Information response

     END USER STATEMENT
     Getting a better understanding of what
     motivates people to ‘wait and see’ as
     a bushfire approaches, rather than
     committing early to a plan, is a problem
     that has plagued fire agencies for several
     years.
     This very useful research is unpacking
     this problem by explaining why residents
     are indecisive, and providing ideas about
     how such indecisiveness can be overcome.
     This will enable fire agencies to develop,
     in time and with further research,
     targeted strategies to address this large
     at-risk group, hence making a significant
     contribution to public safety.
     – Damien Killalea, Director of
     Community Fire Safety, Tasmania Fire
     Service.

    ticked the ‘other’ box (these were all volunteer
    firefighters who would be out fighting any
    fire).
    The most important finding was that
    decision difficulty as measured by the relative
    attractiveness of defending or evacuating was                 Findings of this study showed that if evacuating held a significantly higher perceived value than defending,
    the only significant predictor of why people                  residents were more likely to evacuate when a fire threatened.
    delayed deciding on their action in response               to think about bushfire, nor are they trying                    • Include a back-up plan, or a range
    to a fire threat.                                          to hide from the reality of bushfire threat.                      of options of what would be done in
                                                               In fact, they are just as aware of the risks as                   response to a fire.
    More specifically, if defending held
                                                               those who intend to respond to a fire threat                    • Be flexible and adaptable so it can be
    significantly higher perceived value to the
                                                               with a concrete action: either defending or                       adjusted to a variety of situations.
    householder than evacuating, then they
                                                               evacuating. They also feel just as responsible
    were more likely to anticipate defending. If                                                                               • Contain detailed information, such
                                                               for bad outcomes (e.g. losing their house or
    defending held significantly lower perceived                                                                                 as which information sources would
                                                               being injured). What this study shows is that
    value to the householder than evacuating,                                                                                    be used, what would be the triggers
                                                               the extreme difficulty in making the decision
    then they were more likely to anticipate                                                                                     for action, transport arrangements,
                                                               to defend or evacuate causes paralysing
    evacuating. However, when they perceived                                                                                     emergency contact numbers, safe place
                                                               indecision.
    defending and evacuating as being equally                                                                                    of last resort, etc.
    valuable, then they were very likely to delay              An article containing the full details of this
                                                                                                                           Next, the group was asked to identify barriers
    their decision until the time of an actual                 research is currecntly under review for
                                                                                                                           to the creation of a good fire plan, with a
    fire threat.                                               publication by The International Journal of
                                                                                                                           special focus on back-up plans and flexibility/
                                                               Wildland Fire, which can be made available
    People were not more likely to delay this                                                                              adaptability.
                                                               upon request to the author of this Fire Note.
    decision as a result of lack of risk awareness,
                                                                                                                           The biggest barriers related to the creation of
    so it was not the case that people who delayed             HOW IS THE RESEARCH BEING USED?
                                                                                                                           such proper contingency plans were:
    their decision were less aware of the risk.                The research team presented the results
                                                               of this study to a group of community                           • The difficulty/complexity of
    People were not more likely to delay their                 engagement leaders at several different                           constructing multiple action plans. Too
    decision motivated by responsibility                       fire agencies across Australia, including                         many options in ‘what to do’.
    avoidance, so they were not delaying their                 Western Australia’s Department of Fire                          • Related to this, many families
    decision in order to avoid feeling bad for                 and Emergency Services, South Australia’s                         experience communication issues
    having made the wrong decision (e.g.                       Country Fire Service, Victoria’s Country                          over simple things, so would their
    deciding to evacuate and ending up with their              Fire Authority and the New South Wales                            communication skills cope with
    house in flames).                                          Rural Fire Service. During the workshop,                          complex contingency plans?
    Furthermore, measured differences in                       participants received several assignments.                      • Many people/households lack the
    personality did not play a role in the decision            They were first asked to identify the key                         confidence to read/identify the triggers
    delay.                                                     ingredients of a good fire plan.                                  for different actions.
    In conclusion, this study showed that                      The results showed that a good fire plan should:            The group identified that the problems
    householders who delay their decision about                    • Suit the needs and abilities of all                   associated with delaying the decision about
    either defending their home, or evacuating                       household members, and consider all                   defending or evacuating are unlikely to be
    beforehand, are not necessarily unmotivated                      living beings (e.g. pets).                            reduced by forcing people to choose ‘defend’

3    Background briefings on emerging issues for fire managers from AFAC and Bushfire CRC.                                                                                        3