Ali Moore and co-host Neil Pigot speak to Alan Rhodes, Richelle Wathell and Ian Mannix.
Ali Moore and co-host Neil Pigot were joined by Ian Mannix, Alan Rhodes and Richelle Wathell to chat about the upcoming fire season.
Ian Mannix heads ABC Local Radio's Emergency Services and Community Development team in Adelaide. He is responsible for the radio coverage of national disasters. He has been a journalist for 30 years and is the former station manager of 774 ABC Local Radio.
Alan Rhodes is responsible for CFA's community education and engagement programs including the joint agency Fire Ready Victoria strategy to increase community preparedness for bushfire. He is also responsible for CFA's community research and evaluation section and has conducted several studies of major bushfires throughout Australia. He recently appeared as an expert witness at the South Australian coronial inquest into the 2005 Eyre Peninsula bushfire. He is also a researcher with the Bushfire Cooperative Research Centre working on the stay or go project and the evaluation of community safety programs.
Rachelle Wathall is a volunteer with the Lilydale Fire Brigade and has been for five years. She was involved in the 2006 Briagolong/Dargo fires, Woori Yallock fires last year and Morwell open cut mine fires to name a few. Her brigade is in close proximity to the Dandenong Ranges, so they are in a high risk and very populated area.