The “zero responders” – bystanders who proactively assist – play a pivotal role in the immediate response to crisis. They can be key players in preventing, reporting and containing a violent incident.
Visitor numbers to national parks are increasing. It means masses of people are being funnelled into potentially dangerous locations for which they may be unprepared.
Twitter was blocked in Turkey for about 12 hours at the height of rescue and relief efforts in the aftermath of a massive earthquake, severely hampering a vital tool for disaster response.
Despite its aim to help emergency services work together, Jesip failed to prevent in-group bias.
Peter Byrne/PA Images/Alamy Stock Photo
Again, thousands of residents in Western Sydney face a life-threatening flood disaster. Obviously, nature is a major culprit – but other drivers are also at play.
More 9/11 responders died from physical and mental health issues after the terrorist attacks than on the day itself. And survivors are still suffering 20 years later.
Australian emergency services are using social media for a number of purposes during disasters. What they are not doing well is analysing social media data in real time to improve disaster management.
Nearly 90% of emergency service staff have experienced stress, low mood and poor mental health.
Firefighters in Kangaroo Island, South Australia. First responders’ experiences on the front line make them susceptible to post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health problems.
David Mariuz/AAP
Emergency service workers already have poorer mental health than the rest of us. In the wake of this bushfire crisis, we need to make the well-being of our first responders a top priority.
A firefighting helicopter tackles a bushfire near Bairnsdale in Victoria’s East Gippsland region, Australia.
State Government of Victoria
Volunteer numbers are shrinking in rural areas, leaving fewer people to battle bushfires. We need to change our thinking about volunteering to recruit more firefighters and keep the ones we have.
Few medical schools offer training in addictions medicine and most doctors feel they lack the specialist expertise to deal with the inpatient opioid crisis.
(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Andrew Vaughan)
Paramedics face traumatic situations every day. They need policies to ensure support is provided in the immediate aftermath of trauma, and early access to mental health care.
Armed police on patrol outside Manchester Arena after it was attacked by a suicide bomber in May 2017.
Peter Byrne/PA Archive/PA Images
Terrorist attacks are increasingly unpredictable. Manchester provides a key lesson in identifying how the gap between hypothetical plans and the reality of incidents is widening.