A potential crisis in wildfire emergency response capability? Australia's volunteer firefighters

Abstract

In most OECD countries, emergency response to accidents and natural disasters is very dependent on a trained workforce of emergency services volunteers: fire, rescue, medical, care and relief. With its large area, sparsely settled population, and frequent periods of low rainfall, Australia is particularly vulnerable to the threat posed by wildfires. There are an estimated 220,000 rural fire volunteers (in a population of 20 million) in eight state and territory volunteer rural fire services. These fire services have experienced significant decreases in volunteer numbers over the past decade, a trend which is true also of North American volunteer fire services. An investigation suggests that the decrease is driven by two related sets of factors: economic and demographic. Globalisation and deregulation of the economy, and technological innovation, have resulted in structural changes in the nature of work: privatisation, casualisation, self-employment, and demands for increased productivity. These factors make it more difficult for members of communities to volunteer, regardless of their motivation to do so. Further, like many other OECD countries, Australia's birth rate has fallen over the last three decades, resulting in a decline in the proportion of the population aged between 25 and 45 years-a trend that is unlikely to be reversed in the foreseeable future. These economic and demographic changes make it difficult for Australian volunteer rural fire agencies to meet their community protection responsibilities. Responding to these challenges may require radical changes in the way that these fire services are organised and supported. r

The gendered dimensions of bushfire in changing rural landscapes in Australia

“…Bushfire management, however, was the domain of men even in the pre-emergency service era, when the tradition of women staying behind to care and nurture for house and home was initiated. So whilst emergency services more recently have encouraged rural landowners and communities to be more bushfire aware and take greater responsibility for their own safety (Bushnell and Cottrell, 2007;McLennan and Birch, 2005), our study indicates that the historical role of bushfire for moulding and upholding gender roles has ensured that men rather than women have been empowered through this process (see also Beatson et al, 2008;Proudley, 2008).…”

“…During the past decade a heightened awareness has developed within both academia and emergency services of the impact of gender role divisions on, for example, sustaining volunteer memberships of rural bushfire brigades (Beatson et al, 2008;McLennan and Birch, 2005); the ability of women to make informed decisions during bushfire events (Goodman and Proudley, 2008;Proudley, 2008); and the importance of gender relations within families and communities in dealing with natural hazards such as bushfire, drought, or flooding (Alston, 1995;Cox, 1998;Enarson, 2001;Fordham, 1998). This awareness, however, has to date rarely guided official bushfire management policy and practice nor led to the widespread development of community education programs targeting an increasingly diverse set of rural landowners.…”

Effect of heat on firefighters' work performance and physiology

“…Participants average age across both groups was 37 years, and only 16% were female, to closely reflect Australia's firefighting population (McLennan and Birch, 2005).…”

Trial by Fire: natural hazards, mixed-methods and cultural research

“…The recent tragic bushfires in Australia, North America and Europe demonstrate a need not just to make local communities more aware of natural hazards such as bushfire but also a need to enable communities and individual landholders to take greater responsibility for their own safety through awareness, preparedness and response. The growing number of people living in bushfire-prone ruralÁurban interface areas and the predicted increase in high fire danger weather with climate change makes this a compelling issue internationally (CSIRO 2007;IPCC 2007;Bowman et al 2009), and poses significant difficulties for the emergency management agencies tasked with managing and mitigating bushfire risk (see, for example, McLennan & Birch 2005;Brenkert-Smith et al 2006;Paton & Wright 2008). Accordingly, the need to cross or integrate disciplines has become a dominant theme in discussions about bushfires and their management (Bradstock et al 2002;Ellis et al 2004;Gill 2005;Griffiths 2009).…”