‘Not the norm’: changing focus in Tasmania

AIDR was recently represented in Tasmania, where delegates gathered to learn about the changing environment that fire and emergency services are operating in.

Consistent with the changing environment that emergency services are operating in, delegates gathered in Tasmania to reflect on the operational requirements for first responders into the future.

Delegates at the 2019 Tasmanian Fire and Emergency Services State Conference acknowledged the unprecedented shift that emergency responders and practitioners are being tasked to, surrounding events of greater intensity and of longer duration. This reflected the theme of the entire event, which was simply put: ‘not the norm’.

AIDR Director, Engagement and Projects Amanda Lamont presented as a keynote speaker at the event, where she spoke about ‘new, not normal’ approaches to disaster risk reduction.

Amanda noted the emerging global focus on the importance of investing in disaster risk reduction, sharing insights from the Global Assessment Report 2019. Her presentation also covered out-of-scale events and how the sector can better plan responses and possibilities for the future.

Amanda was joined by Bronnie Mackintosh, from Fire and Rescue NSW who also delivered a keynote presentation on her experiences, particularly the role of women and how the conversation regarding diversity and inclusion has evolved.