Engaging vulnerable populations in preparedness and response: a local government context

In Australia, there is a government-sanctioned mandate to proactively engage communities in decision-making on issues that may affect them directly. Community engagement is ‘the process of stakeholders working together to build resilience through collaborative action, shared capacity building and development of strong relationships built on mutual trust and respect’ (Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience 2013). In the case of emergency and disaster management, the need for community engagement is central to promoting a sense of collective responsibility and the recognition that everyone benefits when contributing to a safer environment. It also means individuals and communities can exercise choice and take actions to safeguard themselves, their families, neighbours and other stakeholders in the event of an emergency (Hansen et al. 2013