Grampians Fires 2006 Grampians Community Health Centre

1. Grampians Fires 2006Grampians Community Health Centre

2. Variety of Work Carried Out Case management for all individuals & families involved Goods and services for fire victims, like New computers & operating systems Early basic needs met, sourcing funds, ensuring fire victims had equitable access to “gifts”& vouchers etc Fire Photographic exhibitions, displays, events, underwriting publications Housing and then Re housing, sourcing long term resources Health Checks Adult Counselling, creative arts therapy for the kids DPI & local Government workers training in recovery and self care Working with groups like Tourist Assoc to use meeting processes and defuse emotional issues/ faction fights to help get to “where to next” Public talks to help people understand where they are at and defuse blame. Volunteer training and management to get info out Development of information in community understandable terminology Getting the info out at all the “spike” times 1,3,6,12 months Supporting & debriefing the inter agency staff Community afternoon teas, Cut Outs (250 people) & many other social events for fire affected areas…… 450 new clients in two months Looking after your own agency staff – they need to be in for the long haul – up to 18 months

3. How did we work out what to do? We have done it before – mine accidents, fires, road trauma, drowning but this was bigger • Understand every other organisation’s role – don’t replicate - but being generalists we filled many gaps • Regular visits to the central control area MERC to pick up the most needy who are registering – not wait for referrals • Assign case management early using all GCHC staff • Setting up internal incident room for new case files, food for staff, information exchange & debriefing supported by an admin worker & base crew

4. Starting on day 1, while the fires were still burning, to find housing resources, plan & set up • Have staff trained in advance • Call in partners especially to help man recovery centre’s • Be proactive - visit houses & businesses inside or adjacent to the fire zone • Keep asking questions and following leads • Daily debriefing meetings to ensure all leads are followed up or referred

5. Ensure everyone on staff understands that its complex, whole of life for the clients and that staff may need to do other work than in their own area • Understand the strain on staff, especially those who are fire effected themselves and ensure that normal work is still happening – call in all past staff etc • We had local material already developed for early intervention but had to develop 3,6,&12 month material.

6. What worked? • Funding from DHS without tabs, early - $40K • Being a generalist organisation • Having strong partnerships inter & extra sector B4 the fires • Having over 40 staff trained in recovery B4 the fires • Keeping the recovery leadership with the CEO or other senior staff member – they are the easiest jobs to rearrange & have decision making capacity • Being able to connect the care for the fire victims, staff involved, staff from other organsiations

7. Three Key Outcomes/ Learnings • Swing existing staff with knowledge of the community into the key roles - like community development officers, counsellors, case managers and then back fill their roles - put on the extra staff early – recovery starts with the fire.

8. Don’t underestimate the level of stress all staff are under – especially if they are embedded in the fire too - defuse, debrief, support, create opportunities for relief from incident.

9. It’s complex whole of life stuff for fire victims and doesn’t fit into neat boxes – every one is on a different recovery path – it’s a long process and staff may play a number or roles

10. Impact on an Organisation • As an agency we have gone on the same trajectory as an individual after trauma. We have taken time to recover. • We look back and wonder at the quantity of work we managed – our normal client work didn’t suffer & was seen as a first priority. • And at what we didn’t manage – during the first six months - like timely reports to funding bodies, some data, missed some new funding & so some critical development.

11. Impact on an Organisation • If there is ever an enquiry from a funding source it inevitably relates to the first two quarters of 2006. • Despite the extra funding it cost us an estimated $50K, more if you look at lost opportunities. • We lost some experienced staff to cities (safer places from fire) – which had an opportunity there too in that we used the chance to restructure.

12. But overall its strengthened us and made us appreciate what we do, our skills, who we are and how well we work together within a wider field of organisations. • Sustainable ? If this is to become more frequent higher levels of resourcing would be needed – we used every available local resource – volunteers, DPI, DSE, CFA, Red Cross, miners, prisoners - the only resource almost un tapped was the hospital.