The RFS is urging residents across the State to take part in a research project looking at recent fire conditions.

In February this year, NSW was faced with the worst ever fire weather conditions, with large and destructive fires impacting on several communities. If you were in fire affected areas, or experienced the Catastrophic fire danger during February the RFS urges you take part by clicking here: http://ow.ly/4WKB30et3hx

The research is being conducted by the University of Wollongong for the Bushfire and Natural Hazards Cooperative Research Centre (www.bnhcrc.com.au) and the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS), with the objective of improving community bush fire safety.

The online questionnaire can be completed by anyone who lives in a bush fire prone area of NSW, as well as anyone directly threatened or impacted by bush fires in NSW during the summer of 2016-2017.

The questionnaire will take about 20-40 minutes to complete and contains questions about your preparedness and responses to bush fires during the summer of 2016-2017. The questionnaire is anonymous. 

This project is being undertaken so that NSW Rural Fire Service can develop a better understanding of how to improve community safety for the future.

A report with recommendations for improving community bush fire safety will be written for the NSW Rural Fire Service. Findings from the research may be reported at scientific conferences and in research journals. No identifiable material will be included in any reports.

Involvement in the study is voluntary and participants may withdraw from the study at any time and withdraw any data they have provided to that point.

Recollecting aspects of a bush fire can be emotionally distressing. Should you require support, Lifeline Australia provides telephone crisis support: call 13 11 14.

If you have any questions about the study you are welcome to contact Dr Josh Whittaker (Email: wjoshua@uow.edu.au) from the University of Wollongong.