AWE Newsletter - June 2021

Promoting, supporting and recognising the contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australasia.

AWE Newsletter – June 2021

Welcome to the June 2021 AWE Newsletter

May 17 – 23 was National Volunteer Week, an opportunity to recognise volunteers for the vital role they play in communities across the country, including those in the emergency services and community sectors. Many of our members are volunteers and AWE thanks each and every one of them for their skills, passion and commitment .

May 27 – June 3 was National Reconciliation Week, an important week in the calendar for individuals, families, communities, organisations and a nation as we continue our journey to reconciliation. AWE acknowledges those Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander members who help protect and maintain connection to country through land management and fire management, as well as through their cultural and spiritual practices. Read more about just one of our AWEsome Aboriginal members, Charmaine Sellings, in our AWE Inspiring section below.

AWE acknowledges and pays respect to the past, present and future Traditional Custodians and Elders of
this nation and the continuation of cultural, spiritual and educational practices of Aboriginal and
Torres Strait Islander peoples.

AWE News

Committee update
AWE Committee member Margaret Gray recently stepped down from the AWE Committee due to personal circumstances. We would like to thank Margaret for her enthusiastic contribution to AWE over the past six months, particularly for her work with members.

Nominations are now open for a new AWE committee member.
Membership on the AWE Committee is an exciting, hands-on opportunity for the right person. If you are passionate about women in emergencies, and have the energy, time and commitment to be an active contributor to AWE, we want to hear from you. Please contact us about this busy and exciting opportunity for more information.

2021 Philippa Woolf Scholarship
We are pleased to advise that we received 11 applications for the 2021 Philippa Woolf Scholarship. Applications are currently being reviewed and announcement of the successful applicant is expected in early June.
Many thanks to all AWE members who applied – and good luck!

Events and networking
The AWE Committee is focussed on revitalising our approach to events and networking. If you’d like to join a small team of members who will be working on this, please contact M argaret.

AWE Inspiring

AWE’s Inspiring woman of the month

Charmaine Sellings, Ranger at Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust CFA and AWE member

Charmaine Sellings is a founding member of Australia’s first all-Indigenous, all-female fire brigade at the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust CFA, a self-governing Aboriginal community in the Victoria’s far east. With only one access road, Lake Tyers is located on a remote isolated peninsula and is surrounded by thick bush on one side and a large lake system on the other. After a spate of deliberately lit fires almost 20 years ago, Charmaine and her friends Rhonda Thorpe and Marjorie Proctor established the Lake Tyers Aboriginal Trust CFA. Since then, the all-Aboriginal, all-female CFA brigade has become a highly regarded team which has attended fires, road accidents and emergencies all over Victoria. Importantly, Charmaine and her brigade also play an important role educating other crews in eastern Victoria about the importance of recognising cultural history and traditional sites.

Who inspires you? Let us know!

AWE Events

AWE events are a great way to learn about and get to know other women in the emergency management and disaster resilience sectors. Keep an eye on our calendar of events to find an AWE event to suit you.

Conference networking events
AWE is organising networking opportunities at each of the major upcoming emergency management conferences, including:

Emergency Management Conference 2021 – July 6-7 Melbourne
2021 Disaster and Emergency Management Conference – July 12-13 Gold Coast
AFAC21 powered by INTERSCHUTZ – August 17-20 Sydney
Australian Disaster Resilience Conference 2021 – August 19-20 Sydney

Keep an eye on your inbox – details will be emailed to all members soon!

AWE Winter Social Networking Event

Friday 11 June 5-6pm (AEST)

“Networking like this is one of the best things about belonging to AWE, and these online sessions are a great idea. There are so many interesting women members!”
AWE member, Autumn Networking Event

Join us at the AWE Winter Social Networking Event to meet other AWE members, get to know one another and share ideas and information. It’s a great way to get to know one another, make connections, and hear what’s happening across the sector. This event is open to AWE members and non-members .

Book now!

June AWEsome Conversation

Women and COVID-19

Join AWE for a discussion and open forum on women and COVID-19.

Hosted by Amanda Lamont and Kathy Cooney, AWE members and guests will explore:
How the COVID-19 pandemic has impacted women in the emergency management sector.
Responses and supports provided by workplaces.
Longer-term issues and opportunities for women in the sector.

Thursday 17 June 5pm (AEST)

Book now

Click here for more information about our Conversation series.

Let’s Keep Connecting!

Networking is a key reason we have all joined AWE. As your Events Lead I am keen to create ‘an explosion’ of networking opportunities across the country. I encourage all Chapter Leads and members to put together opportunities for networking. This might include:

A breakfast or coffee catch up
Lunch
Drinks or dinner
These can occur before, during or after meetings, workshops or conferences.

Any member can organise a local event and catch up with fellow AWE members. If you do get together, take a photo and put it in the AWE Facebook group. Send it to me and we’ll include it in our annual reporting or on our website. To support AWE events I am establishing a national events team. Send me an email if you’d like to join.
Thanks everyone – and let’s keep connecting!
Margaret

Past events

Don’t forget you can watch many of our past events on the AWE YouTube channel. We recently uploaded the May Conversation with Fern Hayes who shared some fascinating and inspiring insights and information about a new Victorian project supporting communities recovering from the 2019-20 bushfires through connection with nature and, in turn, supporting nature’s recovery.

AWE Mentoring Update

We’ve had a number of AWEsome new Mentors sign up recently, including Pam Sitko from Resilience NSW, Erin Smith from Edith Cowan University and Pamela Simon from Surf Lifesaving Australia.

If you have ever thought about being mentored by someone with extensive knowledge, skills and experience in emergency management and disaster resilience, why not check out our Mentoring webpage.

AWE Chapter Updates

AWE ACT

How AWEsome would it be to get involved in GovHack?
GovHack is the Southern hemisphere’s largest open data hackathon, and they’ve just announced their dates for the 2021 competition that will be run across both Australia and New Zealand. Over the course of 48 hours, from 22-24 August, teams of hackers gather together to use open data to solve important social problems. The sort of problems that are encountered in the emergency sector every day. Last year, there were some great entries that addressed emergency issues.
If you’ve ever thought, ‘wouldn’t it be great if…’, or,’why hasn’t that data been used for’, or, ‘this app would be so much better if…’ GovHack could be a great weekend for you! Entry is free and open to everyone.

AWE QLD

Coffee and Networking in North Queensland
Last month the AWE Queensland hosted a coffee and networking session with members from across Townsville. It was a wonderful opportunity to meet with other members, and foster collaboration across many facets of the disaster management community.

AWE Queensland tour of RAAF Base and networking – 11 June
Please join us for our next exciting coffee and networking catch up in Townsville!
For this event, we are being hosted by Sarah Steinegg from Air Services Australia, Aviation Rescue Firefighting. We will be given a tour of their station at the RAAF Base, followed by coffee at 5AV.

When: 11 June 2021
Time: 9:30 am – 10:30 am
Where: Ingham Road, Townsville
RSVP: No later than 9 June, to: [email protected]

Please note that RSVPs are essential as we will be under the escort of our host. Once you have RSVP’d additional details will be provided.

AWE VIC

AWE at the Emergency Management Conference 6-7 July
Come along and visit AWE at our stand at the Emergency Management Conference 2021, to he held at the Sofitel Melbourne on Collins from 6 – 7 July.
We’ll also be hosting a networking event on 6 July from 5.30 – details will be emailed to members soon.

Free ticket to Emergency Management Conference!
We are offering one lucky AWE member a free ticket for the Emergency Management Conference 2021!
If you are free to attend and are willing to help out at the AWE stand during the conference. please email us and tell us in 50 words or less why you would like to attend.
Applications close on 31 June.

Melbourne CBD Networking Breakfast – POSTPONED
Please note the CBD Networking Breakfast scheduled for 3 June has been postponed due to COVID restrictions. Members will be advised when a new date is confirmed.

News and resources

A new day to thank first responders. 9 June 2021 is Thank A First Responder Day, a day for Australians to show their gratitude to all our first responders, including paid and volunteer firefighters, paramedics, rescue teams, police, lifesavers and others.

New evidence-based resources for people and organisations engaged in recovery.
Visit www.recoverycapitals.org.au for a new set of resources from the Recovery Capitals (ReCap) project, which aims to support wellbeing after disasters by providing resources to support strengths-based, holistic and inclusive recovery approaches.

Resources in the Recovery Capitals include:

The ReCap Guide, featuring research findings and considerations for supporting disaster recovery
Activities to help in applying the ReCap Guide
Recovery Stories from people who have experienced disasters personally and professionally
Indigenous Peoples and Recovery Capitals introductory resource

ESF Insight Conversation 10 June. ESF’s Conversation series provide insight, information and perspectives on mental health and wellbeing issues in the emergency services sector. Save the date and this link to join the June webinar conversation, The impacts of COVID-19 on workplace mental health of emergency frontline staff: lessons learnt for effective leadership from a Charles Sturt University Workforce Wellbeing Research Unit study.

National Recovery and Resilience Agency announced. The Prime Minister recently announced a new National Recovery and Resilience Agency. Commencing in July, it will help local communities respond to large-scale disasters and provide support during the relief and recovery phases following major disasters. It will also undertake new initiatives to manage the impact of future events and the changing climate.

AFAC keynote speakers announced. Australian of the Year Grace Tame and Senior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements Dominique Hogan-Doran, along with Stan Grant and Shane Fitzimmons, have been announced as the keynote speakers for AFAC 2021. Visit the conference website for more details.

The Queensland Disaster Management Research Forum
Registrations are now open for the IGEM Queensland Disaster Management Research Forum, to be held online on Wednesday 14 July 2021. By looking back – being present – looking forward, the Forum will showcase how Queensland uses research and practice together to tackle our highly variable climate. Registrations are now open.

New Centre of Excellence for Emergency Worker Mental Health. Phoenix Australia will lead a new Centre of Excellence aimed at improving mental health outcomes for emergency service workers by building the capability of health practitioners to support them. ESF’s most recent Insight Conversation discussed why the new Centre is so important with Professor David Forbes from Phoenix, Dr Tony McHugh, a practicing trauma related therapist, and current serving VicPol detective, Andrew Lawrence.

Community Engagement for Disaster Resilience. AIDR has released three new companion documents to support the Community Engagement for Disaster Resilience Handbook.

Job Opportunities

ACT
Personal Assistant to CEO & COO, Noetic

NSW
Program Coordinator, Africa, Caritas Australia
Records Business Officer, NSW Rural Fire Service

QLD
Emergency Preparedness Coordinator, Queensland Rail

SA
Senior Policy Officer, Department of Fire and Emergency Services
Manager COVID-19 Compliance Section, Department for Health and Wellbeing
Committee and Grant Support Officer, Department of Fire and Emergency Services

TAS
General Manager (Biosecurity Tasmania), DPIPWE
Strategic Emergency & Disaster Management Coordinator, The Salvation Army
Principal Project/Policy Officer – Emergency Response, Department of Health

WA
Coordinator Emergency Management, St John of God Health Care
Emergency Management Officer, Christmas Island, DIRDTC
Emergency Manager, Serco Asia Pacific

VIC
Manager, Policy and Programs, Emergency Management, Department of Families, Fairness and Housing
Incident Support Coordinator, Department of Education and Training
Regional Officer Training, SES

NZ
Emergency Management and Business Continuity Manager, University of Canterbury
Senior Advisor Volunteer Leadership Development, Fire and Emergency New Zealand

Other Events

July Emergency Management Conference 2021 – ESF

July 2021 Disaster and Emergency Management Conference – ANZDMC

August AFAC21 powered by INTERSCHUTZ – AFAC

August Australian Disaster Resilience Conference 2021 – AIDR

October Australasian Women in Emergencies Day – AWE

Newsletter contributions

The AWE Newsletter is published monthly and is distributed to more than 1500 AWE members across Australasia. For contributions, queries or to let us know what you would like to see in the newsletter, please email us at [email protected].

About AWE

The Australasian Women in Emergencies Network (AWE) promotes, supports and recognises the contributions of women in emergency management and disaster resilience across Australasia.

www.awenetwork.org.au
[email protected]

To become an AWE member, please click here.
AWE badges are available from our shop.

AWE acknowledges the Traditional Owners of the land on which we work, and pays our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging.