- Information Package
- Workshop Summary
- Research Presentations
- Research Adoption
- Relevant Reading
- Related Fire Notes
- Research Guide
Information Package
The Protecting Firefighters Information Package developed by the Bushfire CRC and presented here combines crucial research projects on Safe Behaviour and Decision Making (led by Dr. Mary Omodei, La Trobe University), Effective Incident Management Teams (led by Dr. Christine Owen, University of Tasmania), and Firefighter Health and Safety (led by Dr. Brad Aisbett, Deakin University and David Nichols, CFA).
The Information Package includes summaries of various presentations made during the Protecting Firefighters Workshop held prior to the AFAC / Bushfire CRC Conference on the Gold Coast in September 2009, as well as an array of supporting written materials.
This resource was developed by the Bushfire CRC in consultation with a steering group that included representatives from NSW RFS, Victorian CFA & DSE and WA FESA, which kept in mind relevant AFAC groups including AFAC Learning and Development, Rural and Land Managers, Workforce Management and Urban Operations.
The Information Package is a tool that can be added to as various related products develop, and is designed primarily to assist with sharing basic information about this body of research. As the three research areas have obvious synergies, they are combined here into a specialist course that is also a useful adoption product.
Workshop summary
Presented here is a PowerPoint slideshow summary of the pre-conference workshop delivered at the Gold Coast on 22 September 2009, developed by workshop facilitator Geoff Brown of Tangent Consulting. The slideshow provides a good overall snapshot of what was delivered in a number of more detailed and specific interactive presentations from researchers.
Participants were eager to share what they learned during the course of the pre-conference workshop. This short video shows what some of the people involved took away from the event, in their own words.
Research Presentations
The following three research presentations were delivered during the pre-conference workshop. Scroll through them for your own education and understanding, or utilise them within your own agency. Using the buttons located at the bottom-left of each slideshow, these PowerPoint displays can be placed on your own website (through the "Embed" option), sent to someone directly (through the "Email" option), or downloaded to your computer (through the "Menu" option).
Research Adoption
- Adoption Pathway
This flow chart details the incorporation of Protecting Firefighters research projects into adoption, clearly showing the path through conception, industry consultation, impact assessment, implementation and ongoing development.
Relevant Reading
- A Focus on Human Factors and Safety - Fire Australia
An excerpt of this article by Bushfire CRC project manager Glenn Elliott (La Trobe University) appears in the Summer 2009/2010 issue of Fire Australia. Download the full story about the Protecting Firefighters Workshop here. - Performing a Project Premortem
This article by Gary Klein, chief scientist for Klein Associations (US), further explains the notion of 'project premortems' - an idea used in a pre-conference workshop exercise on the Gold Coast. - Workshop Pre-reading
This pre-reading document was developed to assist workshop participants in preparing for the pre-conference event, but can also be used by agency personnel who want to utilise the full range of materials presented in the overall Information Package.
Related Fire Notes
- Organising For High Reliability In Emergency Management: An Empirical Link
Issue 45 - Project D5, Information Flow and Incident Management Team - Fitness For Duty: Legislative and Scientific Considerations
Issue 43 - Project D.1 Firefighter Health, Safety and Well-being on the Fireground - How Human Factors Drive Decisions at Fire Ground Level
Issue 44 - This research systematically identifies the ‘human factors’ that contribute to potentially risky decision-making by firefighters on the fire ground. - Observing Teamwork in Emergency Management
Issue 42 - This research project has focused on understanding information flows and incident management team effectiveness.
Research Guide
- Human Factors Interview Protocol
This 16-page field guide for emergency service agencies explains how to conduct interviews that elicit high-quality recollections from agency staff about their experiences in the field.
