Bushfire communities and resilience

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|a Bushfire communities and resilience |h [electronic resource] |b what can they tell us? |y English.

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|a [S.l.] : |b Attorney Generals Department Australia, |c 2010-04.

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|a Journal article

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|a The Australian Journal of Emergency Management (AusAID) |n Vol 25 (2) |y English.

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|a Australian Journal of Emergency Management, The, v.25, no.2, Apr 2010, p.33-38

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|a Refer to main document/publisher for use rights.

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|a Pooley, J.A., Cohen, L., O’Connor, M. (2010). Bushfire communities and resilience: what can they tell us? The Australian Journal of Emergency Management Volume 25, No. 2.

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|a The document “Bushfire Communities and Resilience” is a case study of Darlington, Australia, a semirural community outside of the major metropolitan city of Perth that seeks to understand how living with seasonal wildfires affects its people. The bushfire on the 7th of February 2009, dubbed Black Saturday, is the worst recorded natural disaster in Australian history. It is estimated that this region had about 6 large fires per year 20 years ago. The research consisted of narrative interviews of community members and what they recalled of their experiences with bushfires. These interviews led to the identification of a number of recurring and interrelated themes. One was a sense that having shared experiences of dealing with fires created a stronger notion of community. This led to the building of functional social networks, a second theme. People were very much aware of the various support systems that existed. Structures were put in place to facilitate communication amongst members, allowing them to craft plans and procedures to manage brushfire outbreaks. Another identified theme was that of self-efficacy. Residents’ perceptions of their ability to handle and cope with the natural hazards affected how they performed when it came to disaster response. As they were provided with information and procedures that would help them mitigate the potential for wildfires, they shed their feelings of inadequacy and began taking active steps to implement what they learned. Knowledge spurred action. This also made them more likely to respond in a controlled and effective manner once disaster became evident. The fires have made the community as a whole more conscious of fire risk, and thus more cautious and pro-active in reducing that risk. This awareness plus action has increased what is referred to as community competence. The themes identified in the document present an outline of the variables that may mediate the disaster experience. It is the interplay of these factors that is important. Of particular importance is the relationship between two variables, community competence and sense of community, which can collectively be referred to as community resilience. Increasing community capacity and sense of belonging amongst members may correspond to increased resilience.

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|a Disaster Risk Management

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|a Wildfires |z Australia.

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|a Natural hazards and disasters |z Australia.

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|a Pooley, Julie Ann |g Researcher and Senior Lecturer |u Edith Cowan University.

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|a Cohen, Lynne |g Associate Dean in Teaching and Learning |u Edith Cowan University.

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|a O'Connor, Moira |g Senior Research Fellow |u Curtin University's Centre for Cancer and Palliative Care.

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|a Disaster Risk Reduction Program, Florida International University (DRR/FIU), |e summary contributor.

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|c Original |w (OCoLC)665813842

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|u http://dpanther.fiu.edu/dpService/dpPurlService/purl/FI13042462/00001 |y Click here for full text

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