The Bushfire Safety Policy Framework, developed in response to the 2009 Victorian Bushfires Royal Commission (VBRC) recommendations, reflects Victoria’s approach to community bushfire response. The VBRC noted the need for a more comprehensive policy approach that reflected the reality of fires and people’s behaviour. Following the 2013 fire season, the Fire Services Commissioner Victoria commissioned a review of the Framework to examine the extent to which it effectively supported safe community response in fire emergencies.

The review involved over 120 detailed community interviews in three fire-affected locations representing different fire situations and communities. The review identified the measures implemented under the policy framework, how people responded, and the effectiveness of the measures intended to support them. The review examined five key areas of activity by agencies and government – education and awareness, community capacity building, local planning, warnings and shelter options, and assessed their effectiveness in supporting community preparedness and response.

The presentation will outline the key findings and implications of the review. Of particular interest, the study identified a range of different response archetypes that describe how people understand and respond to bushfire threat. The archetypes provide insight into not only what motivates people and the way they respond, but also why measures intended to support safe response often fail to influence people’s behaviour. The response archetypes also identify a range of community needs, many of which currently are not addressed by agencies' actions. The study highlighted the need for a re-orientation in the way agencies go about working with the community and the ways they seek to influence people’s behaviour.

While the review focussed on the response of Victorian communities to bushfire, the findings have relevance for all agencies seeking to engage the community in preparing for and responding to natural hazard threats.