IGEM Report 1: 2017-18 - THE CYCLONE DEBBIE REVIEW

Inspector-General Emergency Management

Despite the training and exercising that does occur, Debbie highlighted that misunderstood terminology is a barrier to effective disaster management. The confu- sion over terminology also extended to the media. Previous reviews have identified the same issues.

Themes

The Standard makes mention of the importance of terminology as a contributor to Doctrine:

Finding Where disaster management plans were tested, groups were trained and had exercised risks, good outcomes were more evident. This reinforced

‘The use of key terminology, including activation levels, is consistently applied across all levels’

that emergency management exercises are one of the best ways to test capability.

As we have reported earlier, there was substantial confusion over terms linked to safer places: including public cyclone shelter, evacuation centres, place of refuge and place of last resort. In order to enhance disaster management outcomes for the community and practitioners, it is important key terms are defined and that definition has a shared meaning across the sector. Such is the contribution of doctrine to capability. Without a shared understanding, these challenges will continue to occur and limit the effectiveness of disaster management. The rewrite of the State Disaster Management Plan , the Office’s Lexicon Project and the Australian Disaster Resilience Glossary should assist with providing clarity at the system level. Broader community education in relation

Recommendation Exercising should focus on vertical integration and include all levels of the system. A strategic program of exercises should be developed and implemented. Finding From our checking of pre-event activities we note that exercising has been undertaken in a siloed manner – limited to local and district groups, or internal to an agency, state group or centre. Enhanced shared understanding of roles and responsibilities, critical decision points and information flow is likely if exercising focused on vertical integration and included all levels of the system. Finding Terminology that is not consistent and well understood by disaster management practitioners may lead to confusion. We acknowledge the work that is ongoing in the Queensland Disaster Management Lexicon Program, facilitated by the Office of the Inspector-General Emergency Management, and the National Disaster

to terminology also needs to be the responsibility of everyone involved in disaster management to ensure consistent messages.

Resilience Glossary Project facilitated by the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience.

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The Cyclone Debbie Review

Lessons for delivering value and confidence through trust and empowerment