We are thrilled for our research partner, Melinda McDonald (Qualified Firefighter, Fire and Rescue NSW), for her recent appointment as a Churchill Fellow.
You can read all about Min's fellowship project in her report:
“Curiosity, creativity and collaboration: Towards a shared commitment for community risk reduction”.
About the project
The primary objective of this Churchill Fellowship was to study co-designed fire and emergency risk reduction programs tailored for culturally diverse communities. This project focused on examining best practice theories and programs in Community Risk Reduction (CRR), exploring how these can be adapted and applied within Australia. By creating culturally competent and effective mechanisms for collaboration with diverse communities, the aim was to develop trusted partnerships in emergency prevention and education. This knowledge is intended to be shared with emergency agencies to reduce risk and support equitable outcomes for all Australians. Australia's emergency agencies are tasked with serving and protecting all of our community. However, the country's evolving cultural diversity presents new challenges that cannot be addressed through traditional approaches. Fostering trust between multicultural communities and emergency services is vital and will result in enhanced community knowledge and resilience. The insights gained from this project are intended to benefit the Australian community by equipping the emergency management sector with the tools and knowledge required to address fire and emergency risk reduction in innovative and genuine ways. Ultimately, these efforts have the potential to save lives.
"CRR is not a one-time program or a goal - but an ongoing, integrated, and strategic process that continually evolves to address emerging risks."
Itinerary, Meetings, and Learnings
During the Churchill Fellowship, several key organisations were visited, and numerous experts were engaged, each contributing valuable insights into CRR theory and program design. Some place visited include:
United States: National Fire Protection Association; Spring Fire Department, Texas; City of Omaha Fire Department; Seattle Fire Department; Mountain View Fire Rescue and Boulder Fire Rescue, Colorado; National Institute of Standards Public Safety Communications Research team in Boulder.
Europe: International Organization for Migration in Geneva; Finnish National Rescue Association (SPEK, Helsinki, Finland); RISE Fire Research and InnovationTrondheim, Norway.
A huge congratulations to Min on her fellowship project and admittance to the position of Winston Churchill Fellow!
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