and emerging issues in this sector. The partnership represents a wide range of emergency management expertise from operational, humanitarian and research backgrounds across all hazards. It will share and build on the extensive knowledge and experience in emergency management drawn from Australia and internationally

 Each partner involved in delivering the important work of the new Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience brings to the table a unique set of skills and strengths - which we believe will add considerable value by being greater than the sum of the parts.

Together we bring an unprecedented breadth and depth of expertise, supported by knowledge and delivery networks built over many years with our respective communities.

• AFAC – the national Council and peak body for fire and emergency services and land managers with leadership in doctrine for emergency management, professional development and networking and training.
• BNHCRC –the national centre in the sciences of natural hazards, bringing new knowledge and new thinking borne out of research, together with extensive national collaborative networks.
• Australian Red Cross – supporting local communities in preparing, responding and recovering in times of need, and providing networking, training and assistance to emergency managers.
• Attorney-General’s Emergency Management Australia – providing national policy and leadership to plan for and respond to, and minimise the impacts of disasters and hazards.

Through these combined strengths, we look forward to working with the broad emergency management sector and the Australian community to build a sound, connected, accessible and responsive Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience that has the means to implement real change in our approach to building disaster resilience and capacity as a nation.

So, who is AIDR for? The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience will benefit of a wide range of Australians, many who possibly do not usually consider themselves as part of the EM sector. This includes:

• Emergency management professionals – staff and volunteers, urban and regional, all hazards
• Educators – curriculum authors, teachers and students, academics and researchers.
• Policy creators and advisors – at the local, state and federal levels.
• NGOs, community groups, and communities impacted by disasters.

 Since being awarded the tender, our first priority, apart from formally launching the AIDR today, has been to understand your needs including what the former AEMI (Australian Emergency Management Institute) did well, what resources should be retained to build on those successes, and through your feedback what are the development opportunities and priorities for the future. 

We will continue to build on these preliminary discussions as part of a more in depth engagement and consultation program over the next few months to ensure we meet the needs of our diverse audiences and stakeholders. In the interim, a number of key activities will be rolled out including:

1. A calendar of learning and networking opportunities targeted at specific groups and individuals through workshops, seminars, webinars, conferences, online collaboration and social media groups. Our first event, which will be held next week in Sydney and Melbourne, will be a masterclass with Anna Bligh, the former Premier of Queensland, on Emergency Management in the Political Interface.
2. Schools education support through national networking and sharing opportunities and resources for teaching and learning. This will include the maintaining the valuable DRANZSEN – Disaster Resilient Australia and New Zealand School Education Network.
3. A volunteer leadership program to support volunteers with training, support and professional networks. The first event is being held in December and applications are now open.
4. The development and delivery of doctrine to build national emergency management capability and influence education, training and practices across the sector. This will build on the current series of handbooks across a range of themes including leadership, governance, communications and resource management.
5. The Australian Journal of Emergency Management – this respected quarterly journal of research and learning for the sector will grow in stature and scope.
6. The online Knowledge Hub - a central resource of emergency management know how and experience, accessible to all Australians and internationally.
7. All this activity will be supported by a vibrant and responsive social media presence that will strengthen the networks of interest that are established through these activities.

 The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience will not be limited to our collective experience, but our capacity to be engage with and respond to the broader multi-hazard, multi-agency priorities nationally – priorities that go beyond the remit of our own organisations.

To do this successfully, we must have real collaboration, consultation and input as we develop a program of learning and engagement across the country, online and face to face.

It is critical we work with leaders and experts from within our sector and related fields who can add to our sum of knowledge. Equally we must work with the many local communities and volunteers who are involved in emergency management every day. And we must collaborate with education and training providers to harness their expertise in the delivery of learning resources and the enhancement of knowledge.

The Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience stands for more than what its name may imply.

In recent weeks we sought the views of many of you about what this new partnership should be and what you see as the opportunities for the future. Your responses will help guide us over the coming months as we build a new program of learning and engagement for the longer term. It is clear from our preliminary research that such a national body must take an active, not a passive, role or it will quickly fall into irrelevance.

It is also clear from your feedback that we must be flexible, open to new ways of working, responsive to new priorities, and innovative with how we engage and learn together with other providers in this space – and that includes the many local networks of interest and expertise that already exist in our communities.

While it is important to build on the valuable learnings of the past, we must also look to the future, which will be very different from today. Why? Because we know that the way we manage emergencies and disasters is constantly changing due to new demands, new community, sector and political expectations, new challenges and new knowledge and approaches locally and globally.

The colour palette behind our new name encompasses earth, fire, water and air and was described by our survey respondents as best symbolising the full spectrum of disaster related events and incidents.

It also reflects the wider spectrum of professional development the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience aims to offer through its education, training, and knowledge networks to all those who are involved in disaster and emergency management, whether as an educator, community member, professional, practitioner, volunteer, policy maker, researcher, business or government agency.

This is your Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience. Our expertise, knowledge and networks are only part of the equation. Which is why we strongly encourage you to join us in creating and setting the future direction and long term vision for the AIDR.