|
Abstract
|
Following Australia's Black Summer of 2019-20, research is being done to improve community warnings and information. Importantly, this will inform and support the ongoing development and refinement of community engagement and communications before, during and after bushfires.
Spring and summer of 2019-20 resulted in the most devastating bushfire season in NSW history. Over the course of the season, fires spread south from the Queensland border to the Victorian border. By season's end, fires had burnt a record 5.5 million hectares, destroyed 2448 homes and impacted on community and commercial infrastructure and assets across NSW. Tens of thousands of people were displaced by the fires and many were affected by smoke. Tragically, 25 people lost their lives, including 4 NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) volunteers and 3 US aerial firefighters. The season was truly unprecedented, with the largest area burnt, the most houses destroyed and the greatest number of deaths due to bushfire in a single season.
But NSW has experienced other destructive bushfires in recent years. In 2017, the Sir Ivan Fire razed farms and homes in the NSW central west around Leadville and Uarbry. In 2018, the Reedy Swamp fire devastated the small coastal communities of Reedy Swamp and Tathra. These and other bushfires have presented opportunities to examine issues of community awareness, preparedness and response. A particular focus of this work has been to understand how people obtain, interpret and respond to information and warnings provided by the NSW RFS and other emergency services organisations.
In recent years, NSW RFS commissioned the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre to conduct research with communities affected by bushfires. These included studies with people threatened and affected by the bushfires of 2017, the 2018 Reedy Swamp Fire and the fires in 2019-20. The research involved interviews and surveys with thousands of people affected by the fires...
Language: en |