AESM Vol 19, Issue 3 2020

VOL 19: Isssue 3, 2020

We’ve got your back.
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Emergency Services Health Pty Ltd ABN 98 131 093 877

CONTENTS
FEATURE
Disasters expose
gaps in social
media use
Social media can
provide invaluable
and time-critical
information to both
emergency services and
communities at risk.
11
“
FEATURE
PORTRAITS
OF AN
EMERGENCY
DANIEL SUNDAHL
& THE CODE 9
FOUNDATION
A collection of deep,
personal artworks
that showcase the
brutal, difficult and
messy beauty and
incredible mateship
that is the life of an
emergency service
worker.
21
“
FEATURE
Uncovering
Exposure To
Natural Hazards
A closer look at The
Australian Exposure
Information Platform
(AEIP) by the BNHCRC
25
12 Months Since The
Last Bushfire Season
Began
Should we expect to see
the same bushfire season
that we did last year? A
look at why that is unlikely
to happen.
31
17
The Dangers Facing
Australian Police In
The Line Of Duty
The horrific deaths of four
Victorian police officers
during seemingly routine
traffic duties have brought
the dangers of policing
into sharp relief.
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au
No Emergency
Service Leave For
Students
Dr Michael Eburn discusses
the law around granting
special leave during
emergencies for students
who choose to volunteer in
the SES
9

THE REGULARS
• Editor’s Note
4
• Recent Events
ESTA launches ECAN Program
An expert team to lead new Fire & Rescue Service
WA Surf Lifesaving Bravery Awards
Emergency Services Blood Challenge
• Emergency Law with Dr Michael Eburn
• Let’s Talk Mental Health with A/Prof Erin Cotter- Smith
• The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Paramedic
• In the Spotlight - Darin Sullivan
• Emergency Breaks - Cairns, Far North Queensland
5
6
7
8
9
15
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36
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LET’S TALK MENTAL HEALTH
Associate Professor Erin Cotter-Smith
Course Coordinator of the School of
Medical and Health Sciences, Edith Cowan
University. Research Consultant at The
Code 9 Foundation. Well-Being Team Co-
Lead, The Australian Red Cross.
EMERGENCY LAW
Dr Michael Eburn - PHD, Barrister
and leading expert in law relating to
emergency management & emergency
services.
THE GOOD, THE BAD &
THE UGLY PARAMEDIC
Tammie Bullard is a paramedic and
sessional lecturer based in Western
Australia. Author of The Good, The Bad
& The Ugly Paramedic
MAGAZINE CONTACTS
Editorial Content
press@ausemergencyservices.com.au
Advertising Enquiries
advertise@ausemergencyservices.com.au
Distribution Enquiries
distribution@ausemergencyservices.com.au
POSTAL ADDRESS:
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ROBINA TC, QLD 4230
IN THE SPOTLIGHT
EMERGENCY BREAKS
Each edition features a
profile on a person, team,
partnership, squad or unit
to showcase their unique
contribution to the Emergency
Services industry.
Explore local surrounds, or
new places that are only a
short plane trip or drive away,
so you can maximise every
minute of those days when
your name doesn’t appear
next to a call sign on the roster
Scan Me
to download the AESM App
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

ARE THEY
TRIPLE OK?
We’re always there to help.
Let’s make sure we help each other and ask R U OK?
ruok.org.au/triple-ok
3
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

EDITOR’S NOTE
Welcome to the latest edition of the Australian
Emergency Services Magazine.
It is through difficult times that we all band together.
Whether it be within our own family, the workplace or
our community. Over this last six months we have all
witnessed this coming together to help each other to
the other side.
From all the team at the Australian Emergency Services
Magazine we would like to take this opportunity to
thank our contributors and our readers for your
continued support. We are all under a higher degree
of uncertainty and stress so finding the time to provide
articles and share your wealth of knowledge is very
much appreciated.
There is a great article in this edition about the artist
Daniel Sundahl and The Code 9 Foundation. Daniel has
put together his latest book, “Portraits of an Emergency;
Chapter 3”. The Australian sales of this book go
towards the incredible work that the Code 9 Foundation
does to support first responders and 000 operators
who live with PTSD. All the information about how to
purchase this book can be found in the article. So if
you can, let’s come together to support such a great
foundation.
Hopefully a sense of normality isnt too far away for
everyone as restrictions start to lift. Let’s stay vigilant
and keep our community safe.
Bianca Peterson
Editor in Chief
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au
DISCLAIMER
The Australian Emergency Services Magazine
is a community educational resource
publication and does not promote itself
as a charity or fund raising institution, nor
solicit on behalf of charities and is no way
financially supported by or associated with
any government or similar institution.
Distribution of the publication is Bi-Monthly
and is circulated via a database of interested
parties, including business, subscribers,
advertisers, volunteer emergency
organistations, and council libraries. A
print and digital magazine is distributed to a
targeted database in each State & Territory.
Every effort is made to ensure that material
presented in the Australian Emergency
Services Magazine was correct at the time of
printing and is published in good faith, no
responsibility or liability will be accepted by
Boothbook Media.
The views and opinions expressed are
not necessarily those of Boothbook
Media and its employees. The content of
any advertising or promotional material
contained within the Australian Emergency
Services Magazine is not necessarily an
endorsement by Boothbook Media.
Published by Boothbook Media
ABN:72 605 987 031
BOOTHBOOK MEDIA
DIGITAL MEDIA & MARKETING
WANT TO CONTRIBUTE?
We are always looking for new
and relevant content that
our readers will enjoy. If you
would like to be featured in
the magazine there are many
options. You may have a story
you would like to share, or
perhaps be featured in our “In
the Spotlight” regular column.
Please submit all articles or
expressions of interest to the
Editor for consideration at:
press@ausemergencyservices.
com.au
Articles should be no more than
1000 words and be relevant
to the content within the
Australian Emergency Services
Magazine.
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 4

RECENT EVENTS
ESTA LAUNCHES NEW EMERGENCY
CALLER AUTOMATIC NOTIFICATION
(ECAN) PROGRAM
Necessity is the mother of invention, and two ESTA
team members have conceived and delivered an
innovative program that decreases call-taker workload
and gives callers access to up-to-date advice on the
coronavirus.
Despite Telstra introducing a Recorded Voice
Announcement directing people to the national
Covid-19 help line, ambulance call-takers are still
receiving calls seeking advice about the virus.
Quality Improvement Manager Stephen Burgess had
an idea to address this and enlisted the ingenuity of
Technical Specialist Trevor Ives to turn the idea into
reality.
The result is a program called Emergency Caller
Automatic Notification (ECAN), which was
launched successfully last month.
When the caller requires advice on COVID-19, the
program creates a new message and forwards that
advice to the caller via SMS. It directs people to the
coronavirus helpline and the Department of Health
and Human Services website.
The service is designed for mobiles, but it can also
send pre-recorded messages to callers on landlines.
However, ECAN’s potential is not confined to
ambulance-related activity. Features that can be
enabled in the future include:
• text to voice messaging to landlines
• delivery of pre-recorded messages in LOTE
• post-dispatch instructions for scene safety, first
aid and evidence preservation
• total fire ban or storm notifications
• overwhelming service demand notifications.
5
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

RECENT EVENTS
EXPERT TEAM TO LEAD VICTORIA’S
NEW FIRE AND RESCUE SERVICE
The Victorian Government has
announced a team of highly
experienced fire and rescue sector
executives to support inaugural Fire
Rescue Commissioner Ken Block in
leading Victoria’s new service – Fire
Rescue Victoria (FRV) – from 1 July.
The newly appointed Deputy
Commissioners bring together
experienced senior firefighters from
the Metropolitan Fire Brigade (MFB)
and Country Fire Authority (CFA) and
fire agencies from other jurisdictions,
and together with Commissioner Block,
will provide FRV with the executive
leadership, capability and experience
needed.
Australian Fire Service Medal (AFSM)
recipient Kenneth Brown will join FRV
as Deputy Commissioner in the Office
of the Fire Rescue Commissioner. Mr
Brown brings to the role significant
experience in the fire and rescue
sector and is currently MFB Acting
Deputy Chief Officer, Operational
Preparedness.
Michelle Young AFSM has been
appointed Deputy Commissioner of
Fire Safety, where she will manage
safety, fire investigation, alarm
assessment and community resilience.
Ms Young brings significant experience
as a firefighter with the Queensland
Fire and Emergency Services since
1995, where she is currently Assistant
Commissioner.
David Bruce AFSM will bring the
impressive leadership experience
gained in his current position as Acting
CEO and Chief Officer of MFB to the
position as Deputy Commissioner,
North-West Operations.
Gavin Freeman AFSM will be Deputy
Commissioner for South-East
Operations, utilising his extensive
experience with the Tasmania Fire
Service and CFA, where he currently
works as Deputy Chief Officer.
Mr Freeman undertook the position
of Victorian State Response Controller
during the 2019-20 bushfire season.
Brendan Angwin brings expert
experience to FRV in the role of
Deputy Commissioner for Operational
Training.
Martin Braid AFSM will bring more
than 30 years’ experience to the
role of FRV Deputy Commissioner of
Strategy, where he will lead operational
communications, IT, policy and
planning.
The appointments were made
following a competitive recruitment
process led by an independent
executive recruitment agency. With
applications open Australia wide,
recruitment involved two rounds
of interviews conducted with
Commissioner Block and senior
executives from across government
and the emergency sector.
All appointees will begin in their
new roles on 1 July, upon the
commencement of FRV as a new
agency to bring together career
firefighters and staff from CFA and
MFB to lead fire and rescue services
Melbourne and major regional centres.
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 6

RECENT EVENTS
NOMINATIONS OPEN FOR
ROYAL LIFE SAVING WA
BRAVERY AWARDS 2020
Royal Life Saving Bravey Award recipients 2019
Each year Royal Life Saving WA’s
Bravery Awards acknowledge
dozens of Western Australians
who have saved the lives of others,
sometimes while risking their own life.
Nominations for this year’s awards
are currently open ahead of the
annual awards event which will be
held in mid-October.
The Bravery Awards are designed
to recognise and acknowledge the
efforts of people in our community
who have taken extraordinary action
to save, or attempt to save, another
person’s life.
Previous recipients have included
both children and adults, who have
performed acts of bravery including
in-water rescues, providing CPR
or first aid or otherwise putting
themselves in harm’s way to assist
another person.
Royal Life Saving WA CEO Peter
Leaversuch says the awards are
an important way to encourage
community members to learn
lifesaving skills. “Our annual Bravery
Awards are an opportunity to
showcase the efforts of members of
our community who have displayed
exceptional courage, empathy
and initiative by applying lifesaving
skills in emergency situations. The
Awards are a reminder of how
vitally important it is to learn how to
respond in an emergency.”
One of the recipients in 2019 was
Daniel Crook, who performed CPR
for 13 minutes on his friend, Michael,
who suddenly collapsed at home.
Paramedics credited Daniel for
saving Michael’s life, and Royal Life
Saving WA presented him with a
Gold Medallion Bravery Award for his
efforts.
This is just one example of heroism
demonstrated by everyday lifesavers
all over our state, and we’re
encouraging Western Australians
who know of someone who deserves
recognition for an act of bravery to
nominate them today.
Individuals can be nominated
for brave acts that occur in any
environment and those who have
demonstrated use of qualifications
such as resuscitation awards, senior
first aid, bronze medallion or pool
lifeguard. Every action is courageous,
as is the person behind the action. So
why not become a part of something
inspiring?
Nominations can be made by anyone
who has information about the
incident simply by completing our
online form at www.royallifesavingwa.
com.au/braveryawards.
Nominations close on Monday 31st
August 2020.
7
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

RECENT EVENTS
volunteer firefighter who was once
A in desperate need of donor blood
has called on her fellow CFA members
across Victoria to get involved and
donate if they are able to.
The Challenge, held annually by
the Australian Red Cross Lifeblood
Service, runs from 1 June to 31 August,
and encourages emergency service
workers to join their team and donate,
competing to win the challenge and
more importantly, save lives.
Kylie Vernados is a Firefighter at
Bolinda & Monegeetta CFA and
required three units of red blood cells
after severe anaemia impacted her
quality of life.
“It was my only option for treatment,”
Kylie said.
“Prior to having the blood transfusion, I
was really fatigued, low energy, getting
short of breath when I was doing very
little strenuous activity, irregular heart
rates… it was stopping me from doing a
lot of things that I really wanted to do.
“It’s made a big, big difference.”
Kylie said while not everyone is able to
donate blood; it’s a great way to help
others if you can.
“I’d really encourage everyone who can
donate to get out there and do it,” she
said.
“There are a lot of people like myself
who can’t donate, and we’re so grateful
for those who can.
“You just never know when you or
someone you love may need blood
products, so if you can do it – please
do.”
FIREYS TAKING ON THE
EMERGENCY SERVICES
BLOOD CHALLENGE
You can get a spot on the podium in
one of four categories:
• Most donations
• Most new donors
• Most plasma donations
• Highest year-on-year growth
WHAT’S LIFEBLOOD TEAMS?
Lifeblood Teams brings people
together to save lives – they’re made
up of people, like you, who care about
what’s happening in the world.
Together, they’re transforming the lives
of thousands of Australians.
Kylie Vernados - Firefighter at Bolinda & Monegeetta CFA
1, 2, 3, GIVE!
• Register a blood donor account if
you don’t already have one – you
can register online.
• Join your Lifeblood Team –
just follow the step-by-step
instructions on how to join a
team.
• Book a time to give life. Every
donation you make automatically
goes towards your team’s tally
and the overall drive total!
That’s it. You can check in on the front
runners throughout the challenge and
see how you measure up.
ARE YOU READY FOR THE EMERGENCY
SERVICES BLOOD CHALLENGE?
It’s set to be a big one.
Just give blood or plasma between 1
June – 31 August to get involved.
As usual, competition will be fierce, with
Lifeblood Teams across the country
warming up to save the most lives.
Even though things are a bit different
right now, Australians still need your
blood and plasma donations.
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 8

AUSTRALIAN EMERGENCY LAW with Dr Michael Eburn
A DISCUSSION ON
THE LAW THAT
APPLIES TO OR
AFFECTS AUSTRALIA’S
EMERGENCY SERVICES
AND EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT
NO EMERGENCY
SERVICE LEAVE
FOR STUDENTS
June 15th, 2020
A QUESTION OF PRIORITIES
Today’s correspondent is a
PHD
Barrister
Leading expert in Law
relating to Emergency
Management & Emergency
Services
… university student in [New South Wales]…, and I’m currently in the
process of joining the local SES unit. However, I had a concern about my
university commitments conflicting with this volunteering. As I’m sure
you know, when a student is unable to attend a class or assessment due
to extenuating circumstances, they can apply for consideration towards
their grade or a deferred assessment. The problem is that my university’s
‘Academic Consideration Policy’ does not account for emergency
service workers/volunteers (it mentions everything from military service,
to work commitments, religious holidays and beyond, but there is no
mention of emergency responders). Wanting to reassure myself before
becoming a volunteer, I attempted to deal with this by talking to staff at
the university to see if a volunteer would actually qualify for consideration.
Eventually I was given the rather unconvincing answer of ‘we don’t
really know; it would probably come down to the separate judgement of
each subject coordinator’. Having met most of my subject coordinators,
my consideration being left to their judgement with no guidance from
formal policies is a little alarming. Suppose there is a large flood I have
to attend during an exam time, or something similar?
Follow Michael Eburn
Facebook- facebook.com/
EburnM/
Twitter - @EburnM
For his latest articles on
Emergency Law go to:
www.emergencylaw.wordpress.com
Getting to the heart of my question;
is a university obligated by law to
make allowances for students that are
involved in emergency volunteering?
I have searched briefly through some
legislation myself and found protections
in the Fair Work Act for employees that
volunteer during emergencies, but I
can’t find any mention of students.
The short answer, and pretty much
the long answer too, is ‘no, a university
is not obligated by law to make
allowances for students that are
involved in emergency volunteering’.
After that sort of opening statement, I
would usually go onto explore ‘the law’
but given there is no legal obligation
of that sort, there is no law to cite. As
my correspondent has noted there are
protections for employees but not for
students.
But I’ll wander out of my ‘lane’ for a
minute. As a university academic I am
aware that all universities have a special
consideration/deferred assessment
policy. Special consideration has
always confused me; I’m never sure
what to do with it. A student submits
work, you assess it, how can you then
give a higher mark on the basis that
they may have produced a different
result in different circumstances. The
transcript does not say ‘Distinction

(well not really but it might have been)’.
But there were circumstances were a
student did have say Distinction results
throughout the semester except for
the one affected assessment task and
their final result was one mark off a
Distinction so you would rely on the
‘special circumstances’ to push them
over. I’m sure most academics would
by sympathetic particularly as they live
in the same community and will be
aware of local floods or significant ones
requiring out of area assistance.
Deferred assessment is always
problematic. Students putting off
their exams from say November to
the ‘special exam period’ in January or
February never really do themselves
any favours.
With my academic hat on, I’d be
confident to say ‘I’m sure your teachers
will give whatever lee way they can, but
their options are limited and if results
are important, put your best foot
forward’.
Putting on a different hat, this time as
someone who’s been involved, one
way or another, with the volunteer
emergency services since I was 13 and
during my university studies, I don’t
think you will find any service, or any
unit controller, that doesn’t say ‘put
your family, job and studies first’.
The question ‘Suppose there is a
large flood I have to attend during
an exam time, or something similar?’
demonstrates a misunderstanding of
the concept of volunteering. If there
is a large flood, or something similar,
a volunteer does not ‘have’ to attend,
they attend if they can. And one of the
factors that determines whether they
can is other commitments such as
exams. University students may not be
able to respond during exam time but
may have more availability than others
during the summer break (if that still
exists and the university hasn’t moved
to Trimesters). And units located near
universities that draw on students know
that and should accommodate that.
I would urge my correspondent to
discuss the matter with his or her local
unit leader. I’m sure any of them would
say ‘if you can’t come due to exams,
that’s fine’.
Photo: Department of Fire and Emergency Services WA.
Conclusion
As I said, the last two observations are
outside my proper scope of reporting
on the law. The legal answer is ‘a
university is not obligated by law to
make allowances for students that are
involved in emergency volunteering’.
This article originally appeared on the
blog Australian Emergency Law (https://
emergencylaw.wordpress.com/) and is reproduced
with the permission of the author.
As a blog post it represents the author’s opinion
based on the law at the time it was written. The
blog, or this article, is not legal advice and cannot be
relied upon to determine any person’s legal position.
How the law applies to any specific situation or
event depends on all the circumstances.
If you need to determine legal rights and obligations
with respect to any event that has happened, or
some action that is proposed, you must consult
a lawyer for advice based on the particular
circumstances. Trade unions, professional
indemnity insurers and community legal centres can
all be a source for initial legal advice.
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 10

DISASTERS EXPOSE GAPS
IN EMERGENCY SERVICES’
SOCIAL MEDIA USE
11
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

Australia has borne the brunt
of several major disasters in
recent years, including drought,
bushfires, floods and cyclones. The
increasing use of social media is
changing how we prepare for and
respond to these disasters. Not only
emergency services but also their
social media are now much-soughtafter
sources of disaster information
and warnings.
We studied Australian emergency
services’ social media use in times
of disaster. Social media can
provide invaluable and time-critical
information to both emergency
services and communities at risk. But
we also found problems.
HOW DO EMERGENCY SERVICES USE
SOCIAL MEDIA?
The 2019-20 Australian bushfires
affected 80% of the population
directly or indirectly. Social media
were widely used to spread
awareness of the bushfire disaster
and to raise funds – albeit sometimes
controversially – to help people in
need.
The escalating use and importance of
social media in disaster management
raises an important question:
How effective are social media
pages of Australian state emergency
management organisations in
meeting community expectations and
needs?
To answer this question, QUT’s
Urban Studies Lab investigated the
community engagement approaches
of social media pages maintained
by various Australian emergency
services. We placed Facebook and
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 12

Twitter pages of New South Wales State Emergency
Services (NSW-SES), Victoria State Emergency Services
(VIC-SES) and Queensland Fire and Emergency Services
(QLD-FES) under the microscope.
Our study made four key findings.
First, emergency services’ social media pages are intended
to:
• disseminate warnings
• provide an alternative communication channel
• receive rescue and recovery requests
• collect information about the public’s experiences
• raise disaster awareness
• build collective intelligence
• encourage volunteerism
• express gratitude to emergency service staff and
volunteers
• raise funds for those in need.
Examples of emergency services’ social media posts are
shown below.
Second, Facebook pages of emergency services attract
more community attention than Twitter pages. Services
need to make their Twitter pages more attractive
as, unlike Facebook, Twitter allows streamlined data
download for social media analytics. A widely used Twitter
page of emergency service means more data for analysis
and potentially more accurate policies and actions.
Third, Australia lacks a legal framework for the use of
social media in emergency service operations. Developing
these frameworks will help organisations maximise its
use, especially in the case of financial matters such as
donations.
Fourth, the credibility of public-generated information
can sometimes be questionable. Authorities need to be
able to respond rapidly to such information to avoid the
spread of misinformation or “fake news” on social media.
SERVICES COULD DO MORE WITH SOCIAL MEDIA
Our research highlighted that emergency services could
use social media more effectively. We do not see these
services analysing social media data to inform their
activities before, during and after disasters.
13
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

In another study on the use of social media analytics for
disaster management, we developed a novel approach
to show how emergency services can identify disasteraffected
areas using real-time social media data. For that
study, we collected Twitter data with location information
on the 2010-11 Queensland floods. We were able to
identify disaster severity by analysing the emotional or
sentiment values of tweets.
This work generated the disaster severity map show
below. The map is over 90% accurate to actual figures
in the report of the Queensland Floods Commission of
Inquiry.
Another concern is difficulty in receiving social media
messages from severely affected areas. For instance, the
disaster might have brought down internet or 4G/5G
coverage, or people might have been evacuated from
areas at risk. This might lead to limited social media posts
from the actual disaster zone, with increasing numbers of
posts from the places people are relocated.
In such a scenario, alternative social media analytics are
on offer. We can use content analysis and sentiment
analysis to determine the disaster location and impact.
HOW TO MAKE THE MOST OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Social media and its applications are generating new and
innovative ways to manage disasters and reduce their
impacts. These include:
CONCERNS ABOUT USING SOCIAL MEDIA TO MANAGE
DISASTER
The first highly voiced concern about social media use in
disaster management is the digital divide. While the issue
of underrepresented people and communities remains
important, the use of technology is spreading widely.
There were 3.4 billion social media users worldwide in
2019, and the growth in numbers is accelerating.
Besides, many Australian cities and towns are investing in
smart city strategies and infrastructures. These localities
provide free public Wi-Fi connections. And almost 90% of
Australians now own a smart phone.
The second concern is information accuracy or “fake
news” on social media. Evidently, sharing false information
and rumours compromises the information social media
provides. Social media images and videos tagged with
location information can provide more reliable, eyewitness
information.
increasing community trust in emergency services by
social media profiling
crowd-sourcing the collection and sharing of disaster
information
creating awareness by incorporating gamification
applications in social media
using social media data to detect disaster intensity and
hotspot locations
running real-time data analytics.
In sum, social media could become a mainstream
information provider for disaster management. The need
is likely to become more pressing as human-induced
climate change increases the severity and frequency of
disasters.
Today, as we confront the COVID-19 pandemic, social
media analytics are helping to ease its impacts. Artificial
intelligence (AI) technologies are greatly reducing
processing time for social media analytics. We believe the
next-generation AI will enable us to undertake real-time
social media analytics more accurately.
Tan Yigitcanlar
Associate Professor of
Urban Studies and Planning,
Queensland University of Technology
Nayomi Kankanamge
PhD Candidate,
School of Built Environment,
Queensland University of Technology
Ashantha Goonetilleke
Professor,
Queensland University of Technology
This article was first published on
“The Conversation
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 14

Lets Talk Mental
Health
with Associate Professor
Erin Cotter-Smith
FLATTENING THE ‘OTHER CURVE’: THE NEXT
COVID-19 CHALLENGE
Even before the COVID-19
coronavirus pandemic diverted our
attention away from the bushfires
that devastated much of Australia
in early 2020, our infrastructure for
protecting mental health and wellbeing
– especially for our emergency
service personnel – was fragmented,
overburdened, and underperforming.
Now, coronavirus has put even more
stress on that broken system.
In Australia, mental health and
substance use disorders were
estimated to be responsible for
12% of the total burden of disease
in 2015, placing it fourth as a broad
disease group after cancer (18%),
cardiovascular diseases (14%) and
musculoskeletal conditions (13%).
In terms of the non-fatal burden of
disease, which is a measure of the
number of years of ’healthy life lost’
due to living with a disability, mental
health and substance use disorders
was the second largest contributor
in Australia behind musculoskeletal
conditions.
While all population groups are
affected, this crisis is especially difficult
for those on the frontline of the
pandemic.
Research shows our first responders
are more likely to be diagnosed with
a mental health condition than the
overall Australian population. They are
more than twice as likely to think about
suicide, and three times as likely to
have a suicide plan.
This paints a grim picture of the wellbeing
of a population who dedicate
their professional lives to helping
others and highlights the need for
mental health support programs
to ‘reach in’ rather than expecting
emergency service personnel in crisis
to ‘reach out’.
COVID-19 AND THE GROWING MENTAL
HEALTH CRISIS
We know the virus is having a deadly
impact on the human body, with
nearly seven million cases and around
400,000 deaths globally as of early June
2020.
But its impact on mental health may be
deadly too.
Some recent projections suggest that
deaths stemming from mental health
issues could rival the number of deaths
directly due to the virus. One study
estimates that anywhere from 27,644
to 154,037 additional deaths may occur
in the United States due to the impact
of the pandemic on mental health,
driving up the number of suicides and
drug overdoses.
WE NEED TO FLATTEN THE ‘OTHER
CURVE’ TOO…
While Australia has been widely
praised for its success in flattening the
disease curve, we now need to focus
our attention on flattening the ‘other
curve’ – the mental health impact of the
COVID-19 pandemic.
But how do we flatten the mental
health curve?
There is a comprehensive evidencebase
supporting traditional approaches
for treating and preventing anxiety,
depression and suicide. But many of
these are inadequate for the task at
hand and may be difficult to access
in person with physical distancing
restrictions and concerns regarding
community transmission of the virus.
For people trying to access treatment,
the doors of many community mentalhealth
centers are closed. For those
with both mental health conditions and
COVID-19, including a large number
who are homeless, no care is available,
and they are at risk of exposing others.
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Further complicating matters is the
interruption to vital support networks
of friends and family that comes with
social distancing and enforced public
health restrictions. These networks
and social bonds would ordinarily
allow people to cope with crisis. Now
they are – if not damaged – perhaps
completely severed.
MENTAL HEALTHCARE DELIVERY
MUST CHANGE
It is clear, that in response to the
pandemic, the way that we delivery
mental healthcare must change.
As a priority, mental health needs
to be accessible to all Australians
remotely.
Traditional “in-person” approaches
– like individual or group face-toface
sessions with a mental health
professional – are currently not
a viable option for many in the
population. And with the everescalating
number of people
needing mental health support,
face-to-face approaches may
never meet the current
demand.
Telehealth sessions are
part of the answer.
However, they are not
the total solution.
Methods for nontraditional
mental
healthcare delivery
must be explored in
order to meet the
rest of the growing
demand during and
after the COVID-19
pandemic.
This doesn’t
require us to
completely
re-invent
the wheel,
but asks us
to better utilise
some of the existing
resources that are
already available.
For example,
freely available
online courses
on mindfulness
and podcasts from
organisations that
support health and well-being,
including these from The Code 9
Foundation, Beyond Blue, and the
Black Dog Institute, are important
supplementary tools that people can
use as part of an overall approach to
protecting mental health.
IT’S TIME TO BE PROACTIVE RATHER
THAN REACTIVE
One important lesson that has been
re-emphasised by COVID-19 is the
need to be more proactive when
it comes to protecting the mental
health and well-being of Australians.
Reactive approaches that fail to
promote mental health at the
population level and where initiatives
tend to focus exclusively on the
individuals who reach out and seek
treatment are destined to continue
under-serving the broader population
in need.
And there is good evidence that
many proactive, population-based
approaches improve mental health
– things like engaging in physical
Associate Professor
Erin Cotter-Smith
PhD, MPH, MClinEpi
Course Coordinator
Edith Cowan University
Research Consultant
The Code 9 Foundation
activity, getting enough
sleep, and making time for
self-care. Many of these
things are still easy to
achieve during the
pandemic – and are
mostly free!
A VACCINE ISN’T
ALWAYS THE
CURE
And while
experts are
hopeful that a
vaccine against
the SARS-
CoV-2 virus will
be available
sooner rather
than later,
a vaccine will
not solve all of
the problems
associated with the
pandemic.
COVID-19 has revealed
the inadequacies of the
old mental health paradigm
– shining a spotlight on the
changes that are needed now.
In fact, many may argue that
these changes are, in fact, long
overdue.

ROAD CRASHES, ASSAULTS
AND BEING SPAT ON:
THE DANGERS FACING
AUSTRALIAN POLICE IN
THE LINE OF DUTY
The horrific deaths of four Victorian police officers during
seemingly routine traffic duties have brought the dangers of
policing into sharp relief.
There are many threats to officers while they carry out their
duties, some more extreme than others. In a declaration about
the seriousness and risk of spitting, and just how common it
is, states and territories have introduced additional laws (aside
from common assault) to deal with people deliberately spitting,
sneezing and coughing on police and other essential services
personnel.
So, exactly how are our officers sustaining injuries and other
medical conditions, and how often are officers dying in the line of
duty?
The National Police Memorial honour roll commemorates
Australian police officers who have been killed or died while
on duty in recognition of their contribution to the Australian
community. An examination of these fatalities from the past two
decades provides some revealing insights.
There were 51 officer fatalities in Australia between 2000 and
2019, an average of two to three a year. Until the recent deaths in
Victoria, there has not been so many deaths in Australia in a single

year since the deaths of five officers
in 2005. However, those fatalities
were all separate incidents. Sadly, in
2001, four officers died in the same
plane crash.
Officer fatalities have three main
causes: accidents, assaults and
health-related incidents. Similar
to the recent Victorian fatalities,
Australian police officers mostly died
due to accidents (65% of all police
fatalities), with road accidents being
the leading cause.
These deaths tend to occur during
seemingly low-risk activities such as
general duties patrols. Most of these
accidents involve motor vehicles
(55%), while 21% involve motorcycles.
However, as previously mentioned,
there have been plane crashes
(21%) and there was one accidental
shooting.
It is notable that the number of
overall officer fatalities decreased
substantially after 2007. Before
2008, there was an average of 4.5
police deaths per year. But from
2008 onwards, the average fell to
1.25 deaths per year. This decrease
is mostly due to the decrease in
accidents, which dropped from an
average of 3.25 per year to just 0.58
per year.
So what changed? This decrease
might be explained by technological
advances and changes to practices.
For example, the Australian Design
Rules changed motor vehicle safety
standards to increase the safety of
airbags in 2006.
Also, police forces adopted more
helicopters into their fleets. The use
of helicopters for police pursuits may
reduce the necessity for officers to
engage in high-risk vehicle pursuits,
and therefore decrease the number
of accidents.
Finally, an inquest into the death
of Senior Constable Peter Wilson
led to changes to roadside policing
practices, which may also have
contributed to the decrease in
fatalities.
However, officers face not only
accidents, but also assaults and
homicides – not typically faced in
most other occupations. In the past
two decades, there were 14 assaults
on police. While these were almost
always shootings (11 of the 14 cases),
in one incident the driver of a stolen
vehicle purposefully swerved to hit an
officer.
Furthermore, the stressful and
physical nature of policing can lead to
health-related fatalities. While mental
health fatalities, such as suicide, are
not included in the data, physical
health-related incidents are included.
Over the past 20 years, four officers
have died due to health-related
matters while on duty. Three of these
cases involved a cardiovascular event
such as a heart attack during training.
In the fourth case an officer died
from a respiratory illness.
_
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This last fatality highlights current
concerns during these coronavirus
times. While the cause of this officer’s
death is unknown, there are strong
concerns for the safety of our officers
who we rely upon in times of crisis
and to protect our community.
Indeed, a recent study of significant
events in Queensland found almost
half (44%) of the officers involved in
these events reported sustaining an
injury. These mostly involved officers
being spat on or bitten (36% of
injuries reported). This is concerning
because of the risk of viral infections
(all these officers required testing for
infection) and work-related anxiety.
The study argues these types of
attacks are indicative of opportunistic
assaults; that is, the offender takes
advantage of the situation and
attacks an officer. Furthermore, being
spat on is often viewed as insulting
and disgusting, which may cause
negative reactions from police and
society.
These figures only include the
physical dangers of policing and do
not include the mental toll on our
officers. Tragic recent events have
highlighted the high-risk nature
of policing and the need to better
understand the dangers involved in
order to protect our officers from
harm so they can protect us during
times of crisis.
Author:
Kelly Hine
Lecturer in Criminology,
Australian National University
This article was first published on
“The Conversation”
Kadia
is an Occupational
Therapy practice supporting
the Eastern Suburbs of Melbourne.
We are dedicated to helping our clients
0400 121 513
accomplish their goals in living with a disability
daniel@kadia.com.au
because everyone deserves a chance to create. 5 Foulds Ct, Montrose Vic 3765
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 20

Finding Peace

DANIEL SUNDAHL
PORTRAITS OF
AN EMERGENCY
SUPPORTING THE CODE 9 FOUNDATION
Words: Brooke Turnbull
Daniel Sundahl has spent his life doing a variety
of different things that eventually led him to
becoming an artist.
Working as both a paramedic and a fire fighter
in Canada, he knows all too well the weight that
emergency service workers wear every day. It is that
knowledge that allows him to create the artworks
that he does. Realistic, hyper photographic pieces
that stick with the viewer long after you’ve stopped
looking at them.
“Burden” was the first Dan Sundahl piece I saw
when researching this article, and it struck me as
so important. I paused on the image and fully took
in the meaning behind the artwork of the Canadian
Mounty, his head hung low, his hands clasped as if
in prayer, the dark engulfing him. The worry of all
emergency service personnel etched into every facet
of the piece, the burden they bear for all of us every
day.
However, it’s not just the effects of what emergency
workers see every day that burdens them. When
describing the piece, Daniel succinctly delivers the
message of “Burden” and how relevant it is for police
services around the world, right now

“This isn’t about being rewarded for
what we do, it’s about realising the
burden and pressure we’re under
to be perfect 100% of the time. I
guess when lives matter nothing
less than 100% can be tolerated but
not everything is a life and death
decision.”
While in isolation over the Covid-19
situation, Daniel formulated the
idea of the Covid-19 selfie project.
The piece is a collection of hundreds
of selfies Daniel has painted of
the many hospital and emergency
service workers who have been on
the frontline while the pandemic
crisis has been unfolding. It’s
dedicated to those workers who
have contracted the virus as a direct
result of treating patients.
The piece is obviously close to
Daniel’s heart, and while many of us
have been negatively impacted by
the Coronavirus pandemic, many of
these frontline emergency workers
have lost their lives. It’s a thought
that bears remembering and one
that Daniel is championing with this
piece.
“Many emergency workers have
lost their lives fighting this virus
and I hope one day they will be
remembered and honoured for
their sacrifice in some way. Part of
the reason I created the Covid-19
Selfie project is that I hope this
will be a historical document that
will remind people of this time in
emergency services history. I’m
worried the sacrifices that have
been made may be forgotten.”
Because of this, Daniel offers a free
download of this piece so these
brave men and women can be
remembered for their outstanding,
unflappable and persistent work for
our continued health.
When exploring the current state
of events that have impacted not
just hospital services but the police
services, we touch on the messages
of vitriol that many police officers
have experienced over the last few
months for the terrible actions of
a few. He has clear ideas about
how we should be moving forward
with the important issues that the
current events have raised,
“The vast majority of police operate
within their protocols and I think
it terrible that all police are being
grouped together and being held
accountable. Of course, I feel the
officers that have used unnecessary
force and intimidation should be
reprimanded and in the cases
where people have been killed
those officers should be in jail, if
found guilty. The idea of defunding
the police is very dangerous in my
opinion. Diverting money to training
may be a better solution.”
It’s an important conversation to
be recognised and the constant
pressure of both outside and
internal review for all emergency
service workers impacts mental
health like nothing else.
Daniel’s passion, along with his own
struggles with mental health, has
steered him to a partnership with
The Code 9 Foundation, one that he
is extremely proud of.
The Code 9 Foundation hosted
Daniel’s trip to Australia in 2019 and
gave him the opportunity to speak
to many of his Australian peers
about Post Traumatic Growth that
included his own mental health
journey of recovery and resiliency.
He speaks articulately about how
his art has assisted him in his
recovery. When asked if his art is a
catharsis, he likens the experience
to an uninvited organic monster,
“Each image is based on an
experience or emotion I’ve had
from being a full-time firefighter
and paramedic. When I create an
art piece I purge that monster from
my mind and capture it into a one
dimensional image. The process
takes about a week and while I work
on the image I try to recreate what I
felt instead of what I saw. The process
is very emotional and cathartic for
me.”
It makes the viewing of the images
that much more powerful. Going
back for several more looks at his
work on his website they take on
a new meaning knowing that each
image is so personal, raw and
something that actually happened to
a human being.
It’s something that people who
don’t have personal experience
being in the emergency services
can sometimes find impossible to
understand. This is where the good
work that The Code 9 Foundation
does really comes into play.
The Foundation understands that
it’s hard to talk to family members
or friends that aren’t in the job,
that don’t walk the beat, that don’t
risk their lives fighting fires, or
facing monsters, both physical and
metaphorical, daily. They offer a safe
space for individuals who do deal
with these issues to speak freely and
without judgement.
Sorry

In addition, The Code 9 Foundation
offers services for partners and family
members to assist in understanding
the mental health struggles that
come from the pressures of a job
many of us couldn’t imagine doing
every day of our lives. Something
that these everyday heroes just deal
with, with no complaint.
It’s no wonder Daniel Sundahl is so
proud to be working with The Code
9 Foundation and helping to support
their mental health initiatives. Not
only do they offer peer support for
members and their partners, but
raising money for Assistance Dogs
Australia (along with the sponsorship
of their first Assistance Dog, Codey),
is a project at the heart of Code 9.
You can follow Codey’s journey on
Facebook.
The Code 9 Foundation have also
formulated specific webinars that are
targeted at first responders and their
psychological wellbeing, as well as
mental health first aid courses that
assist emergency service workers
with how to identify and be aware of
their symptoms.
The Code 9 Foundation website is a
plethora of information for members
and first responders looking for help.
Daniel has partnered with The Code
9 Foundation through the sale of his
latest book in Australia. This is Dan’s
third book, “Portraits of Emergency
- Chapter 3”. A collection of deep,
personal artworks that showcase the
brutal, difficult and messy beauty and
incredible mateship that is the life of
an emergency service worker.
The proceeds of this book will go
towards all the incredible work
that the Code 9 Foundation does
to ensure their members and first
responders are looked after, after
they’ve finished looking after us.
Daniel is rightfully proud of this
collection and the message is, like the
book itself, a deeply personal look at
his experiences and his passion for
sharing it with other first responders
who can relate with the struggle,
“I think one of the reasons the book is
helpful is that it shows that we’re not
alone in the experiences or emotions
we have in emergency services. For
me, when I was going through my
recovery, knowing that I wasn’t crazy,
that the way I felt was more normal
than abnormal, really helped me
reset my perspectives which was
instrumental in my recovery.”
To support both The Code 9
Foundation and Daniel Sundahl,
you can purchase Daniel Sundahl’s
third book “Portraits of Emergency
- Chapter 3” by sending an email to
info@code9ptsd.org.au with your
name, order quantity and address.
The Cost is $90 per unit which
includes postage and handling. This
can be paid via a paypal account. The
Code 9 Foundation will provide you
with a link.
You can also view all of Daniel’s
powerful images on his website www.
dansunphotos.com
Should you wish to support the Code
9 Foundation’s initiatives for mental
health services for first responders or
if you are feeling personally impacted
by mental health issues, you can
visit their website at https://www.
code9ptsd.org.au.
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 24

UNCOVERING EXPOSURE TO
NATURAL HAZARDS
As Australian communities recover from one natural
hazard and prepare for the next one, there are important
questions to ask about which areas are most exposed to
possible loss of life, landscape and property.
BETHANY PATCH
BUSHFIRE AND NATURAL HAZARDS CRC

The Australian Exposure Information Platform helps government, industry and research agencies understand what is exposed in an area, to inform better decisions before, during
and after emergencies. Credit: Bushfire & Natural Hazards CRC
We need to understand which of our
people, buildings, business, public
facilities, infrastructure, agricultural
areas and natural landscapes are
exposed to any natural hazard, as
well as human-induced disasters
and structural failures. A clearer
understanding of this exposure is a
highly valuable starting point for any
sector that is required to prepare for
and respond to hazards, both in the
response and warnings phase, but
also in mitigation.
The Australian Exposure Information
Platform (AEIP) is an online platform
that provides an accessible snapshot
of all assets within a specified area, in
the form of a customised ‘exposure
report’.
It was designed through a partnership
between the Bushfire and Natural
Hazards CRC, Geoscience Australia,
University of Melbourne, University
of Canberra and emergency
management organisations.
on demand at any scale,” Rose told
commissioners.
Lead CRC researcher, Mark Dunford
from Geoscience Australia, says that
these exposure reports provide a
new, quick way of accessing important
information that can be used for
mitigation and operational decision
making for any hazard at any time
within any specified area. This is
essential information that helps
improve safety, save lives and reduce
damage to property and natural
landscapes, and can be used not only
by emergency management, but also
researchers, town planners or anyone
else who’s interested.
“For the first time, everyone has direct
24/7 access to nationally consistent
exposure information anywhere in
Australia, through a user-driven, ondemand
interface,” he said. “They can
readily utilise exposure information
as a key piece of intel for critical preplanning,
or on-the-fly scenario event
assessments.”
The reports created by the AEIP
draw on a wealth of data sources
out of the National Exposure
Information System (NEXIS) database,
including local, state, federal and
industry data; ABS demographics;
environmental exposure data from
the Department of Agriculture, Water
Chief of Division at Geoscience
Australia, Alison Rose, explained
the significance of the platform to
the Royal Commission into National
Natural Disaster Arrangements in
early June.
“The AEIP is an all-hazards capability,
which provides exposure reports
27
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and the Environment; and agriculture,
business, building and institution data.
The AEIP is already being widely used
across Australia, including during
our most recent devastating natural
hazards.
“During the 2019/20 bushfire period,
14,400 reports were generated.
On an average monthly basis, we
have around 400 reports that are
generated, and we currently have
244 users across 58 different entities
that use the tool,” Rose told the Royal
Commission.
Half of these entities are emergency
management agencies, with local
government authorities and electricity
providers among a group of regular
users.
Anyone wanting to access the AEIP
and its exposure reports can do so
through the free online platform
– aeip.ga.gov.au – or can integrate
the platform into their own existing
applications using an Application
Programming Interface, or API. This
means that users can create regular
reports without having to leave their
own system, which is what the New
South Wales Rural Fire Service (NSW
RFS) has been doing for months.
Dr Stuart Matthews, principal project
officer at NSW RFS, describes the
value of being able to integrate the
AEIP into their internal fire simulator.
“The ability to integrate AEIP …
provides an excellent triage capability
to support decision makers in
times of rapidly changing events as
experienced in the unprecedented
bushfire season of 2019/20,” Dr
Matthews said.
The AEIP has already proven to be
invaluable in a crisis, when demand
for critical information is extremely
high. By speeding up the automatic
delivery of vital exposure information,
its nationally consistent and easily
accessible format ensures that
information and decision making can
be calculated and coordinated across
Australia. Explore it at aeip.ga.gov.au.
End-user areas of interest (more than 14,000) for December 2019 to March 2020. This map shows that exposure reports were generated for both small and large areas, covering all
states and territories. Dark-blue areas show multiple AEIP queries, correlating with extreme weather events e.g. 2019/20 bushfires. Credit: Australian Exposure Information Platform
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www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 28

The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
PARAMEDIC
Tammie Bullard is a paramedic and sessional lecturer based
in Western Australia. Author of The Good, The Bad & The Ugly
Paramedic - A pain free approach to best patient care and
professionalism.
PRECEPTING PARAMEDICS
WITH INTENT
One of the things often overlooked in
training is the precepting of students
and interns. There is no more crucial
a time for a new paramedic than their
first foray into ambulance life. Without
a specific emphasis on this skill, it
can be easy to forget its importance.
How we introduce new staff members
to the prehospital world can make
all the difference. Not only to their
experience in the workplace but in
their general attitude, clinical practice,
should we become their patients in
the future.
On the job learning is vital in
healthcare settings, particularly
in paramedicine with its unique
challenges of autonomy and frontline
pressure. It enables new staff to
enhance academic knowledge
through hands-on experience and
develop recently acquired skills
in the safety of competent clinical
supervision. Overall, they finally get
to consolidate training by putting it
into practice in real-life situations.
With the guidance of an effective
preceptor, this venture into each
new paramedic’s role can provide
the perfect opportunity to increase
confidence and job satisfaction.
During such a pivotal period, how a
preceptor interacts with the student
and guides them into paramedicine
may make or break their future
career. The aim of instilling excellent
clinical practice behaviours and
professionalism to last a lifetime
is clearly crucial, so what are the
challenges in delivering to such a high
standard?
• Terminology: Confusion around
terminology has been longstanding,
with a combination of mentor,
preceptor, facilitator, role model,
guide, supervisor and assessor
referenced over time.
• Approach: Attempts to view every
preceptor and every preceptee
in the same light have created
difficulties in ascertaining a
consistently replicable approach.
• Standardisation: Minimal industry
standards have existed in terms of
what the precepting role entails.
• Tools: Communication skills and
feedback were most often based
on individual perception, risking
confusion, damage to confidence
and development of poor habits.
• Workload: Additional workload
and increased stress with minimal
support or financial remuneration
have drained and overwhelmed
preceptors in the past.
Lack of clarity in each of these areas
causes stress, overwhelm and personal
conflict, subsequently reducing
willingness to address issues arising
in on-road clinical and professional
practice. Ultimately, this leads to a
more “tick and flick” approach to skills
logs. Research and reflection have
highlighted areas for improvement and,
in more recent years, we see significant
headway.
• Terminology: The use of preceptor
and, less frequently, mentor are
now becoming more familiar as
terms that envelop ideal traits and
qualities for on-road introduction
to the paramedic role.
• Approach: Recognition of different
service pathways, tertiary education
formats and individual personalities
are beginning to enhance
understanding around the need for
an all-encompassing approach.
• Standardisation: Industry
standards are helping to form
the basis of performance models,
primarily when supported by
registration principles.
• Tools: Positive feedback methods
have been highlighted as successful
and are becoming utilised more
frequently within ambulance
services and education.
• Workload: Recognition of the
additional demand on paramedic
preceptors has seen some success
through supportive measures such
as peer discussion, allocated time
for debriefing or documentation,
promotional structures and
financial compensation.
This gradual development of each facet
is slowly increasing collective desire
for paramedics to become preceptors,
rather than naturally progressing
towards the role without a clear
purpose. To help to shape a positive
future, what are we aiming for?
• Terminology: Clarity and definition
around the singular terms
“preceptor” and “preceptee” that
29
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ecome globally accepted and
recognised throughout prehospital
care.
• Approach: Selection and training,
specific to evidence-based criteria,
so that competent paramedics may
be educated in precepting for the
future.
• Standardisation: Industry-wide
standards formulated to provide
clear expectation and guidance
for both preceptor and preceptee
to work from. The establishment
of clear underpinning principles
so that paramedics with excellent
clinical and professional standards
more readily aspire to become
excellent preceptors.
• Tools: Development of a range of
recognised communication and
feedback tools so that both parties
have guidance within consistent
parameters.
• Workload: Implementation of
measures to address, alleviate
and compensate for the additional
workload and emotional labour
involved in precepting.
Strong paths are being forged towards
defining the role and industry standards
in precepting paramedics for the future.
The introduction of students and
graduates into prehospital care is now
more widely discussed, and previous
gaps in research are slowly being filled.
(There are some theses and articles that
are well worth reading in the references
list below.) Historically, much of the
focus has remained on the difficulties
faced by graduates entering the
workforce, but there are similar facets
to consider in supporting both parties if
we are to develop effective precepting
programs and foster strong working
relationships.
It is well recognised that the learning
curve is steep for new paramedics, but
that learning curve can also be steep
in the preceptor position, too. Just as
preceptees don’t necessarily know the
best ways to approach clinical skills
or professional practice, it cannot be
assumed that preceptors always have
the best answers either. Entry into
paramedicine is known to be a difficult
time with the balance of personal,
emotional, academic, financial and
professional commitments, but it stands
to reason that this can be the case at
any time in the preceptor’s life, too.
With so much going on in the
background of defining, developing and
delivering paramedic preceptorship to a
high professional standard, we mustn’t
forget those currently active within the
role. Unless and until we are provided
clear guidelines in each organisation,
the following prompts may be useful
before and during the time we spend
with students and graduates.
THINK IT THROUGH
• What benefits are you seeking, and
what are you offering in becoming
a preceptor?
• Are you ready to undertake the
additional workload involved right
now?
• Do you possess positive
professional attributes that may be
worth replicating?
• Are you comfortable delivering and
receiving honest feedback without
feeling stressed?
• Will you be the type of preceptor
that you would have benefited from
in your early career?
BE PREPARED
• Make a list of expectations you
have of the role so that you can
reassess in the future.
• Note precepting habits you wish
to avoid and check in on them
annually to stay on track.
• Print out a diagram or chart to
follow consistently in working
through feedback together.
• Refresh reflective practice
techniques and find a set method
to become familiar with.
• Seek formal training in precepting,
or research and read material to
help you form a plan.
• Investigate learning techniques and
find out from preceptees which
work well for them.
• Know what your registration body
expects of all paramedics and use
this as a baseline.
• Create (or join if your organisation
has one) a confidential peer
preceptor support group.
• Find out what additional support
exists within your organisation
before you get started.
• Make a brief list of things useful
for new preceptees to know about
working with you.
• Create a list of questions so that
you can tailor and optimise each
precepting relationship.
• Let the preceptee know your
expectations right from the start
and find out theirs, too.
The rewards to be gained from
precepting are enormous, but they are
rarely automatic and must be actively
sought. Like many relationships, the
more we put in, the more get out. We
always recall our past preceptors for
both their good and their bad. Now’s the
time to decide just how we’d like to be
remembered ourselves and take steps
to precept successfully with intent.
References
Armitage, E. (2010). Role of paramedic mentors in an evolving
profession. Journal of Paramedic Practice, 2(1), 26–31. https://doi.
org/10.12968/jpar.2010.2.1.46151
Carver, H. (2016). The Paramedic Preceptor Experience: Improving
Preparation and Support. Charles Sturt University. Retrieved from
https://researchoutput.csu.edu.au/ws/portalfiles/portal/9316959/
Edwards, D. E. (2018). A Grounded Theory Study of the
Preparedness of Paramedics to Undertake the Role of Preceptor in
the Clinical Setting. University of Tasmania. Retrieved from https://
eprints.utas.edu.au/31638/1/Edwards_whole_thesis.pdf
Myrick, F., Caplan, W., Smitten, J. & Rusk, K. (2011). Preceptor/mentor
education: A world of possibilities through e-learning technology.
Nurse Education Today, 31, 263-267. https://doi-org.ezproxy.ecu.
edu.au/10.1016/j.nedt.2010.10.026
O’Meara, P., Hickson, H., & Huggins, C. (2014). Starting the
conversation: what are the issues for paramedic student clinical
education? Australasian Journal of Paramedicine, 11(4). https://doi.
org/10.33151/ajp.11.4.4
Pitcher, D. (2016). Evaluating a program for preparing nurse
practitioner preceptors/mentors. Journal of Doctoral Nursing
Practice, 9(1), 158–163. https://doi.org/10.1891/2380-9418.9.1.158
Sibson, L., & Mursell, I. (2010). Mentorship for paramedic practice:
are we there yet? Journal of Paramedic Practice, 2(5), 206–209.
https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2010.2.5.4816
Sibson, L., & Mursell, I. (2010). Mentorship for paramedic practice: is
it the end of the road? Journal of Paramedic Practice, 2(8), 374–380.
https://doi.org/10.12968/jpar.2010.2.8.78012
Ulrich, B. T. (2019). 2nd ed. Mastering precepting : A nurse’s
handbook for success. Retrieved from https://ebookcentral.
proquest.com
Walker, S., Dwyer, T., Moxham, L., Broadbent, M. & Sander, T.
(2013). Facilitator versus preceptor: Which offers the best support
to undergraduate nursing students? Nurse Education Today, 33,
53-535. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nedt.2011.12.005
Williams, A. (2013). The strategies used to deal with emotion work in
student paramedic practice. Nurse Education in Practice, 13, 207-
212. https://doi-org.ezproxy.ecu.edu.au/10.1016/j.nepr.2012.09.010
To see more about “The Good, The Bad & The Ugly Paramedic”, head to
www.gbuparamedic.com or follow GBU Paramedic on social media
@gbuparamedic
@gbuparamedic
@gbuparamedic
Tammie Bullard
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 30

The Govetts Leap bush fire burnt upwards over the cliffs of the Blue Mountains.
The cliff faces in the Grose Valley, can reach heights of over 200m
31
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au

IT’S 12 MONTHS SINCE THE LAST
BUSHFIRE SEASON BEGAN, BUT DON’T
EXPECT THE SAME THIS YEAR
Last season’s bushfires directly killed 34 people and devastated more than 8
million hectares of land along the south-eastern fringe of Australia.
A further 445 people are estimated to have died from smoke-induced
respiratory problems.
The burned landscape may take decades to recover, if it recovers at all.
While it’s become known colloquially as the Black Summer, last year’s fire
season actually began in winter in parts of Queensland. The first fires were
in June.
So will the 2020 fire season kick off this month? And is last summer’s
inferno what we should expect as a normal fire season? The answer to both
questions is no. Let’s look at why.
Author:
Kevin Tolhurst
Hon. Assoc. Prof., Fire Ecology and Management,
University of Melbourne
This article was first published on
“The Conversation”
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 32

Last fire season
First, let’s recap what led to last year’s
early start to the fire season, and why
the bushfires became so intense and
extensive.
The fires were so severe because
they incorporated five energy
sources. The most obvious is fuel: live
and dead plant material.
The other sources bushfires get
their energy from include the terrain,
weather, atmospheric instability and
a lack of moisture in the environment
such as in soil, timber in houses and
large woody debris.
The June fires in Queensland resulted
from a drought due to the lack of rain
coming from the Indian Ocean. The
drought combined with unusually hot
dry winds from the north-west. By
August the bushfires were burning all
along the east coast of Australia and
had become large and overwhelming.
Ahead of the fire season,
environmental moisture was the
lowest ever recorded in much of
eastern Australia. This was due to the
Indian Ocean Dipole – the difference
in sea surface temperature on either
side of the ocean – which affects
rainfall in Australia. The dipole was
in positive mode, which brought
drought. This meant the fire used less
of its own energy to spread.
High atmospheric instability, often
associated with thunderstorms,
enabled large fire plumes to develop
as fires grew to several thousand
hectares in size. This increased winds
and dryness at ground level, rapidly
escalating the damaging power and
size of the fires.
Fuel levels were high because of the
drying trend associated with climate
change and a lack of low-intensity
fires over the past couple of decades,
which allowed fuel levels to build up.
What’s different now
Currently, at least two bushfire
energy sources – fuels and drought –
are at low levels.
Fuels are low because last season’s
fires burnt through large tracts of
landscape and it will take five to ten
years for them to redevelop. The
build-up will start with leaf litter, twigs
and bark.
In forested areas, the initial flush
of regrowth in understorey and
overstorey will be live and moist.
Gradually, leaves will turn over and
dead litter will start to build up.
But there is little chance of areas
severely burnt in 2019-20 carrying an
intense fire for at least five years.
What’s also different this year to
last is the moist conditions. Drought
leading up to last fire season was
severe (see below).
Environmental moisture was the
driest on record, or in the lowest 5%
of records for much of south-east
Australia.
But the current level of drought is
much less pronounced.
Fire weather conditions in southeastern
Australia were severe from
August 2019 until March 2020.
Temperatures reached record highs
in places, relative humidity was low
and winds were strong due to highpressure
systems tracking further
north than normal.
Rainfall Deficiencies: 36 months (February 1 2017 to January 31 2020). Australian Bureau of Meteorology,
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But, in the longer term, climate
change means severe fire seasons
are becoming more frequent. If we
simply try to suppress these fires,
we will fail. We need a concerted
effort to manage the bushfire risk.
This should involve carefully planned
and implemented prescribed fires,
as well as planning and preparing for
bushfires.
Last bushfire season should be a
turning point for land management
in Australia. Five inquiries into the
last bushfire season are under way,
including a royal commission, a
Senate inquiry and inquiries in South
Australia, Victoria and New South
Wales.
This European Space Agency image shows the fires already raging on Australia’s east coast by the end of December 2019. EPA/ESA
A change in weather patterns
brought good rains to eastern
Australia from late February to April.
A turning point?
The reduced bushfire risk is likely
to persist for the next three to five
years.
These inquiries must lead to
change. We have a short window of
opportunity to start managing fires in
the landscape more sustainably. If we
don’t, in a decade’s time we may see
the Black Summer repeat itself.
It’s too early to say conclusively how
the fire season will pan out in 2020-
21. But moister conditions due to
a neutral Indian Ocean Dipole and
Southern Oscillation Index (which
indicates the strength of any El Niño
and La Niña events), the lack of fuel,
and more normal weather patterns
(known as a positive Southern
Annular Mode) mean there is little
prospect of an early start to the
season.
The likelihood of severe bushfires in
south-east Australia later in the year
and over summer is much reduced.
This doesn’t mean there won’t be
bushfires. But they’re not likely to be
as extensive and severe as last fire
season.
Rainfall Deficiencies: 12 months (June 1 2019 to May 31 2020). Australian Bureau of Meteorology
info@silverspade.com.au
CANADA BAY NSW 2046
www.silverspade.com.au 0410 101 011
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 34

A MENTAL HEALTH ISSUE
DOESN’T MEAN YOU’RE SOFT.
IT MEANS YOU’RE HUMAN.
Put your hand up for help.
The sooner you do, the sooner you get better.
PO LICE ASS O CIAT
IO N
O F
S O U TH
I A
AUST RA L

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
In each edition the Australian Emergency Services Magazine we
feature a profile on a person, team, partnership, squad or unit
to showcase their unique contribution to the emergency services
industry. If you would like to be featured or know someone who
deserves some recognition get in touch with our team.
DARIN SULLIVAN
Professional firefighter Darin Sullivan has
worn many hats over the last 30 years of
fighting fires in New South Wales. Volunteer,
Career Firefighter, Station Officer, Protector,
Activist, former Union Official and President
of the Fire Brigade Employees Union, Mental
Health Advocate and Climate Council
Member. With so many years of experience
and an obvious dedication for firefighting
and emergency services we put Darin under
the spotlight to find out a bit more about
this man of many talents and passions.
Station Officer Darin Sullivan is celebrating his 30th
year working for one of the largest urban fire and
rescue services in the world, Fire and Rescue NSW.
His role as station officer at Shellharbour Fire Station,
south of Wollongong, is one he relishes. Not only as it
seems fighting fires is in his blood, but also because of the
community and camaraderie that comes with the job.
It would seem Darin was destined to become a
professional career firefighter. His father, Peter Sullivan,
was also a professional aviation firefighter. It was
the memories of his father coming home wearing his
firefighting gear, the lingering smell of smoke around him
and the great stories he would tell of the day and the
incredible camaraderie of the crew he worked with that
really made a deep impression.
Growing up in the southern shire of Sydney, surrounded
by national parks, joining the RFS as a volunteer when he
was seventeen seemed an obvious choice for Darin. His
then girlfriend, now wife, also had four family members in
the local RFS station at Heathcote, her father eventually
becoming a Life member. Interestingly prior to joining
the RFS Darin had already made up his mind. At the age
of fifteen he knew he wanted to become a professional
firefighter. By the time he was 20 he had applied to the
NSW Fire Service with 10 000 other hopefuls and made it
through the rigorous training that followed.
Darin when he joined NSWFB with his father Peter Sullivan - 1990
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 36

Reflecting on the last thirty years of being in the fire
service he speaks of the great career choice that it was for
him and feels really lucky to have had the experiences and
life it has brought. Darin began his career at the innercity
flagship station, Sydney Fire Station on Castlereigh
Street. He describes himself as a fresh faced 21 year
old who entered the bustling city station which housed a
large firefighting crew. Darin says he “cut his teeth” there
as a firefighter and asserts it was a great place to do that.
The diversity of working as a city firefighter and the many
varied and colourful experiences of urban firefighting
really consolidated his training. From fighting fires in Kings
Cross, major high-rise fires at The Rocks to the many
rescues across the Sydney region at all times of the day
and night.
After 6 years working in the city, he was transferred
to Wollongong which he describes as another very
interesting and diverse place to work in its own right due
to the varied industry in the area. An example of this was
an incident that occurred during his time in Wollongong
where his team were called to a boat fire off Port Kembla.
The crew were expecting to be dealing with a boat
fire when they turned up at the dock and were quickly
ushered on to a police tug. They could only fit 10 guys
on the tug so they grabbed what they could in terms of
equipment and supplies. They travelled 7km out from
the Port and it was then that they realised it wasn’t just a
boat, it was a bulk carrier coal ship that was on fire. They
fought the fire for 8 hours straight until helicopters came
in and were able to assist.
As a professional firefighter Darin has been deployed to
all the major fire campaigns in New South Wales over
the last three decades. From the 1994 bushfire season
where over two million acres were burnt in New South
Wales, to the Black Christmas bushfires in 2001, Canberra
in 2003 and of course most recently the Black Summer
of 2019-20 where he suffered the worst bout of smoke
inhalation he had ever had which forced him to take a few
days off to recover.
Darin has been leading the Movember Fire Campaigns for the last 15 years
The Summer bushfires of 2019/20 stand out for Darin as
the worst he has seen in his career and he is in no doubt
that the climate and the inaction of a climate policy has
had its affect on the bushfire season and will continue in
seasons to come. He describes what firefighters are seeing
and feeling on the ground is certainly backed up by the
science and is a symptom of what the science has been
predicting for years.
It was on New Year’s Eve that the bushfires really had a
personal impact. Darin and his family had been holidaying
at Lake Conjola on the NSW South Coast when he was
called back home to work on New Years Eve. He wasn’t to
know as he left his wife and family that morning that within
hours Lake Conjola would be overrun by an inferno of fire.
A firestorm that would send people fleeing to the water for
safety, burn 89 homes in the area and see three people
tragically lose their lives.
Darin speaks of the anxiety he felt when he received
a message from his wife that the fire was all around
them, then all communication was cut. Power and
telecommunication towers to the town were down. He was
hours away doing his job.
An hour or so later his Hazardous Materials Specialist
Unit were called to the bushfire disaster unfolding at
Bateman’s Bay. They drove through the main fire front
at great risk to themselves in convoy with a few other fire
trucks. He says there were dozens and dozens of houses
lost at Bateman’s Bay, all just carnage. They finished the
job and drove back past the Lake Conjola area, stopping to
help bystanders at the Lake Conjola exit. They made the
decision to drive through the fire into Lake Conjola to help,
where he managed to find his wife and discovered the rest
of the family had evacuated earlier to safety.
Deployment during the NSW Black Summer bushfires 2019-20
It was a 24 hour workday for Darin, but one he remembers
as the most surreal New Year’s Eve he had ever experienced
after such a harrowing day. “These bushfires were the worst
that I’ve seen – I’ve fought and been deployed in many of
the major campaigns over the last 30 years and that was
by far the worst I’ve seen. Coupled with the sheer spread
of it, the whole eastern seaboard was ablaze. In 1994 it felt

IN THE SPOTLIGHT
like Sydney was surrounded but in 2019/20 the
whole state was surrounded by fire”.
The physical, emotional and mental toll of
fighting fires is not lost on Darin. He credits
Fire and Rescue NSW with having a great
structure in place to help firefighters deal
with the mental stress, but he also says it
is the job. As a professional firefighter you
are prepared for it, intentionally trained for
it. In contrast, the volunteer firefighters were
enormously overstretched and broken by
this latest bushfire campaign. Darin believes
that the entire organisational structure of
firefighting and emergency services needs a
reset. Merging the services into one would end
the duplicated processes, have an allocated
budget for efficiency and give the fire services
who are the frontline of disaster management
a clear structure. “Firefighting should be taken
as seriously as police, paramedics and hospitals’, he says
“We don’t have volunteer police or doctors in our regional
towns, it’s all a matter of funding”.
Advocating for what is right, when it comes to protecting
those who put their lives on the line, is something that
is close to Darin’s heart. As the second longest serving
president of the Fire Brigades Employees Union and a
former director of the NSW Fire Brigades Death & Disability
Super Fund, he was instrumental in the protection of
workers compensation for fire fighters and ensuring
that firefighters suffering cancer would have immediate
insurance cover due to the nature of the job. He explains,
“The greatest risk for firefighters whether it be urban or
rural is the accumulative effect of smoke from different
sorts of fires….it’s not just the big bad fires that cause the
damage”.
Darin lost both his father and brother in law to cancer,
both whom were firefighters. In an interview given to
The Sunday Telegraph in 2018 Darin spoke of his brother
in-law, “In 2007, I sat by his bed with my sister as his life
had all but faded, no workers’ compensation or medical
assistance was provided for his girls. He died in a shared
public hospital ward with little to show for his service to the
people of NSW”.
Darin is still just as passionate about this advocacy and
proud that he was able to make a difference so that other
firefighters and families going through the same thing
would at the very least be financially compensated.
Darin is reluctant to call himself a protector, however he
does say that his advocacy role as a union official came
from being there for others. Looking after other members
and families in the good times and the bad times. “It’s
just what we should do”, he says. Darin balances his
professional firefighting job at Shellharbour with his
activism around climate inaction, mental health and
protecting emergency service workers. In response to
being asked if he would take on a role behind a desk in the
fire service, he laughs and explains, “I’ve wanted to stay at
the rank of station officer as I still like going to the fires, I
still like getting in the trucks, interacting with the firies and
I love the station life”. When asked what he loves about his
job Darin says it might sound cliché but, “The camaraderie
is fantastic, I’ve got great mates, I’ve got lifelong friendships
and experiences which spread to outside the job and that’s
been an absolute joy. From joining as a young bloke and
to have gained lifelong friends, it’s an absolute pleasure.
I’m still loving the job, more than ever”.
Thank you Darin for your continued service, dedication and
contribution to the emergency services in Australia.
Leading the Fire Brigade Employees Union Workers comp strike 2012
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 38

TRAVEL
EMERGENCY
Breaks
If you’re looking for a mid-year, Winter break, the best
place to look is up north, of course!
Words: Brooke Turnbull

The closer you get to the equator,
the less seasonal changes occur,
so the north of the country really
only has two seasons. Wet season,
this generally lasts from November
to March, and Dry season, which
lasts April to November. So, if you’re
heading north for the Winter, or live in
Cairns and are looking for an excellent
staycation, look no further for our
recommendations.
Location:
Cairns has its own airport and all
major capital cities fly into it. Cairns
itself is situated at the top of the Great
Barrier Reef and because of this, has
access to some of the most stunning
and beautiful coastline that Australia
has to offer. If you’re flying in, you can
rent a car and drive around the area,
otherwise there are plenty of day
tours on offer to get you around to all
the major things to see.
Things to do:
Cairns, with it’s palm tree rimmed
coastlines and dense, tropical
rainforests, has no shortage of things
to do. Whether you’re looking for an
adventure holiday or somewhere to
relax and unwind, Cairns is the place
to do it. First up, we want to introduce
you to a world of adventure in Cairns.
From white water rafting to bungy
jumping, if you’re ready to get your
heart racing and your blood rushing in
your ears then look no further.
With 32 years of experience in taking
holiday makers safely to the water,
Raging Thunder White Water Rafting is
unbeatable for excitement and value
for money.
If you’re new to the white water rafting
game, that’s no problems, there’s no
experience needed for you to get
your life jacket on and your oar wet.
If you’re looking for a fun start up,
the Cairns rafting experience takes
you down the Barron river with grade
2-3 guided rapids. However, because
we’re a little more extreme, we highly
recommend the Tully River Rafting
experience.
With accommodation pick ups
available, the full day adventure takes
you down to the Tully River and can
boast the best river rafting in Australia
and New Zealand combined, which is
no mean feat, believe us. The full day
tour includes a delicious BBQ lunch
on the river side and has guaranteed
water levels year round. With grade
3-4 rapids, hold on to your hat and
enjoy one of the best days you’ll have
on the water.
The half day Cairns tour starts from
$136 self-drive to the meeting
location. Full day Tully River tour is
$199 with pick ups from Cairns. If
you’ve got little ones though, make
sure you leave them at home, the
rapids are only safe for ages 13 and
up.
Ok, so you’ve taken on the rapids
and you’re ready for something else.
We give you AJ Hackett. Australia’s
only bungy jump tower! From the 50
metre tower you can see the Northern
Beaches and the Great Barrier Reef,
just before you take the plunge down,
the rainforest blurring around you.
With 16 different jump styles, you’re
sure to find the one that suits you
best.
If you’re not into the bungy, but still
want the adrenaline rush, the Giant
Jungle Swing is for you. Swinging
through the rainforest from 45 metres
down to 1 metre and reaching speeds
of 120 km per hour, this is the world’s
fastest swing. If you’re swinging alone
or doing it with mates, you have all
the control with the Jungle Swing,
all you’ve got to do is pull that selfrelease.
The bungy starts from $139 and
includes the jump, a t-shirt and a
certificate. The Jungle Swing starts
from $129 per adult and includes the
swing and a certificate. If you want to
make a full day of it, we recommend
picking up the Skypark Adventure Day
pass. For $299 this includes unlimited
bungy and unlimited jungle swings,
transfers from accommodation in
Cairns and a delicious lunch.
If you’re all tuckered out from your
adventurous, adrenaline pumping
tours, or if it’s really not your scene
there are plenty of other available
activities to get you out and enjoying
your tropical holiday. Without a doubt,
you cannot go to Cairns and not hit
the Great Barrier Reef.
Sightseeing Tours Australia offer the
only fully inclusive Great Barrier Reef
full day tour. From $205 per adult or

$125 per child this tour takes you out to the reef in
style on the gleaming catamaran. Your tour includes
pick up from your Cairns accommodation, before
starting your day off right with a delicious breakfast
that includes bacon and egg rolls, fruit platters and tea
and coffee.
While you cruise to the outer reef you will be given
a safety and equipment briefing, along with an
informative marine biology presentation. Unlike many
other Reef tours, this one will wait until the day before
the Captain makes the decision as to which reef you
will go to. This allows maximum visibility and the best
conditions possible for your day.
Included in your tour is a complimentary certified dive
or beginner dive (no experience necessary), a glass
bottom boat tour and snorkelling with all equipment
provided.
The Jungle Swing - AJ Hackett
After you’ve spent the morning exploring the reef,
you’ll enjoy a delightful BBQ lunch before the
afternoon of more snorkelling, there’s so much to see
under the water you wont get bored. On the cruise
back to Cairns, you can enjoy a complimentary glass
of wine with a fruit and cheese platter while you relax
after your sun filled day.
In between enjoying the beaches of Cairns you can
take in the Skyrail Rainforest Cableway that runs
above the Barron Gorge National Park. Or enjoy
the Kuranda Scenic Railway that snakes its way up
Macalister Range. While you’re in Kuranda check out
the Kuranda Original Rainforest Markets. Explore the
Cairns night markets and pick up some souvenirs
to take back home. Or, take a walk along Four Mile
Beach, and have fun in the wildlife habitat of Port
Douglas. Whatever your pleasure, Cairns and its
surrounds, will have it in abundance.
Make the most of your Winter break up north.
Places to Stay:
As with things to do, Cairns has no shortage of
excellent places for you and your family to stay and
play.
White Water Rafting Tully RIver
Gibb Group is a dynamic Australian
property developer and asset
manager, specialising in industrial
logistics property, suburban office
and business park space.
Asset Management Development Investment
Level 3, 162 Collins Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
admin@gibbgroup.com.au
0402 825 825
www.gibbgroup.com.au
41
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The Shangri-la Hotel on the Marlin Marina is perfect
for enjoying all that the Marina has to offer. With
prices starting from $191 per night in low season for a
Deluxe Room, it’s on the upper end of the price scale
but has all the amenities you could wish for. All rooms
have either a balcony or a courtyard and include free
wifi. The hotel itself offers a huge swimming pool,
plus a children’s pool, a health club and access to the
Marlin Marina. With 3 restaurants and bars, you have
plenty of choice for a range of dining options, or with
in room catering delivery between 7am and 10pm,
have the dining come to you for a more private option.
Cairns is the perfect place to take the kids for a holiday
and the Cairns Colonial Club Resort is the perfect
place to stay with them. Offering 3 lagoon style pools
and a man made beach, plus a toddler pool and large
children’s playground, the kids can enjoy their stay and
play adventure while you relax at the Thirsty Flamingo,
the perfect poolside bar, to take in some live music
and enjoy a cocktail.
Set amongst 11 acres of tropical rainforest gardens
the Cairns Colonial Club resort is an excellent familyfriendly
option, and with Resort rooms starting from
as low as $91 per couple, per night in low season, it’s a
budget friendly one too!
Great Barrier Reef - Sightseeing Tours Australia
Finally, for a more self-contained option, the Reef
Palms offer Queen Bed Studios for as little as $89
per night in low season. These rooms are perfect for
a larger family that want the freedom to enjoy their
apartment as a home away from home. Located 2
kilometres from the city centre and boasting a large
swimming pool and spa, BBQ area, breakfast cafe,
daily room service, free wifi, plus free shuttle to the
Cairns CBD and free airport transfers…what a home
it is!
So while Winter down south is appealing with cold
nights spent drinking wine and snuggling in, if you’re
looking for something a bit wilder book your flight
to the north of the country and spend your break
soaking up the warmth under a palm tree while
watching the sun’s ray glint off the blue jewel water.
There’s really nothing like Winter in the tropics.
Kuranda Scenic Railway
Rare and Beautiful, Gemstones
and Crystals, Exhibition and Sales
www.ausemergencyservices.com.au 42

In an emergency, call Triple Zero (000)
To contact the police, fire or ambulance in an emergency, call
Triple Zero (000) from any telephone in Australia. Calls are free.
When to call Triple Zero (000)
You should only call Triple Zero (000) in life
threatening or time critical situations when
an urgent response is required from police,
fire or ambulance.
What will happen when I call
Triple Zero (000)?
The operator will ask you which emergency
service you require—police, fire or ambulance
—and will connect you. The operator may also
ask where you are calling from.
What if I have difficulty speaking English?
If you have difficulty speaking English, you
can ask for an interpreter once you have been
transferred to the emergency service you
requested. You will not have to pay for the
interpreter.
When you call Triple Zero (000), stay calm,
stay on the line and clearly answer the
operator’s questions.
www.triplezero.gov.au

MAKE MENTAL
HEALTH A PRIORITY.
Eat well and keep active. Stay in touch by phone
or video calls and seek help if you need it.
Together we can help stop
the spread and stay healthy.
Find out more at australia.gov.au