How The Australian National University's emergency management and continuity plans responded to a large-scale fire

Bart Meehan
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Bart Meehan: The Australian National University, Australia

Journal of Business Continuity & Emergency Planning, 2008, vol. 2, issue 2, 179-189

Abstract: On 18th January, 2003, one of the worst bushfires in the history of Australia hit the capital city, Canberra. By the time it was under control, four people were dead and more than 500 homes were destroyed. The fire also destroyed the Mount Stromlo campus of the Australian National University, the location of the Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics. In response to the fires, the University initiated its emergency management strategy and business continuity plans. These allowed the School to recommence limited operations within two weeks of the disaster. This paper details a case study of the impact of the fire (in part using personal recollections of staff and students), and the emergency response implemented by the University. It describes the development of the University's emergency management strategy, with its emphasis on the key elements of clear chain of command and flexibility in developing an incident-specific response. The paper also provides an assessment of how the plan worked during an actual incident and some of the lessons learned, including the importance of the early response, managing the impact on people, media management, insurance and communications.

Keywords: Australian National University; Mount Stromlo; Research School of Astronomy and Astrophysics; Canberra; bushfire; emergency management response; business continuity; lessons learned (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: M1 M10 M12 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2008
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