Mission: Fire Shield
What if a fire never became a disaster?
Our goal by 2025 is to reduce the scale and impact of bushfires by being able to extinguish dangerous fires within an hour. Fires become more difficult to extinguish the longer they burn and the larger they become. Detecting and responding to fires quickly can minimise the scale of a fire and therefore its potential negative impacts.
We may not always want to extinguish fires quickly, given the role of fire in regenerating the landscape and native plant species, but we need to have the capability to extinguish fires that have the potential to become a disaster.
Emergency Management Australia and state-based fire services play an essential role as a key end user for this mission. We will work closely with them to ensure Fire Shield outcomes can be integrated for the best possible impact.
Fire Shield mission video
Our goal is that fires are detected early and accurately. They are monitored to provide real-time knowledge for appropriate response.
We aim to develop solutions for the Australian context, which can be applied globally and may provide opportunities for commercial export, to be realised by other parties. We will use the blueprint evidence base to identify outcome-focused actions and targets for the following priorities. A number of pilot projects are underway with partners to test and learn with a view to scaling solutions over time.
“Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience initiative shares a common goal with AFAC of seeing an Australia that is more resilient to natural disaster. Our partnership on the blueprint and missions allows us to bring together the expertise of emergency services with the support and diverse experience of the Fire and Flood Resilience partners. We look forward to working together in the important next stage of the initiative.”
Chief Executive Officer, Australiasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council
“Resilience NSW has partnered closely with Minderoo Foundation on the popular temporary accommodation pod program for bushfire-affected communities. Minderoo Foundation has delivered strongly on the ground in its response and recovery efforts and has demonstrated it is a good partner to government in accelerating outcomes. We are looking forward to continuing to team with Minderoo Foundation as we move beyond response and recovery activities to focus on lifting community and state level resilience.”
Commissioner, Resilience NSW / Deputy Secretary Emergency Management
“The Insurance Council of Australia supports the Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience Blueprint. The blueprint is the first of its kind. It brings together public and private sector experts to collaborate on improving Australia’s natural disaster and extreme weather resilience. The data-driven approach and the focus on actionable change aligns with the ICA’s Climate Change Action Committee’s goal of maintaining an insurable Australia in the face of a changing climate.”
Special Risks Climate Change, Insurance Council of Australia
“KPMG Australia is pleased to collaborate with Minderoo Foundation’s Fire and Flood Resilience initiative, recognising the importance of robust data management and decision support systems to ensure we speed detection and response times to fires and floods.”
Partner, KPMG Australia
“Fortescue is proud to partner with Minderoo Foundation to raise Australia’s resilience to fires and floods. To achieve this requires a blueprint for action, and a deep knowledge of emerging science and technology that can be leveraged. At Fortescue, our values of family and safety remind us daily to look out for our mates, and this extends to supporting our fellow Australians in their time of need. Fortescue has also supported Minderoo Foundation’s response to the bushfires through the secondment of team members with specialist skills and supporting employees who are willing to volunteer with relief and recovery efforts for impacted communities.”
CEO Fortescue
“Commonwealth Bank is a long term supporter of communities impacted by natural disasters to support the rebuild and recovery. We have been pleased to participate in the development of Minderoo Foundation’s Resilience Blueprint and Mission work and look forward to the next stage of the implementation.”
Our missions
Fire Shield
Reducing the impact of fires through better detection, information sharing, prediction and response.
Resilient Communities
Lifting resilience in vulnerable communities through access to support and resources.