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disaster-relief-australia
  • About
    • Our Story
    • Board and Staff
    • Governance
    • Policies and Publications
  • Mission
    • Capabilities and Services
    • ADAT
  • Volunteer
    • Member Services
    • Training
    • Careers
    • DRA Member Reflections
  • Operations
    • Service Projects
    • Community Stories
  • Initiatives
    • Project Resilience
    • Wellbeing Project
  • Support Us
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    • Fundraise
    • Bequest
  • Partners
    • Partner with us
    • Community Stories
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    • Media Releases
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Filled with a sense of pride – civilian Michael Hoffman

Filled with a sense of pride – civilian Michael Hoffman

by DRA | Nov 15, 2020 | Operation Turner Reflection, Member Reflections

The week before I started with Disaster Relief Australia, I was lucky enough to complete one day on a Service Project in the Adelaide Hills and thought I gained an understanding of what an Operation is like from that day. The next day I did the Core Ops training...
Unique ability to care for people – ex veteran and former police officer Nick Backe-Hansen

Unique ability to care for people – ex veteran and former police officer Nick Backe-Hansen

by DRA | Nov 13, 2020 | Operation Turner Reflection, Member Reflections, Operations, Veteran Reflection

It was the Army that first gave me, indeed taught me, the unique ability to care for people I’d never met. It instilled in me what I call the ANZAC Spirit. I took these traits into my service with the NSW Police Force and now the Federal Police. I have now completed...
Drawn to help – first responder Hez

Drawn to help – first responder Hez

by DRA | Nov 12, 2020 | Member Reflections, Operation Turner Reflection

I first joined Disaster Relief Australia nearly two years ago but it wasn’t until the devastating 2019 fires on the NSW Mid North Coast that I deployed for the first time. I have an emergencies services background and with so many people in need, I felt drawn to help....

News

  • Operation Kelliher Flood Recovery Summary

    Disaster Relief Australia (DRA) recently conducted its largest disaster response activity since the organisation’s inception in 2016. In response to the catastrophic flooding that impacted communities in Queensland and New South Wales, our skilled veteran-led volunteers got down and dirty helping with flood recovery as part of Operation Kelliher.

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  • All the Reward I Need, Veteran Phil Wharton

    phil wharton

    A veteran friend suggested I look at Disaster Relief Australia when I was looking for an opportunity to give back after many years of paid work. I was immediately impressed by DRA’s focus on getting things done and helping others in their hour of need. Thinking about it, I realised there was a huge gap between the initial emergency response in a disaster and the subsequent recovery from that disaster. DRA had the solution, providing teams of motivated, trained and “can do” people to assist others in the recovery phase of a disaster. I joined DRA in my hometown Sydney and very quickly found myself completing induction and a nationally recognised basic first aid course. Right from that moment, I felt a sense of purpose. I went on to complete an advanced first aid course that gave me the knowledge and confidence to treat a wide variety of injuries. I’ve also been trained as a chainsaw operator. I have now deployed on three operations with DRA, two fires and one flood. My roles have been varied in these deployments ranging from Mission Commander right down to strike team member and I can honestly say I have enjoyed them all. There’s nothing more satisfying to me than giving another human a hand up in a time of crisis. The smile on a stranger’s face is all the reward I need. One of the things I really enjoy about DRA is meeting and getting to work with fantastic fellow volunteers. DRA members come from all over Australia and have varied backgrounds. I have deployed with ex police, ex military, paramedics and motivated civilians, amongst others, and made many friends in the process. We all have one thing in common and that is a desire to help others in their hour of need. I find it immensely satisfying to walk amongst people like this. I aim to deploy with DRA at least once a year and hope that I’m able to continue giving back for many years to come.

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  • Take a Leap, Volunteer, Alasdair McLachlan

    volunteer reflection

    I come from a military family. My father is an Officer in the Army Reserve and so I spent much time in my childhood surrounded by the ADF community. Whether through attending a family barbeque in Keswick Barracks or doing my homework on my dad’s Army Reserve office couch, the values were always around me. My father’s suggestion to become a volunteer for Disaster Relief Australia was enticing. He was already a volunteer and he explained to me the values and mission of Disaster Relief. It was perfect, my dad was giving me the opportunity to both experience new things and genuinely help out. Immediately I signed up and was extremely fortunate to be chosen to be a volunteer in Operation Kelliher. The catastrophic floods in New South Wales and Queensland were all over the news and so it was clear that if there were any place that needed help, it was those local communities. Within a week I was sent to NSW, specifically to a small town called Coraki. Coraki was absolutely devastated. Almost every house was flooded inside and out and its residents were shellshocked. It would have been overwhelming for me, but once inside the base of operations at the Coraki Golf Club I felt that I could get through it. It was clear that the operation was well organised and that I could play my relatively small part and trust that if I needed support it was there. I was part of the second wave, so we missed the flood itself but were essentially the first group to deal with the rehabilitation of the community. With my assigned group, two veterans and one civilian, we began to drive out to locals who specifically asked Disaster Relief for help. The first house we visited was a farm owned by a couple in their 80s whose entire livestock and first floor of their house were destroyed. It was clear then that our service was as much about mental help as it was physical help. The couple were dejected and knew their livelihoods were taken away from them. We cleared up their shed and fences, making considerable progress before leaving at the end of the day. The second day saw us visiting a house containing a huge amount of items that when finally piled up outside their house for a garbage truck to remove, were enormous. Removing cupboards, beds, furniture, cutlery, and everything else was a huge task that taxed my physical strength and resilience. The house was owned by a couple that had a different perspective on their predicament. They seemed almost happy to have the house cleared out so that they can start again even though the majority of what was inside of their house had to be thrown out. Speaking to both couples gave me a good perspective on my role as a volunteer. I could not impose my feelings on them. Except for providing support, I could not tell them how to feel or what to do; my job was to help them if they asked and do that job as best as I could. Whereas externally, I was a friendly helper to the locals, among the Disaster Relief volunteers, I found a wonderful and supportive community. The balance between veterans and civilians allowed me the opportunity to meet and get advice from different people from different parts of Australia. The veterans told me their history and often traumatic experiences in the field of war and the civilians told stories about their lives both of which gave me perspective on my own. After a week of hard yakka, I was fully bonded with them and felt I had made firm friends that I would keep outside of Disaster Relief. Coming back from Coraki after 7 days of work and 2 days of travel I was a changed man. I had gone through an experience unlike any other that gave me perspective on my life and the opportunity to genuinely help people in need. Speaking to my father afterwards, I began to understand, in a small way, what he went through as an Army Officer, which strengthened our relationship. I advise any person reading this who is a civilian not to be intimidated by the veterans that are the core of the organisation. They will support you through the operations and respect you for the service you do. There is no other organisation that I know of that provides such an experience, so take a leap of faith, sign up and get going!

    Read More >>

Disaster Relief Australia

National Support Office
Ph: 1300 372 287
3 King William Road
UNLEY SA 5061

Disaster Relief Australia unites the skills and experiences of military veterans with first responders to rapidly deploy disaster relief teams.

Disaster Relief Australia is registered with Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC).

ABN 44614474010
ACN 614474010

acfid member

ACFID Full Member and signatory to the ACFID Code of Conduct.

Disaster Relief Payments & Grants

Read where to find information on disaster relief payments and grants.

Disaster Requests for Assistance

Read where to lodge your request for assistance.

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