Author Description

After the Fires set out the investigate the impacts of the Black Summer bushfires on the mental health and wellbeing of Australia's emergency services personnel involved in the fire response. The study focused on volunteers and employees working within fire and rescue, rural fire, and state emergency service (SES) agencies. After the Fires comprised two parts: (a) two surveys, which were conducted in 2020-21 (Wave 1) and in 2021-22 (Wave 2). Over 4,000 personnel across the fire and rescue, rural fire, and SES sectors participated in Wave 1 of the survey, including over 2,000 volunteers and almost 2,000 paid staff. Just over 1,000 personnel, including over 600 volunteers and almost 300 employees, also participated in Wave 2 of the study. The surveys measured first responders' engagement with the 2019-20 bushfires, their mental health and wellbeing, resilience, their need for and use of support services; and the cultural and organisational factors that may have affected their wellbeing. As well as (b) qualitative research, which included a series of focus groups and individual interviews in communities most affected by the fires to gain a deeper understanding of these impacts. This booklet provides an overview of results from both waves of the After the Fires survey as well as the After the Fires qualitative study. The research was conducted by the same team that undertook the Answering the Call study on behalf of Beyond Blue in 2017-18. Answering the Call was the first National Mental Health and Wellbeing Study of Police and Emergency Services.