Rising from the ashes
Victoria’s public sector rallied on an unprecedented
scale to help thousands of firestorm survivors re-start their lives following
Australia’s deadly Black Saturday.
Fire rips through Kinglake
community’s hopes and dreams
Rod Jackson-Smith, Manager of Media Relations at
The Royal Melbourne Hospital was seconded to accompany journalists on an
escorted tour of Kinglake on the day residents were allowed back into the town
for the first time since Black Saturday. This is what he saw.
Control centre becomes a hive of activity
The
Alfred Hospital public affairs manager, John Heselev, was seconded to the Woori
Yallock Incident Control Centre during the fires to assist media covering the
tragedy.
Woori
Yallock Incident Control Centre is the nerve centre for the battle against some
20 bushfires burning to the east of Melbourne in the week following Black
Saturday.
Health system plays a crucial
fire role
By
Minister for Health Daniel Andrews
No
account of the impact of this month’s terrible bushfires on Victoria’s public
health system would be complete without first paying tribute to the
extraordinary hard work and tireless efforts of staff working across the
Victorian health system.
Character and compassion the key
to recovery assistance
By Minister for Housing Richard Wynne
The bushfires that have ripped through so many Victorian communities
have had a devastating physical and emotional effect as well as taking a tragic
toll in human life.
TOP
OF PAGE
Dedication by staff and
volunteers inspires admiration
By
Minister for Community Services Lisa Neville
We
have been confronting the most devastating natural disaster in Australia’s
history.
Fire, flood and recovery are no
new experiences for Gippsland
By
Department of Human Services Gippsland Regional Director Val Callister
The
bushfires started raging through the bush towards Boolarra and Mirboo North on
January 29.
Friends in need, friends in deed
By Alexandra District Hospital Chief Executive
Officer/Director of Nursing Heather Byrne
When Alexandra District Hospital staff reviewed and modified its
emergency management plans in 2008, we could not have imagined the magnitude of
disaster we would face only a few months later.
Community spirit thrives in time
of adversity
By
Dr Sally Cockburn
I
heard someone comment on the radio the week after Black Saturday that people
seemed more courteous on the roads.
Response-ready after exercise
On
Sunday, February 8, Goulburn Valley Health Chief Executive Officer Greg Pullen
woke at 6 a.m., smelt smoke and felt the early morning heat.
TOP
OF PAGE
Austin plays part in crisis
The Austin Hospital—the nearest major metropolitan hospital to the
largest of the weekend’s fires in Kinglake—treated 30 people for bushfire
related injuries, 19 of whom were admitted, including seven into intensive
care.
Busy Alfred Hospital responds to
bushfire tragedy
It
was already busy in The Alfred Hospital emergency department on the night of
Saturday, February 7—weekend trauma presentations plus patients with
heatstroke following an unprecedented heatwave.
Caspar’s journey ends with joy
While
staff at Goulburn Valley Health’s Shepparton Hospital were getting ready to
support the whole community in the immediate aftermath of Black Saturday, the
Maternity Unit was the scene of a different, more joyous event.
Clean-up under way
The
Commonwealth and Victorian governments are funding the clean-up of the sites
devastated by the bushfires.
Ambulance response has passed
the test
Following the heatwave that saw ambulance workload increase by 70
percent, the Black Saturday bushfires were another major test for the
newly-formed statewide ambulance service, Ambulance Victoria.
Nerve centre–morning, noon
and night
The first floor of the Department of Human Services building at 50
Lonsdale Street is normally a pretty sedate place—training and divisional
meetings are as racy as it gets.
TOP
OF PAGE
Help for people with diabetes
Diabetes Australia-Victoria has sent replacement National Diabetes
Services Scheme cards to bushfire diabetics enabling them easy access to
subsidised products and support.
Bendigo Health staff help in
myriad ways
As
central Victoria sweltered through the worst heatwave on record, local fire
authorities issued a warning that Saturday, February 7 would be the worst day
for fires since the Ash Wednesday inferno in 1983.
Case managers take victim
support personally
Families
affected by the bushfires have access to a dedicated case manager to support
them during this terrible time.
Staff pull together in bushfire
effort
As one of the largest employers in the area, Latrobe Regional Hospital
was always going to be directly affected by the Black Saturday bushfires.
Department spokesman keeps
Victorian public informed
With
nearly 600 Department of Human Services’ staff working tirelessly on the
Victorian bushfire recovery efforts, Director of Emergency Management Craig
Lapsley has been the public face of the DHS response.
Spur-of-the-moment gesture
raises fire funds
Department
of Human Services staff raised almost $2,000 for the Victorian Bushfire Appeal
in a spontaneous gesture during the commemoration of Prime Minister Kevin
Rudd’s apology speech to Australia’s Stolen Generations.
TOP
OF PAGE |
