COMMUNITY ORGANISATION INVOLVEMENT IN DISASTER MANAGEMENT - Andrew Gissing & Steven George

There are significant opportunities to invest in the capabilities of community organisations to further build community resilience, to bolster critical capabilities required in the event of severe to catastrophic disasters and to integrate them further in disaster management through the adoption of a whole-of- community approach. [...] The purpose of this research is to better understand the roles and involvement of community organisations in disaster management and how community organisations collaborate with governments and businesses as part of a whole- of-community approach to disaster management. [...] The centre manager said: The people in the streets and the community were far more connected and aware that they had a role in their own knowledge and empowering themselves with what they might need as opposed to everyone historically sitting and waiting for the SES to knock on their door and tell them what to do. [...] The network manager said: We have a whole plethora of events that are run in partnership between, say the RFS and the neighbourhood centre or the local primary school or whatever, to bring that to the community – not stuff that is already in the brigade shed, but to have a family fun day or bbq where the emergency services are there to answer questions and hand out resources. [...] Perception of the role of government and business during disasters Government Respondents believed that the role of government during the response phase was to provide leadership and coordination, enabling collaboration between different organisations, provision of emergency warnings and information to communities and management of evacuations and ensuring the provision of essential services.