Tim joined Abound Communities after holding senior leadership roles in marketing, communications and fundraising in not-for-profit organisations in the Aged Care sector. Prior to this, Tim has held senior marketing and communications roles across public health and education. Tim has a degree in Public Relations (Communications) from RMIT and is currently undertaking his Master of Business Administration. Tim is passionate about ensuring that there is equitable access to health and aged care and that these areas are sustainably funded. He looks forward to connecting Abound Communities to donors and philanthropists who also share this passion.
Leading Through the Flames Preparedness, Decision-Making and Compassion When Fire Came to Euroa
In January 2026, a fast-moving bushfire came within 15 kilometers of Currie Park, an independent living retirement village operated by Abound Communities in regional Victoria. It was the worst fire weather the state had seen since Black Summer, during the first full week back after Christmas when much of the leadership team was on leave. Within hours, an executive team recalled from leave established an Incident Command Team, assessed escalating risks, secured alternative accommodation and coordinated the evacuation of residents and staff from a community many had called home for decades.
This presentation provides a candid case study of the forty-eight hours that tested Abound Communities’ emergency preparedness, leadership capability and commitment to resident-centered care. Rather than presenting a success story, the session examines the structures, decisions and relationships that enabled a calm and coordinated response under extreme pressure, while openly discussing the gaps and lessons identified through the experience.
Delegates will hear how an Incident Command Team trained in the Australasian Inter-service Incident Management System (AIIMS) enabled rapid role activation, clear decision-making and coordinated communications during a period when much of the leadership team was geographically dispersed. The presentation will explore the preparedness activities undertaken before the fire season, including an independent bushfire risk assessment against AS 3959, resident emergency planning, and collaborative plan development with residents and staff who would ultimately enact it.
A central focus of the session is the principle of dignity of risk. Presenters will share how resident choice was respected during evacuation planning, including the management of residents who elected to remain at the village despite escalating threats. The ethical tensions between safety, autonomy and organisational responsibility will be explored through practical examples drawn from the event.
The presentation will also examine communication strategies with residents, families, staff and sector partners, highlighting why timely, transparent and consistent communication became a critical component of care. Delegates will gain insights into the often-overlooked financial, operational and workforce impacts of emergency response and recovery for not-for-profit providers, and the vital role of peer providers and the peak body in holding the sector up.
The session will conclude with three key lessons for the sector: preparedness is a culture rather than a document; communication is care; and dignity of risk matters most when the stakes are highest. Attendees will leave with practical actions they can implement immediately to strengthen emergency preparedness, governance and resilience within their own organisations.