@article {bnh-2486, title = {Capturing community experiences in the 2015 Sampson Flat fire}, number = {154}, year = {2016}, month = {01/2016}, institution = {Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC}, address = {Melbourne}, abstract = {

The Sampson Flat fire in January 2015 was the most destructive fire in the Adelaide Hills for more than 30 years, burning 12,569 hectares of public and private lands with losses including 24 homes, 146 other structures, 5 businesses and much livestock and fencing.

Following this fire, the CFS commissioned the Bushfire and Natural Hazards CRC to undertake research on the community{\textquoteright}s bushfire experience focusing on bushfire safety, the CFS Community Fire Safe program and information and warnings. Researchers from\ CQUniversity completed the research.

The research used both quantitative data from online and telephone surveys, and qualitative data from face-to-face or telephone interviews. Participants from fire affected and fire threatened areas were recruited by the CFS through their electronic and community networks. The research identified a number of positive findings in terms of messaging, bushfire awareness and safety, which are outlined in the introduction of the report.

The report is split into four parts. Parts one, two and three detail sub-project{\textquoteright}s within the larger project, while the appendices make up the fouth part.

}, isbn = {978-0-9941696-6-2}, author = {Danielle Every and Amy Reynolds and Larissa Clarkson and Christopher Bearman and Raymond Matthews and Laura Haigh and Drew Dawson} } @article {bnh-3231, title = {Contacts versus connectors: The role of Community Fire Safe Group coordinators in achieving positive bushfire safety outcomes}, journal = { International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction}, volume = {19}, year = {2016}, month = {10/2016}, abstract = {

Shared responsibility for bushfire preparedness includes self-reliant communities with the skills, knowledge and ability to minimize the impacts of bushfires on their homes, properties and community. Community preparedness groups are a potentially effective way to achieve this self-reliance. Previous research shows that these groups increase people{\textquoteright}s knowledge and awareness of risk, their planning and preparations, and community cohesion and collaboration. However, these are not outcomes for all groups in all places. Groups face a perennial problem of low participation and {\textquoteleft}buy in{\textquoteright} from the local area due in part to individual differences in the desire to be part of a group, low levels of risk awareness, community turbidity, and low social capital. This paper proposes that the skills and characteristics of the group coordinator in responding to and overcoming these challenges are key to a group{\textquoteright}s longevity, collaboration and success. Using interviews and a survey with Community Fire Safe group coordinators and members affected by the 2015 Sampson Flat fire in South Australia, we found the key elements of successful coordination were active outreach to existing neighbourhood residents, newcomers and those {\textquoteleft}not into groups{\textquoteright} using face to face and personalized communication adapted for different people{\textquoteright}s needs. This active, determined persistence in communicating bushfire safety was motivated by an understanding that low interest can be overcome and that overcoming it is the key role of the group coordinator. Training for coordinators in the individual and group processes underpinning behavior change, in personalized communication, and adapting materials for diverse groups is likely to improve group outcomes.

}, doi = {http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.ijdrr.2016.09.012}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2212420916303120}, author = {Danielle Every and Christopher Bearman and Raymond Matthews and Amy Reynolds and Peta O{\textquoteright}Donohue and Larissa Clarkson} } @article {bnh-2506, title = {The efficacy of objective and subjective predictors of driving performance during sleep restriction and circadian misalignment}, journal = {Accident Analysis \& Prevention}, year = {2015}, month = {11/2015}, abstract = {

Fatigue is a significant contributor to motor-vehicle accidents and fatalities. Shift workers are particularly susceptible to fatigue-related risks as they are often sleep-restricted and required to commute around the clock. Simple assays of performance could provide useful indications of risk in fatigue management, but their effectiveness may be influenced by changes in their sensitivity to sleep loss across the day. The aim of this study was to evaluate the sensitivity of several neurobehavioral and subjective tasks to sleep restriction (SR) at different circadian phases and their efficacy as predictors of performance during a simulated driving task. Thirty-two volunteers (M{\textpm}SD; 22.8{\textpm}2.9 years) were time-isolated for 13-days and participated in one of two 14-h forced desynchrony protocols with sleep opportunities equivalent to 8h/24h (control) or 4h/24h (SR). At regular intervals during wake periods, participants completed a simulated driving task, several neurobehavioral tasks, including the psychomotor vigilance task (PVT), and subjective ratings, including a self-assessment measure of ability to perform. Scores transformed into standardized units relative to baseline were folded into circadian phase bins based on core body temperature. Sleep dose and circadian phase effect sizes were derived via mixed models analyses. Predictors of driving were identified with regressions. Performance was most sensitive to sleep restriction around the circadian nadir. The effects of sleep restriction around the circadian nadir were larger for simulated driving and neurobehavioral tasks than for subjective ratings. Tasks did not significantly predict driving performance during the control condition or around the acrophase during the SR condition. The PVT and self-assessed ability were the best predictors of simulated driving across circadian phases during SR. These results show that simple performance measures and self-monitoring explain a large proportion of the variance in driving when fatigue-risk is high.

}, url = {http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0001457515300968}, author = {Anastasi Kosmadopoulos and Charli Sargent and Xuan Zhou and David Darwent and Raymond Matthews and Drew Dawson and Gregory Roach} }