Psychological Preparedness for bushfires

Bushfire preparation is a complex and challenging message to convey. And yet after every fire there is ample evidence that even the basic elements of bushfire education haven’t reached the most vulnerable parts of the community. While physical preparation is relatively straightforward, psychological preparation for bushfires is a lot more difficult to achieve and may prevent many people from being prepared for the inevitable. This session explores the psychology of how we respond to emergencies, what we regard as a threat (and what we don’t) and why training makes such a big difference. Building on research conducted for the Country Fire Authority, Dr Clode brings a unique perspective to what is going on in people’s heads during a disaster, and how we can help them be better prepared.

Topics:

Psychological preparedness Disaster responses The brain in an emergency Dual process model of response Threats and how we respond to them Recovery