Prof John Handmer

Prof John Handmer

Researcher
About
Prof John Handmer

John Handmer leads RMIT’s Risk and Community Safety research group and holds adjunct professorial positions at ANU and at the Flood Hazard Research Centre in London. He has been a member of the National Flood Risk Advisory Group, and the national committee revising the Australian Emergency Risk Assessment Guide, and was Convener of the National Climate Change Adaptation Research Network for Emergency Management, and Principle Scientific Advisor for the Bushfire CRC. He was a Coordinating Lead Author for the IPCC’s special report on extremes. His research group has won a number of research awards, and was commended in the recent report Excellence in Innovation in Australia. His most recent book is J Handmer and S Dovers (2013) Handbook of disaster policies and institutions: improving emergency management and climate change adaptation. He works on the human dimensions of emergency management and disasters.

Project leadership

How people volunteer to keep their community safe from natural hazards is changing. As our work and life commitments change, many people do not have the time to dedicate to traditional ways of volunteering with an emergency service, undergo the required training and develop the ability to respond to potentially dangerous situations. But they still want to help, and they still want to volunteer.

This project investigated current and emerging issues around volunteering and volunteers responding to disaster events, and the different factors that can influence people’s participation in non-traditional emergency volunteering.

Research team:
This project was commissioned and funded entirely by the Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, Victoria.
This project was commissioned and funded by the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC.
Research team:
31 Aug 2020
Key findings: A pragmatic approach to valuing research on disaster risk reduction
Improving the role of hazard communications in increasing residents’ preparedness for bushfires and floods: A summary of project findings
18 Sep 2018
This project focused on the evaluation of communication strategies and identification of barriers...
Strategies for non-traditional emergency volunteers
30 Jun 2017
A risk-benefit framework has been designed to assist decision-makers in emergency management...
Joshua Whittaker Conference Poster 2016
12 Aug 2016
Citizen participation is a key principle of disaster risk reduction and resilience building.
Community-Led Bushfire Preparedness in Action: The Case of Be Ready Warrandyte
18 Aug 2015
Be Ready Warrandyte (BRW) was an award-winning, community-led bushfire preparedness project...
An Evidence-Based Practice Framework for Children's Disaster Education
18 Aug 2015
Disaster education for children has been identified as a key stragety for increasing disaster...
Out of Uniform: Building Community Resilience Through Non-Traditional Emergency Volunteering
18 Aug 2015
The public is usually first on the scene in an emergency or disaster and remain long after official...
Children and Youth in Disasters: A Co-Produced Program of Research
18 Aug 2015
Children represent the most vulnerable demographic group in disasters.  The world health...
Child-centred disaster risk reduction: A longitudinal investigation of bushfire education
25 Aug 2014
The aims of this research project are to establish an evidence-base for a effective, school-based...
The role of children in disasters: A program of research
25 Aug 2014
Children represent the most vulnerable demographic group in disasters.  

Resources credited

Type Released Title Download Key Topics
Presentation-Slideshow 17 Apr 2018 Enabling sustainable emergency volunteering: Adapting the Sector PDF icon Save (3.12 MB) emergency management, multi-hazard, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 16 Apr 2018 Improving the role of hazard communications in increasing residents’ preparedness for bushfires and floods PDF icon Save (1.79 MB) communication, planning, preparedness
Presentation-Audio-Video 05 Sep 2017 Research Forum - AFAC17 File Save (0 bytes) communication, emergency management, multi-hazard
Presentation-Audio-Video 05 Sep 2017 AFAC17 - Continuing the conversation: Collaboration File Save (0 bytes) communication, emergency management, multi-hazard
HazardNoteEdition 18 Apr 2017 The changing landscape of emergency volunteering in Australia PDF icon Save (411.5 KB) non-traditional recruitment, resilience, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 30 Aug 2016 Harnessing the capacities of spontaneous volunteers: application and adaptation of the Queensland model - Blythe McLennan PDF icon Save (1.61 MB) communities, non-traditional recruitment, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 30 Aug 2016 Opportunities and challenges of citizen-led recovery in post-disaster settings - Josh Whittaker PDF icon Save (2.29 MB) communities, non-traditional recruitment, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 17 May 2016 Out of uniform PDF icon Save (2.54 MB) communities, non-traditional recruitment, volunteering
HazardNoteEdition 11 Jan 2016 Raising the bar on risk reduction policy and planning PDF icon Save (144.04 KB) governance, planning, policy
HazardNoteEdition 21 Oct 2015 Turning warnings into action PDF icon Save (236.32 KB) communication, tsunami, warnings
Presentation-Slideshow 11 Sep 2015 The future of 'non-traditional' emergency volunteering PDF icon Save (1.85 MB) volunteering
HazardNoteEdition 10 Jul 2015 Ensuring volunteering is sustainable PDF icon Save (150.91 KB) non-traditional recruitment, resilience, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 10 Apr 2015 Out of Uniform 2015 NSW RAF Presentation PDF icon Save (2.48 MB) non-traditional recruitment, resilience, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 08 Sep 2014 Building community resilience through informal emergency volunteering PDF icon Save (1.12 MB) non-traditional recruitment, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 07 Aug 2014 Sharing Responsibility and Non-Traditional Volunteering PDF icon Save (1.63 MB) non-traditional recruitment, volunteering
Presentation-Slideshow 27 Mar 2014 Out of uniform PDF icon Save (877.64 KB) capability, non-traditional recruitment, volunteering

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