Operations - a statement on research priorities for natural hazards emergency management in Australia
Research outputs and artefacts
03 Jul 2017
Throughout 2015-2017, emergency service agencies around Australia participated in workshops hosted by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC to consider the major issues in natural hazards emergency management.
This publication on emergency management agency operations summarises the outcomes of one of these workshops and poses questions as a guide for a national research agenda in natural hazard emergency management.
The capacity and capability of emergency management organisations to respond to disasters will be significantly tested as social demographics change, the frequency and intensity of disasters become more variable, and expectations of the emergency service increase. Recent natural disasters and security threats have revealed emerging issues at the regional, state, national and international levels.
Already our emergency services are under increasing pressure to develop adaptive emergency management policy and procedures that can respond to current and future challenges. Responding to these challenges requires strong leadership, workforce strategies, understanding of research and innovation in science, technology and operational capability and investment from the entire emergency management sector, including government and community.
As a volunteer-based organisation, workforce management for the emergency services is about ensuring there is a functioning, operational workforce in the present, with sufficient volunteer capacity and capability, integrated across multiple organisations, and securing this capability for the future.