Words such as ‘smoke alarm’ are all important for Fire and Rescue NSW in ensuring people have early warning of a fire in their home – and ultimately, reducing risk of fire-related injuries and fatalities.
But what if those words don’t exist in the language spoken by your target community? What if catchy slogans such as ‘get down low and go, go, go’ mean something completely different when translated? What if our own assumptions about someone else’s cultural practices or lived experiences are standing in the way of genuine communication?
The 2021 Census shows that almost one in three NSW residents were born overseas, and 32.4% of NSW residents use a language other than English at home.
Cultural diversity brings economic, social, and cultural benefits, but also creates challenges in communicating with those most impacted by – and often least involved in – emergency and disaster preparedness, response, and recovery.
With this in mind, it's exciting that Senator the Hon Murray Watt and The Hon Steph Cooke have now announced our NSW Reconstruction Authority Disaster Risk Reduction Fund Project “Reducing risk and increasing resilience in culturally and linguistically diverse communities through culturally appropriate communication”.
It’s a lengthy title, but can probably best be summarised as:
“Making sure everyone is safe, by making sure everyone has understood.”
On behalf of FRNSW, I’m collaborating with a talented team from University of Technology Sydney led by Dr Kate Mirandilla Delmo and Dr Natalie Krikowa to create more effective mechanisms for communication, and to empower emergency services professionals with the tools and confidence they need to engage with their diverse communities.
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