The number of worldwide disasters has increased more than four fold in the last 40 years (World Disaster Report, 2011). In Australia, the number of natural disasters such as raging bushfires, devastating floods, and destructive cyclones has also increased dramatically. These destructive events result in significant impacts on human life, the economy, infrastructure, and the environment. For example, the disasters in 2011 alone cost Australia $6.5 billion, and tragically 35 deaths in Victoria and two in Queensland. Australia has a large volunteer population to assist in the disaster response recovery of communities, and the significant commitment from these volunteers provides Australia with the ability to more effectively respond and recover from its disasters. However, with the generosity and selflessness of this group also comes the potentially deadly risk of fatigue and burnout. This white paper will explore the issue of fatigue and burnout in our volunteer population and will provide key steps that organisations should implement in order to protect our heroes.
Click on the link to download the TMS white paper: TMS White Paper – Fatigue Burnout in Disaster Response Volunteers
