*If you would like to register for 50+ people, please contact: info@afacconference.com.au for assistance completing your registrations.

Session Description:

The Emergency management spatial network (EMSINA) in their goal to enhance and build awareness of spatial data and its applications in emergency management run an annual PDP at AFAC to explore issues and ideas in this space. Some of the themes we explore are:

• Can we use grassroots approaches at a global scale?

• How can we adapt technologies designed for national and global use to improve our emergency management outcomes?

• How best to use technology to improve information flow at all levels of response and recovery?

• How do we raise awareness of the most up to date technology, explore its potential and encourage innovation?

Spatial Information technologies comprise a range of disciplines which come together to provide valuable input across the Emergency Management sector. More commonly referred to as ‘mapping’, but definitely not just about making maps. Spatial Sciences are at the heart of dispatching, resource allocation, warnings, pre-incident planning, incident statistical reporting, fire & flood modelling, remote sensing, plume modelling, impact assessment, smart devices, artificial intelligence and field mapping - all key decision support areas in emergency management.

Through presentations, lightning talks and facilitated discussions, EMSINA will present examples of the use and the increased demand for Geospatial intelligence as used by emergency services, Local/State/Federal Governments and public information dissemination. During this professional development opportunity, you will see presentations from our Emergency Service Organisations and Government from across Australia along with some of the major vendors of location technologies. We will hear about the latest applications and tools that drive data driven decision making, trends and common national scale directions and most important we will focus on what the future holds in an ever-increasing need for Geospatial in modern digital solutions. This program is coordinated by the Emergency Management Spatial Information Network Australia (EMSINA).

Session Description:

A November 2023 fire complex caused by lightning had potential to significantly impact a range of values including the Perth outer metropolitan area. Observation and analysis identified a long running integrated prescribed burn program as instrumental in mitigating the impacts of the event and enabling suppression efforts to succeed under adverse conditions.

This field trip provides an opportunity to discuss and observe local and landscape scale fire management outcomes of a broad scale prescribed fire program and explore:

- implementation of prescribed burn programs in complex landscapes

- observing the effect of reduced fuels on bushfire intensity and spread.

Session Description:

This full-day workshop will bring together like-minded practitioners aiming to develop cultural competency and culturally safe practices to enhance working relationships with First Nations Australians in the emergency management sector. In small, facilitated groups, participants will share their knowledge and experiences in cross-cultural collaborations, contextualised with the learnings from the DFES Cultural Fire Program.

The workshop will take place at the WA Bushfire Centre of Excellence - a first-of-its-kind facility in the Shire of Murray, located approximately one hour south of Perth. The Centre is a meaningful setting for these important discussions - strong relationships with the Bindjareb Nyungar people (local Traditional Custodians) shaped development of the facility, its services and programs. The Centre provides a culturally safe space to respectfully share understanding of cultural fire practices, the significance of caring for Country and the importance of using fire in the landscape.

Session Description:

What can the toilet paper shortages that took place in the early days of the COVID pandemic teach us about understanding systemic disaster risk and enabling transformation?

Join us as we delve into the mindsets, structures and patterns that are driving hazards to become disasters that are more frequent, severe, compounding and cascading. While some climate change is already locked in, radical transformation in our linked governance and environmental systems can indeed create pathways to resilience.

Participants will learn how to use systems thinking to not only understand the challenges we face but, critically, to identify leverage points for transforming our systems for the better.

Presentations from experienced policy makers and practitioners will set the context for the importance of understanding systemic disaster risk and systems. Participants will then engage in a workshop run by Dr Adriana Keating and Dr Zoë D’Arcy from the Monash Sustainable Development Institute, and Paul Ryan from the Australian Resilience Centre.

This professional development session is based on systems thinking models that have been successfully used worldwide to ignite transformative change and delivered by experienced practitioners. Together, we’ll pull apart the systems generating increasingly volatile and complex disasters, and collectively imagine radical transformations for resilience.

Participants will come away with:

• a deep understanding of systems thinking and the systems driving our current context;

• hope for the future and a vision for radical transformation;

• practical skills that they can apply in almost any context;

• connections with other change-makers across the system.

The day is hosted by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience as part of its Networking and Capability Development program.

Session Description:

This half-day workshop invites the community sector, local government, state agencies and people with lived experience to collectively explore models and solutions for genuine community participation in recovery decision-making and potential barriers to implementation.

Participants will:

• Develop a deeper understanding of why community participation matters.

• Hear from community members and state and local government representatives about their recovery experiences and views on best practice - where has it worked and not worked.

• Explore the participation challenges experienced by community members and state and local governments.

• Be invited to share experiences safely in a future-focused environment.

• Work as groups to map out plausible models and approaches.

The workshop format will include some panel style guest speakers and facilitated opportunities for discussion, learning and ideation to consider new ways. The outcomes will be captured in a short resource shared with participants following the conference.

Session Description:

The provision of temporary housing following an emergency is a major undertaking, and challenge, for government and local communities. There are a maze of issues and challenges to be navigated and coordinated, in terms of what is practically and technically feasible and also to ensure community members can retain a sense of choice, control and dignity throughout the journey to stable housing.

Many jurisdictions are progressing policy and practice projects for the planning, supply, management and transition of temporary housing solutions, as well as engagement with householders. The Social Recovery Reference Group has also commissioned a significant long-tail research project to understand the impacts and outcomes of temporary housing for people's recovery journeys across several States.

The half-day workshop is planned to bring together the researchers, policy-makers, practitioners and other key stakeholders to hear and share research, evaluation findings, lessons, successes (and fails) and new ideas from around the country. Panel contributions will draw on Australian and international experience. It is intended that individual participants can leave the day with tangible information and learnings to inform their new leverage the work in progress around the country for the benefit of all jurisdictions and collaborate to shape the forward research agenda. Overall the workshop is intended to share and build knowledge for the future benefit of impacted communities.

Session Description:

This full-day session will explore the challenges and solutions for ensuring safe evacuation for all building occupants, particularly those who may struggle to respond to cues or navigate standard egress pathways which are considered adequate for most of the population.

Bringing together local and international experts, the session will examine critical considerations in facility design, evacuation planning, and real-world experiences in overcoming egress barriers. Discussions will be particularly relevant to those involved in fire engineering, building design, fire safety, regulation, and emergency response.

This program will also be of key interest to professionals involved in Special Disability Accommodation (SDA) and those operating accommodation for vulnerable groups, providing valuable insights into designing inclusive and effective evacuation strategies.

Session Description:

The Transformative Scenario Resources are a suite of professionally developed online modules and workbooks designed to help organisations stress-test their plans and ensure continued and effective service delivery in an increasingly climate-challenged world.

While natural disasters are a clear and immediate impact of climate change, the full challenge extends beyond extreme weather events. Human factors and modern lifestyle choices are amplifying disaster risks, affecting not only how we work but also how communities experience and recover from disasters.

This workshop introduces the Transformative Scenario Planning Process - an explorative, adaptable method that enables organisations to anticipate, adapt to, and even shape an uncertain future. Participants will engage with the resources, applying them to their own strategic plans, or use the DFES or AFAC Strategic Directions as a working example.

With real-world relevance to events such as Fitzroy River floods of 2023 and Perth Hills Fires, this process equips decision-makers with the tools to expose hidden assumptions, think beyond day-to-day operations, and foster rapid, effective adaptation in times of crises.

Join us to stress-test strategies and drive meaningful action in a climate-challenged world.

Session Description:

Together, we’ll explore the key ingredients of sustainable change: setting clear expectations, embedding accountability into leadership systems, challenging “fix the women” approaches, and co-designing initiatives that work for everyone. Participants will engage in small group work and practical activities to identify the levers they can influence — regardless of their rank or role — and leave with tangible strategies to apply in their own teams and agencies.

This is a session for people who are ready to move beyond conversation and into courageous, informed, and sustained action — to lead change, not wait for it.

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