Space Shuttle Columbia launches on mission STS-107 from Kennedy Space Center on 16 Jan 03. Image credit: NASA. On 16 Jan 03, Space Shuttle Columbia launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida, USA on mission STS-107. Approximately 82 seconds after launch, a section of insulating foam separated from the shuttle’s external fuel tank and struck the reinforced carbon-carbon panels protecting the leading edge of its left wing. The foam strike was captured by launch cameras, but

I'll never forget the footage of a fire inside an aged care facility, in an area where some of the highest care was required. Fortunately, everyone got out, but it was too close for comfort. I was involved, in my former role as an inspector, in responding to an aged care facility fire in Victoria. I will not identify the facility, the organisations involved or the individuals connected to the matter, because the lesson is broader than one incident and the people involved are

When systems break down in the field, the consequences are rarely abstract. They are human, immediate, and irreversible. Two recent publications, the coronial findings into the death of backcountry skier Andrew Seton and the 2024–25 Major Incidents Report, reinforce the same blunt truth. Time, communication, and decision clarity determine outcomes. I have seen this reality firsthand. As a former member of Bush Search and Rescue Victoria (BSAR), regularly called out to assi

When the temperature drops and the wind howls through Victoria’s high country, decisions made in comfort can turn critical in minutes. Two rescues near Mount Buller this week made that painfully clear. This photo, taken by me of my climbing mate on Mt Bogong in 2015, shows deteriorating weather. The Victoria Police Search and Rescue team received calls on consecutive nights to locate stranded hikers. Tuesday evening saw the retrieval of the first hiker, a 49-year-old man, wh

Here is a quick, realistic 20 minute family drill you can run this weekend to stress test bushfire readiness, power loss, and comms failure, without spending money. Purpose Practice getting people, pets, valuables, and go-bags into the vehicle quickly, then identify gaps in lighting, communications, and decision-making. Set up Pick a 20-minute window. Use 24h time. Example 10 Nov 25 at 1600h. Agree safe rally points: Primary is the driveway by the vehicle, alternate is the

When the weather turns violent, Australia witnesses nature's ability to shatter our systems. Last weekend gave us two reminders: a tornado-like storm that tore through Melbourne’s western suburbs and a fast-moving bushfire near Drake in northern NSW. Both events put emergency crews, utilities, and local responders under extreme pressure. The message is clear for those of us in WHS and emergency leadership: moments like these test our readiness. Melbourne’s West: Tornadoes an

The 2025 West Coast bushfires stand as one of Tasmania’s largest and most complex natural disasters in recent memory. Sparked by dry...

On April 25, 2006, the small mining town of Beaconsfield in Tasmania, Australia, became the epicentre of a gripping human drama that...