Research leader

Celeste Young Research Leader
Prof Bruce Rasmussen Research Leader

Research team

Dr Craig Cormick Research Team
Prof Roger Jones
Prof Roger Jones Research Team
Dr Fiona MacDonald Research Team

End User representatives

Jennifer Finlay End-User
Dermot Barry End-User
Heather Lakin End-User
Janine Taylor End-User
Peter Button End-User
Rebel Talbert End-User
Ali Martin End-User
Steve O'Malley End-User
Mark Spain End-User
Faye Morten End-User
Pat Jones End-User
Sonja Braidner End-User
Heather Stuart
Heather Stuart End-User
John Beard End-User
Lisa Jones End-User
Paul Salter End-User
David Holland End-User
Faisal Atcha End-User
Kelly Martin End-User

In 2016, the emergency management sector (EMS) acknowledged that action was needed to address the low representation of diversity in its workforce. This was being driven by a moral imperative to better represent the communities they serve (AFAC, 2016). The role of the EMS was also changing in response to ongoing unprecedented natural hazard events and the need for more strategic approaches to building resilience. This meant renegotiating the relationship between emergency management organisations (EMOs) and their communities, reinforcing the importance of D&I. This brought to the fore the need to understand how to improve the effectiveness and value of D&I in EMOs.

The main goal of the three-year project was to work with those in the sector engaged in D&I practice and develop an evidence-based framework capable of supporting more effective management and measurement of D&I. This was carried out in three phases: (1) understanding the context, (2) development of the framework, and (3) testing. Each phase was subject to annual review and the program was adjusted in response to the outcomes of those reviews.

Following the scoping phase of the research project, three lines of inquiry were established to analyse the key systems that most directly influence D&I for EMOs – organisational, economic and community. A mixed methods approach was undertaken that incorporated case studies, semi-structured interviews, focus groups, decision-making assessments, desktop reviews of organisational documents, informal and formal literature, and ongoing review and feedback with end-users.

The final D&I framework  (Young and Jones, 2020) is constructed around four components:

  • Strategic – transformational change.
  • Programmatic – continuous improvement.
  • Inclusive growth – bottom-up engagement.
  • Risk management – human, social and innovation risk associated with D&I.

Read the final report here.

Year Type Citation
2021 Report Young, C., Jones, R., McDonald, F. & Rasmussen, B. Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capability – final project report. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2021).
2021 Report McDonald, F. Young people and the emergency services: working towards inclusive partnerships. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2021).
2021 Report Ooi, D. & Young, C. Building inclusive partnerships with culturally and linguistically diverse (CALD) communities. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2021).
2020 Report Young, C. Diversity and inclusion: Building strength and capability - Annual Report 2019. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2020 Report Young, C., Cormick, C. & Jones, R. Learning as we go: developing effective inclusive management – case studies and guidance. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2020 Report Young, C. Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capability – annual report 2019–2020. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2020 Report Young, C. & Jones, R. Diversity and inclusion: towards a better understanding of management and measurement - policy paper. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2020 Report Young, C. & Jones, R. Diversity and inclusion framework for emergency management policy and practice. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2020 Report McDonald, F. Building resilience: understanding the capabilities of diverse communities: case studies of two communities. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2020 Report Rasmussen, B. & Maharaj, N. The economic benefits of the Indigenous Fire and Rescue Employment Strategy (IFARES) Program: Fire and Rescue New South Wales. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2020).
2019 Conference Paper Young, C., Jones, R., Maharaj, N. & Rasmussen, B. Transforming through diversity and inclusion capability – the pathway to achieving diversity benefits. 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 Young, C. Effective diversity in emergency management organisations: the long road. Australian Journal of Emergency management 32, (2019).
2019 Report Young, C. & Jones, R. Risky business: Why diversity and inclusion matter. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2019).
2019 Report Young, C. Diversity and Inclusion: Building Strength and Capability- Annual Report 2018. Diversity and Inclusion: Building Strength and Capability Annual Report 16 (2019).
2018 Conference Paper Young, C. Working from the inside out to improve utilisation of research in decision making. AFAC18 (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
2018 Conference Paper Young, C. et al. Diversity and inclusion: Building strength and capability. AFAC18 (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
2018 Conference Paper Bates, J. Research proceedings from the 2018 Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC and AFAC Conference. Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC & AFAC annual conference 2017 (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
2018 Report Young, C., Jones, R. & Kumnick, M. The long road: building effective diversity and inclusion in emergency management. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
2018 Report Young, C., Pyke, J., Maharaj, N., Rasmussen, B. & Jones, R. Diversity And Inclusion: Building Strength And Capability Literature Review. (2018).
2018 Report Cormick, C. Community values survey. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
2018 Report Maharaj, N. & Rasmussen, B. Changing capabilities of emergency service organisations. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
2018 Report Pyke, J. Building capability in emergency services: diversity and inclusion in communities. (Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC, 2018).
Date Title Download Key Topics
18 Apr 2017 Diversity: Building Strength and Capability PDF icon 569.1 KB (569.1 KB) diversity and inclusion, organisational, resilience
07 Jul 2017 Lightning presentation: diversity and inclusion PDF icon 1.61 MB (1.61 MB) diversity and inclusion, organisational, resilience
31 Aug 2017 Fire Australia Issue Three 2017 PDF icon 5.22 MB (5.22 MB) child-centred, prescribed burning, severe weather
16 Apr 2018 Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capability PDF icon 1.72 MB (1.72 MB) diversity and inclusion, organisational, resilience
07 Sep 2018 AFAC18 - Continuing the conversation: Changing the emergency management sector for the better File 0 bytes (0 bytes) diversity and inclusion, organisational
18 Sep 2018 Diversity and inclusion: Building strength and capability PDF icon 2.18 MB (2.18 MB) diversity and inclusion, emergency management, multi-hazard
19 Sep 2018 Working from the inside out to improve utilization of research in decision making PDF icon 1.74 MB (1.74 MB) capability, diversity and inclusion
24 Jan 2019 Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capacity File 0 bytes (0 bytes) capability, diversity and inclusion
24 Apr 2019 Colin Thomas from MFB on why diversity and inclusion is important File 0 bytes (0 bytes) diversity and inclusion, emergency management, fire
24 Apr 2019 Why do you value diversity & inclusion - Steve O'Malley from MFB File 0 bytes (0 bytes) diversity and inclusion, emergency management, fire
26 Apr 2019 Making diversity and inclusion the new normal in emergency services PDF icon 133.57 KB (133.57 KB) capability, diversity and inclusion, emergency management
30 Apr 2019 Why diversity and inclusion is important in emergency management File 0 bytes (0 bytes) capability, diversity and inclusion, recruitment
08 May 2019 Diversity and inclusion: Building strength and capability RAF May 2019 PDF icon 835.25 KB (835.25 KB) capability, diversity and inclusion
18 Jun 2019 Why risk ownership is important PDF icon 1.43 MB (1.43 MB) diversity and inclusion, economics, policy
22 Jul 2019 Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capability File 0 bytes (0 bytes) diversity and inclusion, mental health
27 Aug 2019 Transforming through diversity and inclusion capability - the pathway to achieving diversity benefits PDF icon 3.46 MB (3.46 MB) diversity and inclusion
07 Dec 2020 Diversity and inclusion in emergency management: from policy to practice | Online forum recording File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communities, diversity and inclusion, vulnerability
07 Dec 2020 Q&A with the panellists | Diversity and inclusion in emergency management: from policy to practice File 0 bytes (0 bytes) communities, diversity and inclusion, vulnerability
07 Dec 2020 Diversity and inclusion in emergency management online forum - Celeste Young PDF icon 6.04 MB (6.04 MB) communities, diversity and inclusion, vulnerability
18 Mar 2021 Fire Australia Issue One 2021 PDF icon 5.2 MB (5.2 MB) animals, communities, severe weather
24 Jun 2021 Using diversity and inclusion to strengthen capability in emergency management PDF icon 447.61 KB (447.61 KB) capability, diversity and inclusion, organisational
Diversity and inclusion: building strength and capability
29 Jun 2017
People are one of the most important resources for an organisation. Who is employed and why, and how they are...
Diversity and inclusion: Building strength and capability
18 Sep 2018
The context in which Emergency Management Organisations (EMOs) work is changing due to social, environmental...
27 Aug 2019
Although diversity and inclusion (D&I) risks have always been present, they have not been registered and...