NSW Reconstruction Authority is committed to funding projects that test and pilot new approaches to achieve breakthrough disaster risk reduction outcomes.

To this end, the focus has been to ensure authentic engagement with CaLD communities as trusted partners in co-designing resilient approaches to emergencies and disasters. Project outcomes will include:

The emergency management sector, media and academia are informed and aware of research findings, and support more equitable and inclusive approaches to community risk reduction.

The emergency management sector is informed and aware of risk factors for CaLD communities, and increasingly engaged in reducing that risk.

Firefighters are exposed to concepts of cross-cultural communication and engage through training and education, resulting in increased confidence and cultural competence.

CaLD communities collaborate meaningfully in the process, resulting in increased awareness of fire and emergency risk factors, and action to reduce those risks.

Trust

CaLD community groups are recognised as trusted partners in developing resilient approaches to emergencies and disasters.

Awareness

Firefighters are aware of risk factors for CaLD communities and increasingly engaged in reducing that risk.

Confidence

Firefighters have increased confidence to engage in cross-cultural conversations/ presentations.

Action

CaLD community members have increased awareness of fire and emergency risk factors and know what actions they can take to reduce those risks.

Prevention

CaLD community members use ‘Ready, Set, Go’ Smartphone App to reduce their fire and emergency risk.

Collaborate

CaLD communities collaborate meaningfully in research.

Inform

Firefighters are informed on the cultural diversity of the NSW community, and their responsibilities in prevention and education for
CaLD communities.

Findings

The emergency management sector, media and academia are informed and aware of research findings.

Teach

Firefighters are exposed to the concept of cross-cultural communication through user testing and knowledge sharing activities.

Safety

CaLD communities are exposed to key fire and emergency safety messages.

Recommend

Post-project recommendations are disseminated to NSW Reconstruction Authority and FRNSW Prevention and Education Steering Committee and FRNSW Executive Leadership Team.

App

CaLD communities collaborate meaningfully in the development and refinement of the ‘Ready, Set, Go’ Smartphone App.

Understand

Research on the current state of public safety communication with CaLD communities and the consequent impact on community risk through focus group discussions, community surveys, and in-depth interviews with firefighters.

Focus group discussions yielded valuable insights thanks to support from trusted community partners Navitas College, TAFE NSW; and Settlement Service International.

The project will deliver three research papers. Please check back again soon for links to the papers.

• Literature review -  Cultural competence in emergency and disaster preparedness for multicultural community engagement: Identifying gaps in the Australian context
• CLEAR TLC Communication Framework [COMING SOON]
• Co-designed Risk Reduction App [COMING SOON]

Share

Knowledge shared through the FRNSW Disaster Risk Reduction Reference Panel, with representatives from the emergency management sector, relevant government agencies, and stakeholders engaging with CaLD communities, including GWS Giants and Navitas.

Test and Change

Proposal of a framework for culturally competent communication in emergency and disaster management, and test an actionable tool to support firefighters and others working in the emergency management sector to deliver effective cross-cultural presentations.

Explore, Prototype, Scale

Exploring the use of new technologies to increase resilience in potentially high risk CaLD communities, through co-design and user testing of a prototype risk reduction app, which will support communities to understand their risk factors and take action to reduce that risk. 

The resk reduction app will be known as ‘Ready, Set, Go’. Please check back again soon for links to the app.

When emergencies occur, language barriers, cultural incompatibility of concepts, and lack of access to information can compound existing challenges, and place culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) community members at disproportionate risk to fire and other emergencies.

“Reducing risk and increasing community resilience in culturally and linguistically diverse communities through culturally appropriate communication” is a joint research initiative of Fire and Rescue NSW and the University of Technology Sydney, Australia.

In collaboration with NSW CaLD community groups, the project aims to understand the current state of communication in emergency management; equip emergency professionals with skills and tools to support culturally appropriate communication; and explore the potential of co-design and new technologies to empower communities to reduce their risk.

The project is funded by the NSW Reconstruction Authority Disaster Risk Reduction Fund.

Fund

Funded by the NSW Reconstruction Authority Disaster Risk Reduction Fund.

Research

A collaboration between Fire and Rescue New South Wales and the University of Technology Sydney.

Partnerships

Disaster Risk Reduction Reference Panel, Navitas College, Settlement Services International.

Our research team have made some recommendations to improve our communications toolkit to enable firefighters to have better interactions with culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities.

A firefighter wouldn’t go to a job without a LADRR - Language And Diversity Risk Reduction - so let's check the tools!

We start at ground level assessing the situation and our resources, before moving up one level at a time.

Scroll through or click the button to jump to the next level.

To Inputs

Research Team

Dr Natalie Krikowa, Dr Kate Delmo and Qualified Firefighter Melinda McDonald.

Qualified Firefighter Melinda McDonald

Research Officer
Fire and Rescue NSW

Qualified Firefighter Melinda McDonald brings her experience both as an operational firefighter and strategic communication professional to research into communications in public safety. Her focus is the scope to reduce risk, and increase community resilience, through a greater understanding of diverse stakeholders, and more effective engagement and communication.

Contact Qualified Firefighter Melinda McDonald
melinda.mcdonald@fire.nsw.gov.au or on LinkedIn

Dr Kate Delmo

Head of Discipline, Strategic Communication
School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney

Dr Kate Delmo's research interests are in issues and crisis communication, disaster risk communication and digital influencers. Dr Delmo is currently working on the following research projects: 1) cross-cultural mobile app usage in disaster risk communication, 2) digital visual ethnography in disaster risk communication and community engagement, and 3) social media in government risk communication (cross-comparative study between Australia and Indonesia).

Contact Dr Kate Delmo
kate.delmo@uts.edu.au
UTS Profile or on LinkedIn

Dr Natalie Krikowa

Senior Lecturer, Digital and Social Media
School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney

Dr Natalie Krikowa is a media scholar and practice-led researcher who currently researches and teaches in digital and social media. Her work problematises and discusses issues surrounding media representation and identity politics in screen studies; and the use of social media in strategic communication, particularly in post-disaster communication and community engagement.

Contact Dr Natalie Krikowa
natalie.krikowa@uts.edu.au
UTS Profile or on LinkedIn

Achievements

73^rd International Communications Association Conference 2023
Toronto, Canada

The ICA 2023 conference theme of Reclaiming Authenticity in Communication invites communication scholars to examine the relational, social, political, and cultural implications of authenticity in public discourse. The Research Team have been invited to deliver two presentations at the 2023 Conference based on outcomes of the project:

Authenticity in Community Engagement in Emergency and Disaster Risk: Building community resilience in culturally and linguistically diverse (CaLD) communities in Australia.

Authenticity in Multicultural Disaster Risk Resilience: Mobile app as tools for culturally competent community engagement in Australia.

Get involved

To provide input or feedback, request a presentation at your relevant forum, or for media enquiries:

Qualified Firefighter Melinda McDonald
Research Officer
Fire and Rescue NSW
melinda.mcdonald@fire.nsw.gov.au or on LinkedIn

Dr Kate Delmo
Head of Discipline, Strategic Communication
School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney
kate.delmo@uts.edu.au
UTS Profile or on LinkedIn

Dr Natalie Krikowa
Senior Lecturer, Digital and Social Media
School of Communication, University of Technology Sydney
natalie.krikowa@uts.edu.au
UTS Profile or on LinkedIn