After the fires

This research will build on our groundbreaking study, ‘Answering the Call: the first National Mental Health and Wellbeing Study of Emergency Services’, which surveyed more than 21,000 first responders, including more than 5,000 rural fire service and SES volunteers.

This baseline measure of mental health and wellbeing of first responders will be used to evaluate both shorter- and longer-term impacts by surveying emergency service personnel again in 2020 and 2021. The study will measure their engagement with the fires, their wellbeing and resilience, and their need for and use of support services, as well as cultural and organisational factors that might affect wellbeing.

The survey data will be supplemented by a series of focus groups in those communities most affected by the fires so we can further draw out our understanding of how they’ve been affected.

The project is overseen by a reference group with representation from agencies, unions, volunteer associations and non-government organisations working in the sector. The reference group is chaired by Michael Baldi, Executive Director, Fire and Rescue NSW (from 1st July 2021), and was previously chaired by Andrew Colvin APM OAM, National Bushfire Recovery Coordinator.