Emergency Services Research
Led by Associate Professor Carlyn Muir, the Emergency Services Research team’s public health experience and use of systems approaches enables them to examine safety for emergency services professionals.
The team covers a diverse range of injury and violence prevention topics that focus on improving outcomes in complex safety-critical environments. Drawing on applied research expertise in public health, psychology, paramedicine and data analysis, the team collaborates extensively with emergency service organisations and other stakeholders to ensure research is aligned with real-world needs and supports the development of effective, actionable strategies. Research areas include occupational safety and wellbeing of emergency service workers, emergency vehicle safety, the role of emergency services in improving public health outcomes, and community safety. Significant partnerships and long-term data linkage programs have been forged with a number of Australian state fire, ambulance and police agencies.
Major projects
In 2024, the team secured funding for multiple projects focused on emergency services and occupational safety research. Ongoing collaborations included work with the NSW Rural Fire Service, Iowa State University, Fire and Rescue NSW, the Victorian Department of Transport and Planning, Victorian Country Fire Authority, the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC), and the Transport Accident Commission.
Team milestones
The team’s expertise was in high demand throughout the year. Highlights include delivering a workshop on emergency vehicle safety at the Australasian Road Safety Conference, presenting to the Australasian Fire and Emergency Service Authorities Council (AFAC) Fire Community Safety Group, and contributing to the Emergency Driver Educators Network Conference. Working with Dr Amanda Stephens from the Human Factors and Sustainable Safety team, they also ran training workshops for the Department of Energy, Environment and Climate Action and the Ministerial Chauffeur service on managing stress and fatigue while driving. The team’s work with Fire and Rescue NSW 'Measuring fire prevention and preparedness to inform community risk reduction' was a finalist for the Research Impact Award at the Resilient Australia National Awards in Canberra.
A standout collaboration with MUARC’s Traffic Engineering and Vehicle Safety team investigated risks to rural firefighting vehicles from falling trees and limbs in NSW, resulting in the development of a tailored vehicle performance testing program. Additional collaborations included working with the Monash University Disaster Resilience Initiative for research with King Khalid University to prevent forest fires and evaluate their impact on the environment in Saudi Arabia.
Student success
The team maintained its strong commitment to student supervision, celebrating the graduation of two PhD and one Honours student, while four additional students successfully completed milestones.
Impact
Associate Professor Muir was appointed to several national and international leadership roles during the year. She was appointed to the Road Safety Camera Commissioner Expert Reference Group by the Minister for Police for a three-year term, and joined special interest groups focused on Emergency Driver Educators and Roads Policing.
The Emergency Services Research team is recognised across Australia for its expertise in research tailored to the needs of partner organisations. Their in-depth understanding of the unique challenges faced by the industry and strength in stakeholder collaboration and network development, makes their work industry-leading and highly sought-after.