Published works

This is the companion volume for the report entitled Capturing community members’ bushfire experiences: Interviews with residents following the 12 January 2014 Parkerville (WA) Fire prepared by Professor Jim McLennan. The current document presents findings from the online survey developed to complement the community interviews undertaken and detailed by Professor McLennan in that report.

Both pieces of work were undertaken as part of the study conducted by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC for the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) of Western Australia following the bushfire in the Parkerville area on 12 January 2014.

The purpose of that study was to assist DFES to learn as much as possible about residents’ prior understandings of bushfire safety and risk, and their experiences during the fires, thus contributing to improved community bushfire safety in the future. The reader is referred to the aforementioned report for an overview of the circumstances of that fire and background to the study.

The online survey was included in the broader study to enable those who were not at home at the time the interview teams were in the field and unable to avail themselves of the opportunity to participate in the study though a telephone interview to have their experiences recorded and considered. The online survey was open to all residents in the Shire of Mundaring from May to early July 2014.

Despite wide promotion of the survey, the number of respondents who ultimately completed the questionnaire (58) was small. This means that the results should be used carefully and should be seen as a glimpse of the views of a self-selected group of Shire of Mundaring residents who are particularly interested in bushfire-related matters.