Ravensbourne-Perseverance Rural Fire Brigade volunteer Barbara Ryan appointed to new Rural Fire Service Advisory Committee

Brought in as part of a broad overhaul to the Queensland Fire Department the committee will serve as a conduit between the rank and file volunteers and senior management to help make rural residents safer.

Ravensbourne Perseverance Rural Fire Brigade volunteer Dr Barbara Ryan represents the South West Region in new Rural Fire Service Advisory Committee.

Helping local fire brigades and the communities they protect to be better prepared for disasters will be the focus for Dr Barbara Ryan for the next two years.

The Ravensbourne-Perseverance Rural Fire Brigade volunteer and natural disaster researcher has been appointed as the local representative of the Rural Fire Service’s new advisory committee.

Brought in as part of a broad overhaul to the Queensland Fire Department under the previous Queensland government, the committee will serve as a conduit between the rank and file volunteers and senior management.

Ravensbourne Perseverance Rural Fire Brigade volunteer Dr Barbara Ryan represents the South West Region in new Rural Fire Service Advisory Committee.

Dr Ryan represents the South West Region, alongside Sally Rowen from Broadwater Amiens Rural Fire Brigade, and is one of 10 volunteer members appointed to the committee.

She said the committee’s aim was to improve the RFS as a whole.

“Whenever there is a decision made there are always unintended consequences unless a lot of voices are heard in the decision making process,” Dr Ryan said.

“If the brigades have concerns or an idea for making something work better but they are not confident it will get progressed, then they can approach their local member on that advisory committee.

“There has been some really good analysis of things that have already been done to make those things work on the ground.”

Queensland is a large state with diverse geography that responds to bushfires in different ways.

Brigades in the remote, dry pockets of the South West have different needs to those fighting grass fires on the Downs, or in the thick scrub of the Far North.

Dr Ryan’s background is in researching how communities respond to disaster and she said she would devote her term to helping brigades become more comfortable in engaging with their communities.

“By that I don’t been just have a stall at the local show, but involving the community in planning for fire,” she said.

“We really want the community to be community-led in its preparation, response and recovery.”

Originally published as Ravensbourne-Perseverance Rural Fire Brigade volunteer Barbara Ryan appointed to new Rural Fire Service Advisory Committee