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Bushfire fatalities have long been a major concern for fire agencies and it has been the death of people in vehicles that has come under particular attention in recent years.
For Justin Leonard, studying water tanks, fences, windows and timber decks is not an indiscriminate or arbitrary choice. It is all part of one methodical scientific investigation – one compelling narrative.
Wind change matters to fire managers. It can change bushfire activity in a moment, shifting the flank of the fire to the fire front, suddenly putting fire fighters and communities at risk. A change in wind can also change the rate of fire spread, increase the quantity, distance and direction of downstream spotting, and change the safety status of residents and townships in a flash.
As bushfires burn throughout Australia virtually all year round, the role of the firefighter remains a difficult one. With an ever expanding rural-urban interface, firefighters are often involved in protecting property and apart from the intense heat and physical demands, firefighters may also be exposed to bushfire smoke that contains a cocktail of volatile compounds.
A James Cook University study investigating Sudanese refugees and their knowledge of fire safety has won a Safer Communities Award from Emergency Management Australia (EMA). “The Sudanese Refugees and Fire Hazard Study”, a collaboration between Bushfire CRC researchers at JCU and the Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, was conducted in Toowoomba, which is home to about 800 Sudanese refugees.
Emergency service volunteers and their partners or spouses are being asked to comment on how their volunteer community role fits in with their family life.
For vegetation fires, what activities does a volunteer tanker-based firefighter do in an average day’s work? A question that is the focus of the study being undertaken by Bushfire CRC researchers Dr Brad Aisbett and PhD student Matthew Phillips from Deakin University, assisted by the Tasmania Fire Service (TFS), Tasmania Parks and Wildlife Service and Forestry Tasmania.
Bushfires are only one focus of a new book out of the Centre for Disaster Studies at James Cook University in Townsville.

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In the media...

LaTrobe University
Tue, 08/01/2013
Moonee Valley Weekly
Tue, 08/01/2013
ABC News
Fri, 04/01/2013
Free Press Leader
Fri, 04/01/2013
Newcastle Herald
Mon, 31/12/2012
news.com.au
Wed, 26/12/2012
The Age
Wed, 26/12/2012
Herald Sun
Wed, 26/12/2012
Bigpond News
Wed, 26/12/2012
Courier Mail
Wed, 26/12/2012
Ninemsn
Wed, 26/12/2012
Herald Sun
Wed, 26/12/2012

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Posted: 9 years 10 months ago

After 11 years, we are about to enter the last month of your Bushfire CRC. It has been an incredible journey since 2003.

For me, what has stood out the most, notwithstanding the ground breaking research, is the culture change the industry has undertaken throughout this period. At the heart of this has been the close partnership between the Bushfire CRC and AFAC. The...

Posted: 9 years 10 months ago

There is only a month left of the Bushfire CRC, but there is plenty of activity going on. The Research to Drive Change series has been launched, with two successful online forums held. Keep your eyes peeled to the...

Nathan Maddock's picture
Communications Officer