The Australian Journal of Emergency Management Vol 24 No 3 AUGUST 2009 Swine flu: Australia’s preparations Vol 24 Vol and response No 3 AUGUST 2009 Does experience How will climate change affect Preparing for Tsunami alter fire fighters’ attitudes our volunteer sector? evacuations in New Zealand. to safety? GREY18166 historical snapshot interesting websites Australian Government Department of Health & Ageing Preparing for pandemic influenza website http://www.healthemergency.gov.au/ internet/healthemergency/publishing.nsf This website provides important information about pandemic influenza, including what the Australian Government will do if it happens, and what individuals, businesses, communities and health care professionals can do to prepare for and respond to a flu pandemic. This website was developed in consultation with State and Territory and local governments. Even though Australia is well equipped, governments alone cannot respond effectively to a flu pandemic. It is important that we are all prepared for the possibility of a pandemic and ready to respond to the threat to help slow the spread of infection and lessen the impact. The Influenza Pandemic of 1918 The influenza pandemic of 1918-1919 killed more people than World War I, at somewhere between 20 and 40 million people. It has been cited as the most devastating epidemic in recorded world history. More people died of influenza in a single year than in four-years of the Black Death Bubonic Plague from 1347 to 1351. Known as “Spanish Flu” or “La Grippe” the influenza of 1918-1919 was a global disaster. The gauze mask was a prevention method using ideas of contagion and germ theory. In the United States it was widely accepted for use in hospitals among health care workers. The face masks consisted of a half yard of gauze, folded like a triangular bandage covering the mouth, nose and chin (BMJ, 11/2/19118). These gauze masks acted to prevent the infectious droplets from being expelled by the mouth and from the hands, contaminated with microbe from being put to the mouth. The barrier from the hands was thought to be more important than the barrier from the air. The mask was also worn in some regions by the general population. In San Francisco the gauze masks were made a requirement of the entire population in a trial ordinance. This rhyme was a popular way to remind people of the ordinance. Obey the laws And wear the gauze Protect your jaws From Septic Paws Cover: Julien Meagher (L) a manager with the Public Health Service demonstrates the measures Australia is putting in place to detect flu-like symptoms when arriving at Melbourne airport to colleague George Theodorou (R). ©William West AFP. Contents Vol 24 No 3 August 2009 The Australian Journal of Please note that contributions to the Australian Journal of Emergency Management are reviewed. Academic papers (denoted by R ) are peer reviewed to appropriate academic standards by Emergency Management independent, qualified experts. Vol. 24 No. 3, August 2009 ISSN: 1324 1540 PUBLISHER FOREWORD 2 The Australian Journal of Emergency Management is the official journal of a Division of the Federal Attorney-General’s Department, and is An extract from COAG Communiqué 3 the nation’s most highly rated journal in its field. Council of Australian Governments’ Meeting – 30 April 2009 The purpose of the Journal is to build capacity in the emergency management industry in Australia. It provides access to information and knowledge International Disaster Workshop held Hanoi, Vietnam 4 for an active emergency management research community and practitioners of emergency Managing Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza: A national health response 5 management. By Professor Jim Bishop AO, Australia’s Chief Medical Officer EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Martin Studdert AM, National Security If you build it, they will come: an influenza assessment clinic 7 Capability Development Division, Attorney-General’s Department. Matt Luther and Shane Lenson share some lessons from their involvement in setting up Calvary Health Care ACT’s Influenza Assessment Clinic in AJEM ADVISORY COMMITTEE Christine Jenkinson, Attorney-General’s response to the recent Swine Flu epidemic Department Roger Jones, Director, Board of the Victoria Climate change and the volunteer emergency management sector 11 State Emergency Service Authority Major General Hori Howard, Chair of the Australian Emergency Management Chas Keys, formerly of NSW State Emergency Service Volunteers’ Forum, discusses the potential impact of climate change on the Graham Dwyer, Department of Justice, Victoria Prof Jennifer McKay, University of South Australia capabilities of the volunteer sector. Andrew Coghlan, Australian Red Cross, Melbourne Portal experiences: the impact of fire fighters’ experiences of threat David Parsons, Sydney Water Corporation on risk perception and attitudes to personal safety 15 Cate Moore, Attorney-General’s Department Holgate and Clancy examine the impact of threat experiences on the risk Morrie Bradley, Attorney-General’s Department perception and attitudes to safety of volunteer fire fighters. PUBLISHER and EDITORIAL TEAM Editor, Anita Cleaver, Rave Communication Paramedics’ perceptions of risk and willingness to work during disasters 21 Design and Typesetting by Grey Worldwide Smith, Morgans, Qureshi, Archer, and Burkle Jr argue that ambulance services CIRCULATION may not have an adequate supply of paramedics during disasters. Published on the last day of August, November, February and May each year. Copies are distributed quarterly without charge to Planning for tsunami evacuations: the case of the subscribers throughout Australia and overseas. Marine Education Centre, Wellington, New Zealand 28 COPYRIGHT Ruth Garside, David Johnston, Wendy Saunders and Graham Leonard outline Material in The Australian Journal of and explore the legal implications of a 2007 Environment Court of New Zealand Emergency Management is protected under the Commonwealth Copyright Act 1968. ruling on the proposed Marine Education Centre, Wellington, with respect to No material may be reproduced in part or tsunami evacuation planning. in whole without written consent from the copyright holders. The views in this journal The Launceston flood policies: Levees and beyond 32 are not necessarily the views of the Attorney General’s Department. Atkins and Vince of the University of Tasmania examine the development of Launceston’s flood levee and flood mitigation policies. SUBMISSIONS The Australian Journal of Emergency Management welcomes submissions. Please Survival confidence of New Zealanders in outdoor and contact us on [email protected] for a copy post-earthquake situations 38 of our Contributors’ Guidelines. Articles for Smith and Walton argue that New Zealanders may be overconfident in their publication may be forwarded to: abilities in an emergency scenario they have not experienced. The Australian Journal of Emergency Management Main Road MT MACEDON VIC 3441 (Mal)adapting to tropical cyclone risk: the case of ‘Tempestuous Tracy’ 44 SUBSCRIPTIONS & SUBSCRIPTION Geraldine Li explores human social adaptations to tropical cyclone risk in ENQUIRIES Darwin Australia leading up to Cyclone Tracy in 1974. For your free subscription contact us at Email: [email protected] or fax 03 5421 5272 Notes from the Field 52 Or visit us online at www.ema.gov.au/ajem Changes to subscription details can be made National Bushfire Arson Forum Report 53 by emailing [email protected] EDITORIAL ENQUIRIES ONLY In Profile: Rob Taylor 55 Tel: (02) 6295 3662 National Security Update 56 AJEM Book Review 59 The Australian Journal of Emergency Management, Vol. 24 No. 3, August 2009 Foreword Unusual Business or Business as Usual? Workshop June 30 – July 1 By Martin Studdert, AM, Attorney-General’s Department On 30 June and the 1 July, this year I hosted the National These were: Security Capability Development Division sponsored • Leadership: new models of leadership moving workshop titled, Unusual Business or Business as Usual? beyond the traditional command and control to more The gathering brought to the Australian Emergency flexible, innovative, networked models. Management Institute at Mt Macedon in Victoria, a wide representation of the Australian emergency management • Community engagement: beyond simple notions industry to consider whether the natural disaster events of of community information to a trusted and deeply 2008/2009 were Unusual Business or Business as Usual? engaged relationship with all of our diverse and over- lapping communities. Australia is certainly no stranger to disaster, but even • Partnerships: between the public and the private; by Australian standards, the 2008/2009 heatwaves, governments, NGOs, emergency services, industry, bushfires and floods affected unusually large tracts of critical infrastructure, organisations and communities our nation. They left behind an unprecedented death working together to develop resilience and toll, the destruction of homes, environments, businesses co-ordination. and local economies; widespread disruption to critical infrastructure and an extraordinary financial impact • Risk: better understandings of risk and how both regionally and nationally. Additionally, there was an communities, individuals and organisations immeasurable impact on the lives of Australians, both understand and mediate risk in order to develop those directly affected and those touched by the wave effective public information which can change of destruction. In the wake of these events which over- behaviour