Photo, Fire Wise Kids program in action by CFA staff member Siobhan Greene, won its category.
Three CFA projects have been recognised at the 2026 Resilient Australia Awards for their contribution to building disaster and emergency resilience across Victorian communities.
The Victorian Resilient Australia Awards ceremony was hosted by Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) on Monday 31 August, with the winners and highly commended projects announced by Emergency Management Commissioner Tim Wiebusch ESM.
CFA’s Schools in Fire Country was named a winner, while the Get Fire Ready campaign was highly commended. A photograph taken by CFA member Siobhan Green, capturing children taking part in CFA’s Fire Wise Kids program, won the awards’ photography category.
Winner: Schools in Fire Country
The program gives Year 5 and 6 students the opportunity to learn about disaster risk, investigate challenges in their local area and develop practical solutions that can make a difference in their communities.
Students explore topics including property preparedness, Fire Danger Ratings, pet safety and emergency planning, working alongside CFA volunteers, teachers, emergency management practitioners, Traditional Owners, local government and other local experts.
Students then share what they have learned with their families and in their communities, creating a ripple effect that encourages broader participation in resilience-building activities.
More than a dozen schools across Victoria have taken part in the program, strengthening connections between schools, emergency services and their communities.
Due to its success, regional working groups are now supporting the expansion of the program into additional high-risk areas.
Highly commended: Get Fire Ready
CFA’s 2025 Get Fire Ready campaign was highly commended for its significant community reach and impact.
The campaign aims to strengthen disaster resilience through brigade-led engagement at a local level, supported by a communications campaign designed to encourage practical bushfire preparedness.
During October 2025, more than 500 brigades supported by 3,800 CFA volunteers delivered 547 events, engaging more than 40,000 community members in high fire risk areas.
The events focused on practical actions including preparing properties, developing fire plans and how to use the VicEmergency app.
The campaign contributed to 70,000 new VicEmergency app users with a 299 per cent increase in visits to information about setting watch zones.
The initiative, which is taking place again this year, improved community connections and generated almost 500 expressions of interest from members of the community interested in volunteering with CFA.
Winner: Fire Wise Kids in action
A photograph capturing CFA’s Fire Wise Kids program in action, taken by Senior Engagement Advisor Program Development Siobhan Greene, also won its category at the awards.
The photograph captures young students at Belgrave South Primary practising how to crawl low under smoke using a smoke parachute.
The activity is part of Fire Wise Kids, CFA’s new educational program developed in collaboration with students, educators, CFA members and other subject matter experts.
The program helps children understand what to do in a fire and build confidence through practice by combining important emergency messages with physical actions.
Fire Wise Kids also recognises the importance of helping children understand how and why fires happen, and what they can do to prevent, prepare for and respond to them.
CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan AFSM said it was great to see three projects recognised at the awards.
“It highlights the different ways our members are helping communities prepare for fire and other emergencies,” Jason said.
“Whether it’s working with young people in schools, getting out into the community or helping people prepare, these projects highlight the many ways CFA is helping make our communities safer and more resilient.”
The Resilient Australia Awards celebrate initiatives that strengthen communities across Australia. They recognise efforts that help people prepare for, respond to, and recover from disasters and emergencies.
The Australian Government in partnership with each state and territory sponsor the awards, and EMV works with the Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience to present the awards in Victoria.
This year eight winners and three highly commended entries were recognised in Victoria across seven categories.
Fire Wise Kids in Action won the Photography category at this year's awards-
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