1. Insights into strategies & issues
for Community Resilience
Lew Short
Group Manager Community Resilience

2. “The world has entered the era of ‘mega
crisis’ or catastrophic emergencies whose
force and magnitude defy even the best
laid plans and the most robust response
systems” Professor Paul ‘t Hart

3. Public policy is getting more complex
• People expect information as it
arrives
• Our previous good responses may
have created a culture of
immediacy in the community

4. • Over the next 100 years
projected temperature rise is
likely to be greater than any seen
over the last 1000 years.
• There will be less water in South
Eastern Australia and
temperatures will rise by 1.4 –
5.8 decrees Celsius (BOM).

5. Some NSW Fire Seasons
2002/03 2006/07 2009/10
Number of bush fires statewide 459 2,871 4,104
Duration of Bush Fire Emergencies 151 days 113 days 118 days
(days)
Area Burnt (ha) 1,465,000 438,218 366,159
Residential Homes destroyed 86 8 24

6. Lessons Learnt from Victoria
• Plain language, get away from jargon & make
information accessible
• Speed of change and expectations
• Challenge of getting information in and
making it into intelligence
• Is it enough that people discuss what they will
do, do they need to have a written plan
• Can community make decisions in times of
stress

7. On an average day:
• 47 billion (non spam) emails
• 95 million tweets on Twitter
• 30 billion pieces of content
shared on Facebook
Source. The Emergence of a New Asset Class. World Economic
Forum (2011)

8. – The Social Media landscape can be
monitored and influenced, but not
controlled.
– ESO need to become part of the
conversation.
– Social Media is an important tool to assist in
getting the ‘Safety Message’ out to the
community.

10. Limit to direct attack
Parallel attack
Indirect attack
Limit to safe operation of
helicopters (~50km/h)
Defensive
Potential:
awareness
telco towers
• Loss of radio &
• Loss of situational

11. Capacity of community to
receive and act on triggers

12. Focus on life safety
Focus on
suppression

13. fires on the news
fires on the news, smoke

16. How do we engage
during crisis?

18. Lew Short
Soon to be…
Principal Emergency Management & Resilience
Eco Logical Australia
0419 203 853
Lew Short
Lewshort14
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