Research leader

Vivienne Tippett
Prof Vivienne Tippett Research Leader

Research team

Dominique Greer
A/Prof Dominique Greer Research Team
Prof Amisha Mehta
Prof Amisha Mehta Research Team
Prof Bill Duncan Research Team
Sharon Christensen Research Team
A/Prof Amanda Stickley Research Team
Dr Paula Dootson
Dr Paula Dootson Research Team
Jacinta Buchbach
Dr Jacinta Buchbach Research Team
Melanie Baker-Jones
Dr Melanie Baker-Jones Research Team
Prof Lisa Bradley Research Team
Dr Sophie Miller Research Team

End User representatives

Amanda Leck End-User
Ivan West End-User
Joe Murphy End-User
Faruk Yay End-User
Shoni Maguire End-User
Sandra Barber
Sandra Barber End-User
Fiona Dunstan
Fiona Dunstan End-User
Suellen Flint
Suellen Flint End-User
Elliott Simmons
Elliott Simmons End-User
Marc Unsworth End-User
Heather Lakin End-User
Phil Nickerson End-User
Iain MacKenzie
Iain MacKenzie End-User
Nicola Moore End-User
Barry Gray End-User
Trent Curtin End-User
Philip Lindsay End-User
Anthony Clark
Anthony Clark End-User
Mark Spain End-User
Michelle Coombe End-User
Graeme Wynwood End-User
Nicole Ely End-User
Simon Goodwin End-User
Shane Batt End-User
Jacob Riley End-User
Mhairi Bradley End-User
Neil Payn End-User
Tamsin Achilles End-User
Gwynne Brennan
Gwynne Brennan End-User
David Webber End-User
Hannah Tagore End-User
Jill Downard End-User

Student researchers

Melanie Baker-Jones
Dr Melanie Baker-Jones Student Reseacher

The release of the National Review of Warnings and Information (Emergency Management Victoria, 2014) triggered the need for a range of evidence-based practice about constructing better natural hazard emergency warning messages. This research derived evidence-based insights into risk and warning communication during the response phase of natural hazard emergencies. The research examines existing and modified communication to community members who may be affected by natural hazards. The work outlined in this report builds on our previous CRC project on effective communication in natural hazards.

The first CRC project (2014-2017) focused on the pre-decisional processes of community members and business owners, particularly their exposure to, attention to, and comprehension of warning messages in the response and early recovery phase of multiple hazards. The following project (2017-2020) built on that knowledge and focussed on how the inputs into the pre-decisional process—environmental cues, social cues, information sources, channel access and preference, warning messages and receiver characteristics—inform protective action during the response phases of natural hazards.

This project employs a multi-method, multi-hazard research design to:

  • develop an evidence-base for the content of risk and warning messaging across multiple channels and sources (e.g., media channels and agencies) to enhance trust in agencies and encourage positive community responses to events (e.g., evacuating and information sharing)
  • construct evidence-based warning messages that overcome ambiguity caused by conflict between warning messages and socio-environmental cues (e.g., blue-sky flooding)
  • optimise warning messages to improve community members’ readiness to act in accordance with emergency instructions
  • translate research findings into practical tools tailored to the existing and emergent needs of end-users.

Read the final report here.

Year Type Citation
2023 Journal Article Dootson, P., Kuligowski, E. & Murray, S. Using videos in floods and bushfires to educate, signal risk, and promote protective action in the community. Safety Science 164, (2023).
2022 Journal Article Dootson, P., Kuligowski, E., Greer, D. A., Miller, S. A. & Tippett, V. Consistent and conflicting information in floods and bushfires impact risk information seeking, risk perceptions, and protective action intentions. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (2022). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102774
2021 Journal Article Mehta, A. et al. Mind the gap: Contrasting operational and behavior-oriented flood warnings. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (2021). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102685
2021 Journal Article Mehta, A., Murray, S., McAndrew, R., Jackson, M. & Tippett, V. Encouraging evacuation: the role of behavioural message inputs in bushfire warnings. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (2021). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102673
2021 Journal Article Dootson, P. et al. Managing problematic visual media in natural hazard emergencies. International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction (2021). doi:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2021.102249
2021 Report Greer, D., Dootson, P., Miller, S. & Tippett, V. Supplementing emergency warning messages to encourage readiness to act: the effect of colours and icons. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2021).
2021 Report Tippett, V. et al. Towards protective action: effective risk and warning communication during natural hazards – final project report. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2021).
2020 Journal Article Mehta, A., Murray, S., Hammill, C., Dootson, P. & Langdon, R. Checks and balances: A business‐oriented lens on disaster management and warnings. Disasters (2020). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12473
2020 Journal Article Thomson, T. J., Angus, D., Dootson, P., Hurcombe, E. & Smith, A. Visual Mis/disinformation in Journalism and Public Communications: Current Verification Practices, Challenges, and Future Opportunities. Journalism Practice (2020). doi:https://doi.org/10.1080/17512786.2020.1832139
2020 Journal Article Mehta, A., Murray, S., Hammill, C., Dootson, P. & Langdon, R. Checks and balances: A business‐oriented lens on disaster management and warnings. Disasters (2020). doi:https://doi.org/10.1111/disa.12473
2019 Conference Paper Riley, J. Intelligent warnings: a twenty-first century approach to encouraging protective action in emergencies. AFAC19 powered by INTERSCHUTZ - Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC Research Forum (Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, 2019). at <https://knowledge.aidr.org.au/resources/australian-journal-of-emergency-management-monograph-series/>
2019 Journal Article Dootson, P., Greer, D., Miller, S. & Tippett, V. Overcoming Ambiguity: Conflict Between Emergency Warning Messages and Socio-Environmental Cues. Prehospital and Disaster Medicine 34, (2019).
2019 Report Tippett, V. et al. Towards Protective Action: Effective Risk and Warning Communication during Natural Hazards Annual Report 2017-2018. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2019).
2017 Conference Paper Rumsewicz, M. Research proceedings from the 2017 Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and AFAC Conference. Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC & AFAC annual conference 2017 (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2017).
2017 Conference Paper Mehta, A. et al. Evidence-based risk communication: an industry-academic research collaboration that enhanced dam release message effectiveness. AFAC17 (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2017).
2017 Report Tippett, V. et al. Building resilient communities - effective multi-channel communication during disasters: annual project report 2016-17. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2017).
2016 Report Tippett, V. et al. Building resilient communities - effective multi-channel communication in disasters: Annual project report 2015-2016. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2016).
2015 Report Tippett, V. Building Resilient Communities: Effective Multi-Channel Communication in Disasters Annual Report 2014. (2015).
2015 Report Tippett, V. et al. Connecting communities and resilience: A multi–hazard study of preparedness, response and recovery communications: Annual project report 2014-2015. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2015).
Date Title Download Key Topics
27 Mar 2014 Connecting communities and resilience PDF icon 1.14 MB (1.14 MB) communities, recovery, resilience
10 Apr 2015 Connecting Communities and Resilience 2015 NSW RAF Presentation PDF icon 1.74 MB (1.74 MB) communities, resilience, response
15 Sep 2015 Communications and Warnings File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, multi-hazard, warnings
21 Oct 2015 Turning warnings into action PDF icon 236.32 KB (236.32 KB) communication, tsunami, warnings
17 May 2016 Connecting communities and resilience: a multi-hazard study of preparedness response and recovery communications PDF icon 544.2 KB (544.2 KB) communities, recovery, response
15 Aug 2016 Melaine Baker Jones - 2016 Progress Report PDF icon 60.19 KB (60.19 KB) communication, communities
18 Apr 2017 Emergency Message Eye-Tracking Study & Business-Focused Risk Communication PDF icon 1.17 MB (1.17 MB) communication, communities, resilience
07 Jul 2017 Communicating and warning: getting the message across more effectively PDF icon 4.79 MB (4.79 MB) communication, flood, warnings
07 Sep 2017 Evidence-based risk communication: an industry-academic research collaboration that enhanced dam release messages PDF icon 726.78 KB (726.78 KB) communication, emergency management, warnings
16 Apr 2018 Towards Protective Action: Effective Risk and Warning Communication During Natural Hazards PDF icon 1.01 MB (1.01 MB) communication, multi-hazard, warnings
13 Dec 2018 Communicating for maximum comprehension PDF icon 700.61 KB (700.61 KB) communication, communities, warnings
04 Apr 2019 Conflicting cues with emergency warnings impacts protective action PDF icon 920.62 KB (920.62 KB) communication, communities, warnings
30 May 2019 Warnings that save lives File 0 bytes (0 bytes)
18 Jun 2019 Communication challenges in complex events PDF icon 1.04 MB (1.04 MB) communication, warnings
18 Jul 2019 Conflicting cues and their impact on emergency warning response File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, warnings
27 Aug 2019 Intelligent Warnings PDF icon 392.51 KB (392.51 KB) communication, multi-hazard
24 Sep 2019 Towards protective action: Effective risk and warning communication during natural hazards PDF icon 1.29 MB (1.29 MB) communication, warnings
12 Mar 2020 How words matter in emergency alerts during natural hazard emergencies File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, communities, resilience
06 Apr 2020 Addressing conflicting cues during natural hazards: lessons from emergency agencies PDF icon 1.23 MB (1.23 MB) communication, communities, warnings
10 Jun 2020 Recognition for Excellence in Research at EMPA conference 2020 File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, emergency management, warnings
22 Sep 2020 Emergency warning messages: how do community members comprehend them? PDF icon 629.29 KB (629.29 KB) communication, communities, warnings
22 Sep 2020 Emergency warning messages: encouraging readiness to act PDF icon 1.02 MB (1.02 MB) communication, communities, warnings
22 Sep 2020 Emergency warning messages: do colours and icons improve community readiness to act? PDF icon 354.67 KB (354.67 KB) communication, communities, warnings
25 Nov 2020 Better warnings to ensure action communication, communities, warnings
13 Aug 2021 Driving change: the evolution of communications and warnings in emergency preparedness, response and recovery communication, communities, warnings
13 Aug 2021 Prof Amisha Mehta interview: effective risk and warnings File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, communities, warnings
13 Aug 2021 Prof Vivienne Tippett interview: effective risk and warnings File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, communities, warnings
13 Aug 2021 Response 1: Effective risk and warning communication during natural hazards File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, communities, warnings
13 Aug 2021 The evolution of communications and warnings in emergency preparedness, response and recovery File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, communities, warnings
13 Aug 2021 Trailer, Response 1: Effective risk and warning communication during natural hazards File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communication, communities, warnings
14 Jan 2022 Choosing powerful words that signal risk and encourage action PDF icon 86.06 KB (86.06 KB) communication, communities, warnings
14 Jan 2022 Creating effective Emergency Alerts PDF icon 191.16 KB (191.16 KB) communication, communities, warnings
Building resilient communities: Creating effective multi-channel communication during disaster response and recovery
25 Aug 2014
To examine evidence-based strategies that motivate appropriate action and increase informed decision-making...
Legal implications of utilising social media for communication during a disaster: An analysis by Responder Group
25 Aug 2014
Social media plays an increasing role as a tool for: information dissemination, situational awareness and co-...
Building Resilient Communities: Creating Effective Multi-Channel Communication During Disaster Response and Recovery
18 Aug 2015
Our aim is to examine evidence-based strategies to motivate appropriate action and increase informed decision...
Vivienne Tippett Conference Poster 2016
12 Aug 2016
Testing the elements of optimal emergency warnings: Some insights from 10 focus groups and 77 experiments of...
Building resilient communities: creating effective multi-channel communication during disaster response and recovery
29 Jun 2017
The aim of this project is to examine evidence-based strategies that motivate appropriate action and increase...
27 Aug 2019
Disasters significantly impact the welfare of communities and the patient demographic of disaster-affected...
27 Aug 2019
Natural hazards provoke considerable uncertainty but community members often ‘under-react’ when confronted...
31 Aug 2020
Key findings: Red headers on bushfire evacuation messages help encourage community members to follow...