The Victorian State Emergency Services (VICSES) aims to partner with communities, government, other agencies, and business, to provide timely and effective emergency management services (VICSES, 2018). Critically, there has been a shift from a ‘command and control’ environment, to one that also seeks to build community preparedness, disaster resilience, and contribute to risk prevention (VICSES, 2018). This transition is evident in the broadening of Command, Control and Coordination to include Consequence, Communication and Community Connection (Emergency Management Victoria, 2018).
In alignment with this shift, the VICSES have developed a Community Engagement Program Framework. The framework combines marketing, disaster resilience, and positive psychology disciplines. The framework ensures meaning and purpose are identified, and objectives linked with behaviour change. This is achieved through creating small, autonomous action-steps using the spirit and skills of motivational interviewing (Miller & Rollnick, 2012). The framework is enhanced through awareness, interest, desire, and action marketing concepts (AIDA; Heath & Feldwick, 2007). The importance of evaluation and ‘celebrating success’ (i.e., savouring events through volitionally generating, intensifying, and prolonging enjoyment; Bryant, 2003) are also included. While diverse in theories and methodologies, the framework provides VICSES volunteers with a simple tool to increase the preparedness of communities.