Incident Management in Australasia: Lessons Learnt from Emergency Responses

Emergency services personnel conduct their work in situations that are inherently dangerous. Large incidents such as bushfires, floods and earthquakes often pose hazards that are not fully understood at the time of management, and the situation may be further complicated by the involvement of multiple agencies. To promote the safety of personnel and of the broader community, incident management skills must be constantly developed.

Incident Management in Australasia presents lessons learnt from managing major incidents at regional and state levels. It is not an academic work. Rather, it is a collection of stories from professionals on the ground and others who subsequently reviewed the events and gained significant knowledge and understanding through that process. Some stories are personal, capturing emotional impact and deep reflection, and others are analytical, synthesizing the findings of experience and inquests. All the stories relate to managing operational events and capture knowledge that no one person could gain in a single career.

This book builds on current industry strategies to improve emergency responses. It will assist incident managers and those working at all levels in incident management teams, from Station Officer to Commissioner. It is highly readable and will also be of interest to members of the public with an appreciation for the emergency services.

FEATURES
• Examines 10 notable fire, flood and emergency incidents throughout Australasia in the past 15 years
• Events covered have been chosen as major and/or indicative events from around Australia & New Zealand
• Chapters reflect both the operation and personal experiences of the authors

Stuart Ellis is the Chief Executive Officer of the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC). He began his career as an Army Officer, serving for over 22 years with the Special Air Service Regiment. In 1996, he was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the South Australian Country Fire Service. He later established a consultancy company and has been involved in over 20 operational reviews including the Canberra Bushfires, the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission and the operational response to the Christchurch Earthquake.

Kent MacCarter is Print and Online Developer for the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council, and has been involved in writing, editing and publishing Australian non-fiction and fiction for the past decade at various major publishers.