Journal articles on the topic 'Sale Volunteer Fire Brigade'

Data investigations and research on the history of firefighting were conducted considering a recent fire museum construction plan. To devise a plan to develop a volunteer fire brigade (the basis of firefighting) in a situation in which most of the real data have been lost or discarded and only some firefighting vehicles and suppression equipment remain, a site visit and relic survey were conducted at the Sulsan Volunteer Fire brigade site in Impi-myeon in Gunsan-si, Jeollabuk-do. It was found that fire wells, manual pumps used since the Japanese colonial period, volunteer fire brigade buildings, and a fire watchtower installed in the 1960s remain. Based on the results and considering the historical and cultural values of the Sulsan Volunteer Fire brigade in Impi-myeon at that time, this study emphasized the importance of fire history and culture, the need to designate and preserve such sites as registered cultural properties, and the new role of the volunteer fire brigade.

This study sought to analyze the relationship between the operation of volunteer fire brigades and the efficiency of fire-fighting administrations. To this end, the efficiency of the fire-fighting administrations of 16 metropolitan and provincial governments in South Korea were measured using data envelopment analysis (DEA) from 2011 to 2018. In addition, the relationship between the operation efficiency of the volunteer fire brigade and the fire administration was analyzed using a Tobit regression model. DEA found that the technical efficiency based on constant returns to scale was 82.78 ± 18.12%, the technical efficiency based on variable returns to scale was 89.31 ± 12.46%, and the efficiency of the scale was 91.72 ± 10.56%. Tobit regression analysis found the ratio of volunteer fire brigade personnel, the budget ratio of the volunteer fire brigade, and the enforcement of the Act on the Establishment and Operation of Volunteer Fire Brigades to have significant positive effects on the pure technical efficiency of local governments. In addition, when the ratio of volunteer fire brigade personnel or ratio of budget had a positive effect on the efficiency of fire administration, the enforcement of the volunteer fire brigade statute exerted a positive adjustment effect. This study thus shows that volunteer fire brigades have a positive impact on the efficiency of the fire-fighting administrations of metropolitan and provincial governments.

Looking at the environment of recent disasters, wide-area disasters that are difficult to respond to by one fire station frequently occur. In disaster management, it is urgent to establish an orderly command system and convert firefighters to national positions for disaster management by the government trusted by the people. Discussions on redefining the role of volunteer fire brigade are active at a time when public opinion is prevailing that a unified command system capable of responding quickly and accurately to disasters should be established by strengthening the firefighting organization, which is the responsibility of the head of a metropolitan government, as a national organization. it is progressing Considering these disaster environments and national firefighting policies, it is necessary to seek ways to strengthen the capacity of volunteer firefighters according to the transition of firefighters to national positions. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to analyze the operational problems of the volunteer fire brigade, which is limited to auxiliary roles other than fire suppression, and to investigate and consider advanced activities at home and abroad, to establish a practical way to redefine the role as a safety keeper contributing to the improvement of community resilience. I am working on an alternative. In order to redefine the role of the volunteer fire brigade, based on the results of overseas cases and statistical analysis, this study's policy suggestions for organizational operation, financial operation, activity matters, and education and training are as follows. First, it is necessary to convert into various volunteer fire departments that meet regional needs, such as serving as volunteers of private resources for local residents or regional disaster safety managers. Second, when budgeting a volunteer fire brigade, the budget for operation according to the capacity of each volunteer fire brigade must be budgeted so that the expenses necessary for the basic activities of the local volunteer platoon can be executed. Third, dedicated personnel in charge of the volunteer fire brigade are in charge of tasks related to various fire and disaster prevention governance, such as cooperation with private fire organizations or other civic groups, and vitalize volunteer fire brigade activities through communication and cooperation between social groups. do. Fourth, it is necessary to spread safety culture in the local community and induce consensus formation by recruiting experts in each field such as machinery, chemistry, and heavy equipment that are appropriate for the situation by utilizing the regional characteristics of a volunteer fire brigade and differentiated from other organizations. In addition, education and training to strengthen the on-site response capability of existing volunteer firefighters should be strengthened.

Background. Firefighter profession is characterized by a high level of risk due to the threat, mainly related to rescue and fire extinguishing, workouts, training and other actions. They result from the firefighters’s duties and affect the health and life of the firefighters on duty. The aim of the study was to assess the specificity of injuries in the State (SFB) and Volunteer Fire Brigade (VFB), assessment of the cumulation of health-related behaviors based on the Modified Inventory of Behaviors by Juszczynski, and the effect of the cumulated behaviors on the injury rate, both in the State and Volunteer Fire Brigades. Material and methods. The sample included the occupationally active firefighters from the Volunteer Fire Brigade in the Opole and Lower Silesia voivodeships. The applied approach involved the application of an anonymous questionnaire filled out by volunteers participating in the study. The questionnaire included basic data on their service (State or Volunteer Fire Brigade), age, gender and the presence or absence of contusions, and a possible form of treatment to be applied. Moreover, the Modified Inventory of Health-Related Behaviors by Juszczynski was applied. The questionnaire contained 18 statements describing health-related behaviors. Results. The comparison of the results corresponding to physical activity among the firefighters from the State and Volunteer Fire Brigade indicates that all the firefighters from the State Fire Brigade were physically active. In the case of the Volunteer Fire Brigade (VFB) there were 20 firefighters including 6 firefighters who did not practice any form of physical activity. In State Fire Brigade (SFB) there were 29 firefighters who had sustained contusion and 5 healthy ones. In both groups, the subjects most often sustained contusions while performing other types of physical activity than rescue and fire fighting actions. The majority of firefighters (16 in SFB and 11 in VFB) sustained joint sprain. Despite the numerous fire extinguishing interventions, the cases of burns poisoning are rare. The results also suggest that the surveyed firefighters neglect the recommended dietary habits and rest. Conclusions. 1. The results indicate no statistically significant differences between SFB and VFB membership and the circumstances of injuries sustained. 2. The membership in SFG and VFB has an effect on undertaking physical activities, however, it has no effect on injuries/contusions. 3. Neither SFB nor VFB firefighters believe that correct eating habits and rational rest are important.

Introduction. Extinguishing fires in remote areas of rural areas of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia) is carried out not only by the State Fire Service, but also by volunteer fire brigades. The most important problem in extinguishing fires is the lack of fire stations in all rural settlements, which negatively affects the timely extinguishing of the fire. The problem that firefighters face when extinguishing is also considered. This is a shortage of water in the winter period of the year. Goals and objectives. The purpose of this article is to systematize the work of volunteer fire brigades (DPD), to give a clear idea of the significance of this formation. To achieve this goal, it is necessary to solve the following tasks: firstly, to describe the work and tasks of the organization of a volunteer fire brigade, and secondly, to assess the availability of knowledge, skills, and weapons with which the DPD can effectively affect the extinguishing of a fire. Methods. Volunteer fire brigades in the Far North with a shortage of water can use a method of mechanical impact on flames. Mechanical impact is understood as procedures aimed at limiting the spread and extinguishing a fire. Results and its discussion. To date, the formation of volunteer fire brigades in the regions of the Far North is developing, they focus on preventive measures to protect against fires, on rapid response and elimination of fire. Conclusions. A volunteer fire brigade (DPD) for settlements where there is no fire station is a rescue from fires and fires. The DPD can either independently participate in extinguishing a fire, or help the state fire service in extinguishing it. The DPD performs the same functions and tasks as the state fire service. The DPD has the means to cope with small fires. To extinguish large fires, DPD requires funding, which can be provided by entrepreneurs of the village, local residents, as well as the municipality of the district. Keywords: fires, volunteer fire brigade, water shortage, method of extinguishing fire

Purpose This paper presents a large sample study of fire service volunteer motivations in Finland. The purpose of this paper is twofold: first, to explore the differences between initial motivations to begin volunteering vs motivations to continue volunteering; and second, to examine the differences in motivations as a function of demographic variables and geographic region of the fire brigade (rural vs urban). Design/methodology/approach An online survey was completed by 747 fire service volunteers throughout Finland. Findings The initial motivations for joining the brigade differed from those that motivated volunteers to continue in their roles. Significant differences between male and female volunteers’ initial motivations, as well as differences in motivations to continue volunteering as a function of age and region, were found. Research limitations/implications The findings support integrating a psychological, functional perspective with contextual and situational factors when considering volunteer motivations. Originality/value This study suggests a comprehensive understanding of fire service volunteer motivations and informs improved recruitment and retention practices.

Volunteer fire brigade as an associationVolunteer fire brigades have a long history of operation. They operated as voluntary entities with the legal form of the association. Nowadays, acting as an association, they are also fire protection units. It places these units in a specific position.

Volunteer fire brigade in the national fire and rescue systemThe legislator, strengthening in 1991 the position of existing volunteer fire brigades to the rank of association, caused, among others, independence of their functioning and enabled them to independently carry out rescue operations as units of modern fire protection.These associations constitute a very strong pillar of the system by locating the closest to the citizen or a potential local threat in the commune.Their rescue operations based on the social involvement of trained rescuers significantly reduce the costs of so-called readiness for action.

Research on the development of volunteer firefighter systems has highlighted limitations of the South Korean system. These are categorized by a lack of community disaster safety service activities, disaster response cooperation networks, and support to revitalize volunteer firefighters. The US has 676,900 (65%) volunteer firefighters, and their qualifications are similar to full-time firefighters. The National Volunteer Fire Council is self-reliant, and plays practical roles for volunteer firefighters. Various grant programs for volunteer fire brigades are active. Based on the US case, implications for developing Korea’s system include recruiting young talent for sustainability, improving practical education and training systems, strengthening support for volunteer firefighters’ activities, and developing centralized standardization and support programs.

Issues related to the training and involvement of members of the voluntary fire brigade on duty in the divisions of the State fire service are considered, using the example of the Nizhnevartovsk region of the Khanty-Mansiysk autonomous okrug – Yugra. The main tasks, the procedure for passing the duty of voluntary fire brigades are determined. In order to increase the efficiency of the activities of voluntary fire brigades, it was proposed to conduct exercises and work out activities planned during the period of duty.depending on the current operational situation with fires. The issue of the development of voluntary fire brigades of the period before 1917 is briefly considered in a historical retrospective.

Purpose: The purpose of the article is to discuss the training system and forms of improving rescueskills of members of volunteer fire brigades, as well as to present training topics and programmesimplemented by the Training and Improvement Centre of the “FLORIAN” Harbour Fire Servicein Gdansk. The article also addresses the impact of volunteer fire brigade (VFB) firefighter trainingon the safety of their rescue activities and rescue operations.Introduction: One of the ways in which the state fulfils its obligations to its citizens is by providinga well-functioning security system, which comprises entities and non-governmental organisationsresponsible for countering threats to civilization and the environment (Zwęgliński, Radkowski,2020). Such organisations include volunteer fire brigades (Zając, 2018). Owing to the progressof civilization, volunteer fire brigades play an increasingly important role in the national internalsecurity system. The scope of their activities continues to grow. It is worth noting that over the pastfew years the nature of rescue operations carried out by volunteer fire brigades and the assistancethey provide has changed. Presently, there are fewer fires, while the number of road accidents andlocal dangers, such as local flooding, floods, broken/collapsed trees and damaged buildings hasincreased. In addition to fighting fires and battling natural disasters, members of the volunteer firebrigades also carry out technical, medical, chemical or environmental rescue tasks (Forjas, 2020).In particular, a key role is played by VFB units comprised by the national rescue and firefightingsystem, which must meet a number of requirements among other things in terms of having thenecessary equipment at disposal, remaining ready to undertake rescue operations, as well ascompleted training (Marjański, 2017, pp. 137–138). The participation of authorised VFB membersin a wide range of rescue operations requires that they be properly trained, which can be achievedthrough a system of training and forms of improving rescue skills.Methodology: The article has been drafted on the basis of principles developed by the NationalHeadquarters of the State Fire Service for the preparation of volunteer firefighters to participate inrescue operations, training programmes for VFB rescue firefighters and available literature on the subject. The paper also draws on the training materials of the Training and Improvement Centreof the “FLORIAN” Harbour Fire Service in Gdansk and the authors’ experience.Conclusions: The growing range of rescue operations carried out by volunteer fire brigadesrequires that its members be properly trained and that their rescue skills be continuously improved.Training in simulators makes it possible to perform a simulation of a real fire and demonstrate thecharacteristic phenomena accompanying it. It also has a significant impact on raising awarenessamong trainees of the fire hazards of working in a fire environment. One of the centres providingsuch training in Poland is the Training and Improvement Centre of the Harbour Fire Service in Gdansk.

Previous studies have examined the status of volunteer fire brigade members, who are classified as firefighting assistants, observed problems in the firefighting administration, and suggested solutions for these problems. These studies are meaningful because they have led to the proposal and implementation of policies for an efficient firefighting administration. However, the references do not provide evidence on how firefighting assistants reduce the amount of fire damage in firefighting administration. Therefore, this study aimed to statistically analyze the impact of fire assistant personnel on the reduction in the amount of property damaged (RAPD) in South Korea. For this purpose, panel data based on firefighting officers (FFOs), volunteer firefighters (VFFs), obligatory firefighters (OFFs), and the RAPD of 16 metropolitan councils in South Korea from 2011 to 2018 were obtained and analyzed. The results demonstrate that population (POP)/FFO, VFF/FFO, and OFF/FFO did not significantly influence RAPD (p < 0.01). However, negative regression coefficients are shown for POP/FFO and VFF/FFO, and positive regression coefficients are shown for OFF/FFO. These results can form an evidence base to explain the relationship between fire assistant personnel and RAPD.

This article presents the results of research concerning the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles(UAVs) in operations in selected Voluntary Fire Brigade (VFB) units. In addition to literatureresearch, a survey method was used. A SWOT analysis was also carried out based on the answersprovided in the questionnaires. The provided information shows that VFBs most often use UAVsfor searching for missing persons, monitoring mass events, tracking illegal rubbish dumps, aswell as during firefighting operations including monitoring of large area fires. Also noted weresuch cases of UAV usage as smoke surveys from chimneys, monitoring of internal fires, locatingwild boar herds during African swine fever (ASF) or initial assessment of the health of an injuredperson. As part of the SWOT analysis, 12 strengths and weaknesses of the UAV were identified,as well as 5 opportunities and threats related to their implementation and application. The articleends with conclusions and recommendations for further research and implementation related toUAVs. This may serve to assure further development of this technology and give an overview ofany pros and cons of its implementation in operational activities in the general security and safetysector, including rescue units.

Workplace is a place that has a working workforce and has a risk of occupational hazards or risks creating work accidents. One of the emergencies that are often found is bleeding. The purpose of first aid outside bleeding is to prevent excess blood loss, maintain the victim's life, reduce pain, discomfort, excessive anxiety, and maintain the victim's condition remain stable. The management of external bleeding cannot be separated from knowledge of the actions performed. The method used in this study is quantitative descriptive with pre-experimental design type one group pretest-posttest. The population in this study is volunteer fire bridgade in the Highlands of PT Freeport Indonesia. Sampling technique with probability sampling technique with sample criteria is volunteer fire bridgade in the Highlands of PT Freeport Indonesia. This study obtained the results of the paired T-test with a significance value of 0,000 smaller than 0.05 (0.000 < 0.05) so that it can be concluded that there is a significant difference in the level of pre-test and post-test knowledge after being given health education. The increase in respondents' knowledge can be seen from the increase in the average value of knowledge from 41,759 to 60,992.

Dzieje Ochotniczej Straży Pożarnej w Tuliszkowie sięgają 1878 r. Wówczas doszło do zorganizowania jednostki, która nie uzyskała zgody na rejestrację. Jesienią 1905 r. zawiązał się komitet, który doprowadził do założenia jednostki w mieście. Straż została zarejestrowana z dniem 19 lipca 1906 r. Pod koniec 1906 roku wybudowano pierwszą, drewnianą remizę, a w kolejnym roku założono orkiestrę. W 1910 r. oddano do użytku nową murowaną remizę. W okresie międzywojennym oprócz działalności statutowej, druhowie wykazywali dużą aktywność na rzecz miasta. Organizowano liczne imprezy o charakterze dochodowym, a w 1923 r. założono Koło Miłośników Sceny. Władze straży kładły nacisk na wyszkolenie i wyposażenie jednostki, strażacy brali także aktywny udział w działalności innych stowarzyszeń. Wielu druhów udzielało się także w miejskim samorządzie. Podczas II wojny światowej Niemcy wyposażyli jednostkę w samochód bojowy oraz dwie motopompy. Kilkoro strażaków zamordowano w obozach koncentracyjnych. Pierwszym powojennym prezesem jednostki został Józef Patrzykąt, jej współzałożyciel i były naczelnik. The history of the Volunteer Fire Department in Tuliszków in 1906-1945 The history of the Volunteer Fire Department in Tuliszków dates back to 1878. At that time there was founded unit that did not receive the consent for registration. In the autumn of 1905, a committee formed, which led to the establishment of a unit in the city. The Voluntary Fire Department was registered on 19 July 1906. At the end of 1906, the first wooden fire-station was built, and in the following year the orchestra was established. In 1910 a new brick fire-station was commissioned. In the interwar period, besides statutory activity, firefighters showed great activity for the city. Numerous lucrative events were organized and the Koło Miłośników Sceny was founded in 1923. The authorities insisted on the training and equipment of the unit, firefighters also took an active part in the activities of other social organizations. Many of the firefighters were also involved in the municipal government of the city. The Germans provided the unit with a fire truck and two fire pumps during the Second World War. Several firefighters were murdered in concentration camps. Józef Patrzykąt, the co-founder of the Volunteer Fire Department and former fire brigade chief, was the first post-war chairman of the Volunteer Fire Department in Tuliszków.

Volunteer Fire Brigades (OSPs) are the most numerous and widespread category of rural nongovernmental organisations in Poland. The emergency rescue focus of their activity is conducive to undertaking initiatives in the field of sports, i.e. projects aiming to improve the physical fitness and technical skills of volunteer firefighters. Firefighting sports competitions are the main form of sports rivalry among firefighters. Due to the fact of their long-time and regular organisation, team character, complying with a set of strict rules and rituals, and also the fact that this is rivalry between teams representing local communities that neighbour one another, they are a social and cultural phenomenon in which the problems of today’s rural Poland come into focus. Based on field research completed just before the COVID-19 pandemic and an overview of the literature, the author sets out to identify the functions of firefighting sports competitions in local systems. Considering the scale of the OSP organisation and the fact that it is permanently rooted in rural Poland, the paper may be considered a contribution to the discussion on effective ways of promoting physical culture outside urban centres.

Aim: The article presents a set of parameters and settings for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV), which is crucial in the operational work of the fire brigade and its importance for the quality of the final material obtained from an RGB camera or a thermal imaging camera. Introduction: Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are more often and more boldly used by various uniformed formations, including pilots of the State Fire Service and Volunteer Fire Brigades. Currently, they are used to perform recognition of situations and coordination of activities with the use of RGB and thermal imaging cameras. There are also other applications of UAV, including firefighting, but at the moment they are only conceptual solutions, as they have not been tested during an actual firefighting operation. According to the authors, a drone is currently only a carrier of additional devices and its functionality during the operation depends largely on certainty and reliability of a given UAV structure, as well as on the type and quality of the elements and sensors mounted on it. Methodology: A review of literature and press reports, as well as the authors’ experience in working with UAVs and the results of their research were used to analyse the topic. Conclusions: Indicating a set of key parameters for the UAVs used by fire brigade users is only possible to define its application. Therefore, in this study, the authors presented the most common use of unmanned aerial vehicles, for which key parameters were indicated and the impact of these factors on the obtained results of drones was described. Due to the frequent neglect of camera operation and the importance of their parameters, the authors described the most frequently set parameters of photographs and their impact on the final result, which is of key importance for the usefulness of the collected material.

Ensuring an adequate level of security should be the responsibility of every civilised developedcountry. The overall functioning of the civil protection system depends on the efficiency of thedecision-making entities, which are entities of the public administration at various levels andthe executive entities such as fire protection units, the Police, the Armed Forces, the MedicalRescue System, etc. Each of the aforementioned institutions and organisations has at itsdisposal the resources that are necessary to maintain organisational capacity and to maintaincontinuity of operations. The COVID-19 pandemic had a significant impact on society, as wellas on administrative entities, organisations and institutions. Its impact created a very high riskof adverse effects that affected organisational resources. The aim of this article is to determinehow to systemically ensure the civil protection under conditions of limited institutional resourcesin the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Fire protection units, more specifically organisationalunits of the State Fire Service and volunteer fire services, were taken as an analytical basis. It wasinvestigated by means of empirical research, quantitative and qualitative research methods onhow the COVID-19 pandemic affected the resources of these fire protection units, in particular:human, financial, information and material resources. The results of the research were analysedand used to define guidelines and a system model of providing civil protection in conditions oflimited resources of fire protection units in Poland in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Ostatnim przedwojennym burmistrzem Goliny był Feliks Jóźwiak (1896-1969). Wcześniej był nauczycielem, brał udział w wojnie polsko-bolszewickiej. Ranny w oko, nie mógł już wrócić do zawodu nauczycielskiego. Prowadził działalność gospodarczą. Był aktywnym na polu społecznym – działał w różnych stowarzyszeniach, w tym również w Ochotniczej Straży Pożarnej. Wybrany burmistrzem Goliny sprawował ten urząd do wybuchu II wojny światowej. Był trzykrotnie żonaty. The draft for a Felix Jóźwiak's portrait (1896-1969) – a philanthropist and the last pre-war mayor of Golina The last pre-war mayor of Golina was Felix Jóźwiak (1896-1969). Previously, he was a teacher, took part in the Polish-Bolshevik war. Wounded in the eye, he could not return to the teaching profession. He conducted business activity. He was active in the social field; He worked in various associations, including the Volunteer Fire Brigade. Elected mayor of Golina hold this post until the outbreak of World War II. He was married three times.

The community empowerment program is a program that is carried out with assistance and has a plan of up to five years. The empowerment program will be evaluated after one year of program implementation to see the impact of the program for the community. One of the programs is Berdikari Peat Village, which is an empowerment program for the Volunteer Fire Brigade called Masyarakat Peduli Api (MPA). One way to evaluate an empowerment program is to compile a Community Satisfaction Index (IKM). The concept of IKM will evaluate the program from the beginning of program planning, program implementation, to program exit so that the overall implementation of the program to the public is seen. This research was conducted with quantitative methods in the Berdikari Peat Village Kampung program which was carried out in Bukit Batu District, Bengkalis Regency, Riau Province. The conversion of SMI values varies from 25 to 100 with the symbol value A (Very Good) to D (Very Bad). The results showed a high Community Satisfaction Index in the empowerment program carried out by PT Pertamina RU II Sungai Pakning, with a score of 84.6 with a symbol of A.

As the paradigm shifts from government-centered to community-centered disaster management, the importance of disaster management governance is highlighted. This paper analyzes the cases of disaster management governance in self-disaster organization in Sendai, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, and suggests implications for disaster management governance in Korea. The Japanese government proposed a disaster prevention 4.0 future project through the experience of the Hanshin Awaji earthquake and the Great East Japan earthquake, and suggested a direction shift from government-centered response to community-centered. The main goal is to recognize disaster response as their own work and to take responsibility for self-family and community safety, emphasizing the importance of self-disaster organization in the region, as well as roles, linkages and cooperation. In Korea, there are similar organizations such as volunteer fire brigade and local autonomous disaster prevention organization, but there are concerns about the role of actual disaster occurrence due to the aging of members and passive attitude. This study suggests the contents and roles of the self-disaster organization through case analysis of the self-disaster organization in Sendai City, Miyagi Prefecture, Japan, the transition of disaster prevention awareness education from government-led to citizen-led, the linkage of educational facilities such as schools, and the participation of students in disaster activities.

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the moderating role of transformational leadership on the relationship between job characteristics of both leaders and followers and workplace bullying within the workgroup. The central hypotheses were that, in a process of resource erosion, leaders’ task demands would be positively associated with workplace bullying in the workgroup, but that transformational leadership would moderate this effect, and the effect of followers’ autonomy on bullying. Design/methodology/approach Anonymous surveys were completed by 540 volunteer fire-fighters’ from 68 fire brigades and, separately, by 68 brigade captains. Findings The multi-level analyses show that leaders’ task demands positively predicted both bullying outcomes, after controlling for followers’ emotional demands and autonomy. Of most interest, transformational leadership moderated the influence of leaders’ task demands and followers’ autonomy on workplace bullying assessed by two approaches: self-labeling and behavioral experience. Further, a significant three-way interaction demonstrated that transformational leadership is actually associated with higher bullying as followers’ emotional demands increase under conditions wherein followers’ autonomy is constrained, but not when followers’ autonomy is high. Practical implications This study offers important practical implications in terms of leadership development in bullying prevention and reduction. For transformational leadership to be effective in reducing bullying at work, the situation must be matched to support this leadership style, or bullying could actually increase. Originality/value The study contributes to the research on workplace bullying by advancing the understanding of organizational factors that can influence bullying at work. The study also provides the first quantitative evidence of a relationship between the demands faced by leaders and the bullying experienced by members of the workgroup.

Background. Volunteer fire brigades are primarily active at the local level; they are an organizational form of a self-organizing community; they build and benefit from social capital and pursue many social objectives. The local community – the main audience of their activities – often clusters around them. The activities of volunteer fire brigades result from legal obligations, but also from the values shared by the firefighting community. Research aims. The research objective was to identify values shaping the orga­nizational communities of firefighters and activities determined by such values. The values adhered to by volunteer fire brigade members as well as their activities for the benefit of local communities were identified, including those dedicated to sustaining the volunteer fire brigades’ existence. Methodology. The strategy for organizing data acquisition and presentation was a collective case study. The research methods that served the purpose of the research included individual interviews, group interviews, participant observations, and analysis of existing documents. Findings. The values that shape firefighting communities comprise a sense of public service, trust, friendship, kindness, loyalty, solidarity, respect and cooperation. By treating their commitment as service, firefighters fulfil the need of a sense of community, which they extend beyond organizational boundaries by dedicating their actions to local communities.

In the paper, I undertake the exploration of pro-social subjectivity as a latent feature defining the catalog of instructions made by an individual concerning another human being or toward a wider social environment. These instructions are released in practice in the form of various forms of social action for the common good, shaped in specific situational contexts. I perceive pro-social subjectiv-ity here as an emerging or shaped construct of the predisposition of a subject reflectively acting for the common good. The construct of subjectivity is formed by external social influences embedded in the cultural dimension and showed in the form of numerous gifts. The subject adopts the role of cre-ative influence on the existing situational context, often overcoming structural limitations due to the power of reflectiveness. The person undertakes activities related to the transformation of the social en-vironment, reproduction of resources relevant to the social tissue, demonstrates a commitment to the community, co-shapes changes or implements grassroots initiatives. By pro-social orders, I understand here the tendency of the individual to commit acts of sacrifice, at the sources of which we will find the commitment that leads one to such a pattern of demeanor. These acts are specific determinants of attitudes that should be described as pro-social. In the progress of operationalization, I selected five theoretical types of agency in the field of pro-social activities: 1. the agency of civic involvement, 2. the subjective agency expressing attention for democracy, 3. the agency expressing self-gift, 4. the agency expressing the thing gift and 5. the agency in the interest of common good. The distinguished types of agency reflect the repertoire of attitudes toward the implementation (or lack thereof) of pro-social acts as a special kind of gifts for others. Regardless of the generalizations made, these gifts are given to other people, conducive ― and also demonstrative ― to specific forms of social solidarity. In the prog-ress of empirical research, the model of pro-social subjectivity revealed the existence of seven pro-so-cial orientations showing the reflectiveness of man in relation to the following concerns: 1. the direct involvement in co-creating relatively close social networks, 2. the civic level involvement, 3. expressing concerns for democracy, 4. the bond-forming potential of culture, 5. beneficent and charitable support showing the imperatives of generosity, 6. the strengthening of social bonds, a sense of solidarity and 7. self-gift. The dynamics of pro-social subjectivity shows the orientations of members of the Volunteer Fire Department, the research was conducted out in 2017 on a nationwide experiment of 620 people.

IntroductionBushfires have taken numerous lives and destroyed communities throughout Australia over many years. Catastrophic fire weather alerts have occurred during the Australian summer of 2012–13, and long-term forecasts predict increased bushfire events throughout several areas of Australia. This article highlights how organisational and individual responses to bushfire in Australia often entail creative responses—either improvised responses at the time of bushfire emergencies or innovative (organisational, strategic, or technological) changes which help protect the community from, or mitigate against, future bushfire catastrophes. These improvised or innovative responses include emergency communications systems, practices, and devices. This article reports on findings from a research project funded by the Australian Research Council titled Using Community Engagement and Enhanced Visual Information to Promote FireWatch Satellite Communications as a Support for Collaborative Decision-making. FireWatch is a Web-based public information product based on near real time satellite data produced by the West Australian (WA) Government entity, Landgate. The project researches ways in which remote and regional publics can be engaged and mobilised through the development of a more user-friendly FireWatch site to make fire information accessible and usable, allowing a community-focused response to risk.The significance of the research project is evident both in how it addresses the important and life-threatening challenge of bushfires; and also in how Australia’s increasingly hot, dry, long summers are adding to historically-established risks. This innovative project uses an iterative, participatory design process incorporating action-research practices. This will ensure that the new Firewatch interface is redesigned, tested, observed, and reflected upon multiple times—and will incorporate the collective creativity of users, designers, and researchers.The qualitative findings reported on in this article are based on 19 interviews with community members in the town of Kununurra in the remote Kimberley region of WA. The findings are positioned within a reconceptualised framework in which creativity is viewed as an essential component of successful emergency responses. This includes, we argue, two critical aspects of creativity: improvisation during a catastrophic event; and ongoing innovation to improve future responses to catastrophes—including communication practices and technologies. This shifts the discourse within the literature in relation to the effective management and community responses to the changing phenomenon of fire catastrophes. Findings from the first round of interviews, and results of enquiries into previous bushfires in Australia, are used to highlight how these elements of creativity often entail a collective creativity on the part of emergency responders or the community in general. An additional focus is on the importance of the critical use of communication during a bushfire event.ImprovisationThe notion of "improvisation" is often associated with artistic performance. Nonetheless, improvisation is also integral to making effectual responses during natural catastrophes. “Extreme events present unforeseen conditions and problems, requiring a need for adaptation, creativity, and improvisation while demanding efficient and rapid delivery of services under extreme conditions” (Harrald 257).Catastrophes present us with unexpected scenarios and require rapid, on the spot problem solving and “even if you plan for a bushfire it is not going to go to plan. When the wind changes direction there has to be a new plan” (Jeff. Personal Interview. 2012). Jazz musicians or improvisational actors “work to build their knowledge across a range of fields, and this knowledge provides the elements for each improvisational outcome” (Kendra and Wachendorf 2). Similarly, emergency responders’ knowledge and preparation can be drawn “upon in the ambiguous and dynamic conditions of a disaster where not every need has been anticipated or accounted for” (Kendra and Wachtendorf 2). Individuals and community organisations not associated with emergency services also improvise in a creative and intuitive manner in the way they respond to catastrophes (Webb and Chevreau). For example, during the 9/11 terrorism catastrophe in the USA an assorted group of boat owners rapidly self-organised to evacuate Lower Manhattan. On their return trips, they carried emergency personnel and supplies to the area (Kendra and Wachendorf 5). An interviewee in our study also recalls bush fire incidents where creative problem solving and intuitive decision-making are called for. “It’s like in a fire, you have to be thinking fast. You need to be semi self-sufficient until help arrives. But without doing anything stupid and creating a worse situation” (Kelly. Personal Interview. 2012). Kelly then describes the rapid community response she witnessed during a recent fire on the outskirts of Kununurra, WA.Everyone had to be accounted for, moving cars, getting the tractors out, protecting the bores because you need the water. It happens really fast and it is a matter of rustling everyone up with the machinery. (2012)In this sense, the strength of communities in responding to catastrophes or disasters “results largely from the abilities of [both] individuals and organisations to adapt and improvise under conditions of uncertainty” (Webb and Chevreau 67). These improvised responses frequently involve a collective creativity—where groups of neighbours or emergency workers act in response to the unforseen, often in a unified and self-organising manner. InnovationCatastrophes also stimulate change and innovation for the future. Disasters create a new environment that must be explored, assessed, and comprehended. Disasters change the physical and social landscape, and thereby require a period of exploration, learning, and the development of new approaches. (Kendra and Wachtendorf 6)These new approaches can include organisational change, new response strategies, and technologies and communication improvements. Celebrated inventor Benjamin Franklin, for instance, facilitated the formation of the first Volunteer Fire department in the 1850s as a response to previous urban fire catastrophes in the USA (Mumford 258). This organisational innovation continues to play an instrumental part in modern fire fighting practices. Indeed, people living in rural and remote areas of Australia are heavily reliant on volunteer groups, due to the sparse population and vast distances that need to be covered.As with most inventions and innovations, new endeavours aimed at improving responses to catastrophes do not occur in a vacuum. They “are not just accidents, nor the inscrutable products of sporadic genius, but have abundant and clear causes in prior scientific and technological development” (Gifillian 61). Likewise, the development of our user-friendly and publically available FireWatch site relies on the accumulation of preceding inventions and innovations. This includes the many years spent developing the existing FireWatch site, a site dense in information of significant value to scientists, foresters, land managers, and fire experts.CommunicationsOften overlooked in discussions regarding emergency communications is the microgeographical exchanges that occur in response to the threat of natural disasters. This is where neighbours fill the critical period before emergency service responders can appear on site. In this situation, it is often local knowledge that underpins improvised grassroots communication networks that inform and organise the neighbourhood. During a recent bushfire on peri-rural blocks on the outskirts of Kununurra, neighbours went into action before emergency services volunteers could respond.We phoned around and someone would phone and call in. Instead of 000 being rung ten times, make sure that one person rang it in. 40 channel [CB Radio] was handy – two-way communication, four wheelers – knocking on doors making sure everyone is out of the house, just in case. (Jane. Personal Interview. 2012) Similarly, individuals and community groups have been able to inform and assist each other on a larger scale via social network technologies (SNTs). This creative application of SNTs began after the 9/11 terror attacks in 2001 when individuals created wikis in order to find missing persons (Palen and Lui). Twitter has experienced considerable growth and was used freely during the 2009 Black Saturday fires in Australia. Studies of tweeting activity during these fires indicate that “tweets made during Black Saturday are laden with actionable factual information which contrasts with earlier claims that tweets are of no value made of mere random personal notes” (Sinnappan et al. n.p.).Traditionally, official alerts and warnings have been provided to the public via television and radio. However, several inquiries into the recent bushfires within Australia show concern “with the way in which fire agencies deliver information to community members during a bushfire...[and in order to] improve community safety from bushfire, systems need to be implemented that enable community members to communicate information to fire agencies, making use of local knowledge” (Elsworth et al. 8).Technological and social developments over the last decade mean the public no longer relies on a single source of official information (Sorensen and Sorensen). Therefore, SNTs such as Twitter and Facebook are being used by the media and emergency authorities to make information available to the public. These SNTs are dynamic, in that there can be a two-way flow of information between the public and emergency organisations. Nonetheless, there has been limited use of SNTs by emergency agencies to source information posted by in situ residents, in order to help in decision-making (Freeman). Organisational use of multiple communication channels and platforms to inform citizens about bushfire emergencies ensures a greater degree of coverage—in case of communication systems breakdowns or difficulties—as in the telephone alert system breakdown in Kelmscott-Roleystone, WA or a recent fire in Warrnambool, Victoria which took out the regional telephone exchange making telephone calls, mobiles, landlines, and the Internet non-operational (Johnson). The new FireWatch site will provide an additional information option for rural and remote Australians who, often rely on visual sightings and on word-of-mouth to be informed about fires in their region. “The neighbour came over and said - there is a fire, we’d better get our act together because it is going to hit us. No sooner than I turned around, I thought shit, here it comes” (Richard. Personal Interview. 2012). The FireWatch ProjectThe FireWatch project involves the redevelopment of an existing FireWatch website to extend the usability of the product from experts to ordinary users in order to facilitate community-based decision-making and action both before and during bushfire emergencies. To this purpose, the project has been broken down to two distinct, yet interdependent, strands. The community strand involves collaboration within a community (in this case the Kununurra community) in order to carry out a community-centred approach to further development of the site. The design strand involves the development of an intuitive and accessible Web presentation of complex information in clear, unambiguous ways to inform action in stressful circumstances. At this stage, a first round of 19 semi-structured interviews with stakeholders has been conducted in Kununurra to determine fire-related information-seeking behaviours, attitudes to mediated information services in the region, as well as user feedback on a prototype website developed in the design strand of the project. Stakeholders included emergency services personnel (payed and volunteer), shire representatives, tourism operators, small business operators (including tourism operators), a forest manager, a mango farmer, an Indigenous ranger team manager as well as general community members. Interviewees reported dissatisfaction with current information systems. They gave positive feedback about the website prototype. “It’s very much, very easy to follow” (David. Personal Interview. 2012). “It looks so much better than [the old site]. You couldn’t get in that close on [the other site]. It is fantastic” (Lance. Personal Interview. 2012). They also added thought-provoking contributions to the design of the website (to be discussed later).Residents of Kununurra who were interviewed for this research project found bushfire warning communications unsatisfactory, especially during a recent fire on the outskirts of town. People who called 000 had difficulties passing the information on, having to explain exactly where Kununurra was and the location of fires to operators not familiar with the area. When asked how the Kununurra community gets their fire information a Shire representative explained: That is not very good at the moment. The only other way we can think about it is perhaps more updates on things like Facebook, perhaps on a website, but with this current fire there really wasn’t a lot of information and a lot of people didn’t know what was going on. We [the shire] knew because we were talking to the [fire] brigades and to FESA [Fire and Emergency Services Authority] but most residents didn’t have any idea and it looks pretty bad. (Ginny. Personal Interview. 2012) All being well, the new user-friendly FireWatch site will add another platform through which fire information messages are transmitted. Community members will be offered continuously streamed bushfire location information, which is independent of any emergency services communication systems. In particular, rural and remote areas of Australia will have fire information at the ready.The participatory methodology used in the design of the new FireWatch website makes use of collaborative creativity, whereby users’ vision of the website and context are incorporated. This iterative process “creates an equal evolving participatory process between user and designer towards sharing values and knowledge and creating new domains of collective creativity” (Park 2012). The rich and sometimes contradictory suggestions made by interviewees in this project often reflected individual visions of the tasks and information required, and individual preferences regarding the delivery of this information. “I have been thinking about how could this really work for me? I can give you feedback on what has happened in the past but how could it work for me in the future?” (Keith. Personal Interview. 2012). Keith and other community members interviewed in Kununurra indicated a variety of extra functions on the site not expected by the product designers. Some of these unexpected functions were common to most interviewees such as the great importance placed on the inclusion of a satellite view option on the site map (example shown in Figure 1). Jeremy, a member of an Indigenous ranger unit in the Kununurra area, was very keen to incorporate the satellite view options on the site. He explained that some of the older rangers:can’t use GPSs and don’t know time zones or what zones to put in, so they’ll use a satellite-style view. We’ll have Google Earth up on one [screen], and also our [own] imagery up on another [screen] and go that way. Be scrolling in and see – we’ve got a huge fire scar for 2011 around here; another guy will be on another computer zoning in and say, I think it is here. It’s quite simplistic but it works. (Personal Interview. 2012) In the case above, where rangers are already switching between computer screens to incorporate a satellite view into their planning, the importance of a satellite view layer on the FireWatch website makes user context an essential part of the design process. Incorporating many layers on one screen, as recommended by participants also ensures a more elegant solution to an existing problem.Figure 1: Satellite view in the Kununurra area showing features such as gorges, rivers, escarpments and dry riverbedsThis research project will involve further consultation with participants (both online and offline) regarding bushfire safety communications in their region, as well as the further design of the site. The website will be available over multiple devices (for example desktops, smart phones, and hand held tablet devices) and will be launched late this year. Further work will also be carried out to determine if social media is appropriate for this community of users in order to build awareness and share information regarding the site.Conclusion Community members improvise and self-organise when communicating fire information and organising help for each other. This can happen at a microgeographical (neighbourhood) level or on a wider level via social networking sites. Organisations also develop innovative communication systems or devices as a response to the threat of bushfires. Communication innovations, such as the use of Twitter and Facebook by fire emergency services, have been appropriated and fine-tuned by these organisations. Other innovations such as the user-friendly Firewatch site rely on previous technological developments in satellite-delivered imagery—as well as community input regarding the design and use of the site.Our early research into community members’ fire-related information-seeking behaviours and attitudes to mediated information services in the region of Kununurra has found unexpectedly creative responses, which range from collective creativity on the part of emergency responders or the community in general during events to creative use of existing information and communication networks. We intend to utilise this creativity in re-purposing FireWatch alongside the creative work of the designers in the project.Although it is commonplace to think of graphic design and new technology as incorporating creativity, it is rarely acknowledged how frequently these innovations harness everyday perspectives from non-professionals. In the case of the FireWatch developments, the creativity of designers and technologists has been informed by the creative responses of members of the public who are best placed to understand the challenges posed by restricted information flows on the ground in times of crisis. In these situations, people respond not only with new ideas for the future but with innovative responses in the present as they communicate with each other to deal with the challenge of a fast-moving and unpredictable situation. Such improvisation, honed through close awareness of the contours and parameters of both community and communication, are one of the ways through which people help keep themselves and each other safe in the face of dramatic developments.ReferencesElsworth, G., and K. Stevens, J. Gilbert, H. Goodman, A Rhodes. "Evaluating the Community Safety Approach to Bushfires in Australia: Towards an Assessment of What Works and How." 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Proceedings of 21st Australasian Conference on Information Systems (ACIS 2010). Brisbane, Australia, 1-3 Dec 2010.Sorensen, John H., and Barbara Vogt Sorensen. "Community Processes: Warning and Evacuation." Handbook of Disaster Research. Eds. Havidán Rodríguez, Enrico Louis Quarantelli, and Russell Rowe Dynes. New York: Springer, 2007. 183–99.Webb, Gary R., and Francois-Regis Chevreau. "Planning to Improvise: The Importance of Creativity and Flexibility in Crisis Response." International Journal of Emergency Management 3.1 (2006): 66–72.

Introduction On Saturday 6 February 1954, on the third day of the Australian leg of their tour of the Commonwealth, Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, visited Sydney’s Bondi Beach. The specially-staged Royal Surf Carnival they witnessed—comprising a spectacular parade, surf boat races, mock resuscitations and even unscheduled surf rescues—generated extensive media coverage. Attracting attention from historians (Warshaw 134; Ford 194–196), the carnival lingers in popular memory as not only a highlight of the Australian tour (Conway n.p.; Clark 8) and among the “most celebrated events in Australian surf lifesaving history” (Ford et al. 5) but also as “the most spectacular occasion [ever held] at Bondi Beach” (Lawrence and Sharpe 86). It is even, for some, a “highlight of the [Australian] post-war period” (Ford et al. 5). Despite this, the fuller history of the Queen’s visit to Bondi, including the detailed planning involved, remains unexplored. A small round tin medal, discovered online, offered a fresh way to approach this event. 31mm in diameter, 2mm in depth, this dual-sided, smooth-edged medal hangs from a hoop on approximately 80mm of discoloured, doubled red, white, and blue striped ribbon, fastened near its end with a tarnished brass safety pin. The obverse features a relief portrait of the youthful Queen’s face and neck in profile, her hair loosely pulled back into a low chignon, enclosed within a striped symmetrical scrolled border of curves and peaks. This is encircled with another border inscribed in raised capitals: “Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. Royal Visit to Waverley N.S.W.” The reverse features a smooth central section encircled with the inscription (again in raised capitals), “Presented to the Children of Waverley N.S.W. 1954”, the centre inscribed, “By Waverley Municipal Council C.A. Jeppesen Mayor”. Figs. 1 & 2: Medal, c.1954. Collection of the Author. Medals are often awarded in recognition of achievement and, in many cases, are worn as prominent components of military and other uniforms. They can also be made and gifted in commemoration, which was the case with this medal, one of many thousands presented in association with the tour. Made for Waverley Council, it was presented to all schoolchildren under 15 in the municipality, which included Bondi Beach. Similar medals were presented to schoolchildren by other Australian councils and States in Australia (NAA A462). This gifting was not unprecedented, with medals presented to (at least some) Australian schoolchildren to commemorate Queen Victoria’s 1897 Diamond Jubilee (The Age 5; Sleight 187) and the 1937 coronation of King George VI and Queen Elizabeth (“Coronation Medals” 6). Unable to discover any provenance for this medal aside from its (probable) presentation in 1954 and listing for sale in 2021, I pondered instead Waverley Council’s motivation in sourcing and giving these medals. As a researcher, this assisted me in surmounting the dominance of the surf carnival in the history of this event and led to an investigation of the planning around the Bondi visit. Planning Every level of government was involved in planning the event. Created within the Prime Minister’s Department, the Royal Visit Organisation 1954—staffed from early 1953, filling positions from within the Commonwealth Public Service, armed services and statutory authorities—had overall authority over arrangements (NAA 127, 134). National planning encompassed itineraries, travel arrangements, security, public relations, and protocol as well as fly and mosquito control, the royals’ laundry arrangements, and advice on correct dress (NAA: A1533; NAA: A6122; NAA: A9708, RV/DD Annex.15; NAA: A1838, 1516/11 Parts 1&2; NAA: A9708, RV/CD; NAA: A9708, RV/CQ; NAA: A9708, RV/T). Planning conferences were held with State officials who developed State visit programs and then devolved organisational responsibilities to Councils and other local organisations (NAA: A9708, RV/DD Annex.2; NAA: A9708, RV/DD Annex.3). Once the Bondi Beach location was decided, the Surf Life Saving Association of Australia received a Royal Command to stage a surf carnival for the royals. This command was passed to the president of the Bondi club, who organised a small delegation to meet with government representatives. A thirteen-member Planning Committee, all men (“The Queen to See” 12), was appointed “with full power to act without reference to any other body” (Meagher 6). They began meeting in June 1953 and, soon after this, the carnival was announced in the Australian press. In recognition, the “memorable finale” of a Royal Command Performance before the Queen in London in November 1953 marked the royal couple’s impending tour by filling the stage with people from Commonwealth countries. This concluded with “an Australian tableau”. Alongside people dressed as cricketers, tennis players, servicemen, and Indigenous people, a girl carrying a huge bunch of bananas, and a couple in kangaroo suits were six lifesavers dressed in Bondi march-past costumes and caps, carrying the club flag (Royal Variety Charity n.p.). In deciding on a club for the finale, Bondi was “seen the epitome of the surf lifesaving movement—and Australia” (Brawley 82). The Planning Committee worked with representatives from the police, army, government, local council, and ambulance services as well as the media and other bodies (Meagher 6). Realising the “herculean task” (Meagher 9) ahead, the committee recruited some 170 members (again all men) and 20 women volunteers from the Bondi and North Bondi Surf Clubs to assist. This included sourcing and erecting the carnival enclosure which, at over 200 meters wide, was the largest ever at the beach. The Royal dais that would be built over the promenade needed a canvas cover to shield the royal couple from the heat or rain. Seating needed to be provided for some 10,500 paying spectators, and eventually involved 17 rows of tiered seating set across the promenade, 2,200 deckchairs on the sand in front, and, on each flank, the Bondi Surf Club’s tiered stands. Accommodations also had to be provided at selected vantage points for some 100 media representatives, with a much greater crowd of 50–60,000 expected to gather outside the enclosure. Four large tents, two at each end of the competition area, would serve as both change rooms and shady rest areas for some 2,000 competitors. Two additional large tents were needed, one at each end of the lawns behind the beach, fitted out with camp stretchers that had to be sourced for the St John Ambulance Brigade to deal with first-aid cases, most of whom were envisaged to come from the crowds due to heat stroke (Meagher 6–7). The committee also had to solve numerous operational issues not usually associated with running a surf carnival, such as ensuring sufficient drinking water for so many people on what might be a very hot day (“The Queen to See” 12). With only one tap in the carnival area, the organisers had to lay a water line along the entire one-kilometre length of the promenade with double taps every two to three metres. Temporary toilets also had to be sourced, erected, and serviced. Self-financing and with costs adding up, sponsors needed to be secured to provide goods and services in return for advertising. An iced water unit was, for instance, provided on the dais, without cost, by the ElectrICE Commercial Refrigeration company. The long strip of red carpet laid from where the royals would alight from their car right through the dais was donated by the manufacturer of Feltex, a very popular Australian-made wool carpet. Prominent department store, Anthony Horden’s, loaned the intricately carved chairs to be used by the Royal couple and other officials, while The Bondi Diggers Club provided chrome plated chairs for other official guests, many of whom were the crew of royal yacht, the S.S. Gothic (Meagher 6). Fig. 3: “Feltex [Advertisement].” The Australian Home Beautiful Nov. 1954: 40. http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2985285882. The Ladies Committees of the Bondi and North Bondi surf clubs were tasked with organising and delivering lunch and drinks to over 400 officials, all of whom were to stay in position from early morning until the carnival concluded at 5 pm (Meagher 6). Girl members of the Bondi social clubs were to act as usherettes. Officials describe deciding who would meet, or even come in any close proximity to, the Queen as “most ticklish” and working with mayors and other officials a “headache” (“Socialites” 3). In Bondi, there were to be notably few officials sitting with the royal couple, but thousands of “ordinary” spectators seated around the carnival area. On her arrival, it was planned that the Queen would walk through a guard of honour of lifesavers from each Australian and New Zealand club competing in the carnival. After viewing the finals of the surf boat races, the Queen would meet the team captains and then, in a Land Rover, inspect the massed lifesavers and greet the spectators. Although these activities were not contentious, debate raged about the competitors’ uniforms. At this time, full-length chest-covering costumes were normally worn in march-past and other formal events, with competitors stripping down to trunks for surf races and beach events. It was, however, decided that full-length costumes would be worn for the entirety of the Queen’s visit. This generated considerable press commentary that this was ridiculous, and charges that Australians were ashamed of their lifesavers’ manly chests (“Costume Rule” 3). The president of the Bondi Life Saving Club, however, argued that they did not want the carnival spoiled by lifesavers wearing “dirty … track suits, football guernseys … old football shorts … and just about everything except proper attire” (ctd. in Jenkings 1). Waverley Council similarly attempted to control the appearance of the route through which the royals would travel to the beach on the day of the carnival. This included “a sequence of signs along the route” expressing “the suburb’s sentiments and loyalty” (“Queen in the Suburbs” 4; see also, “The Royal Tour” 9). Maintaining that “the greatest form of welcome will be by the participation of the residents themselves”, the Mayor sought public donations to pay for decorations (with donors’ names and amounts to be published in the local press, and these eventually met a third of the cost (“The Royal Tour” 9; Waverley Council n.p.). In January 1954, he personally appealed to those on the route to decorate their premises and, in encouragement, Council provided substantial prizes for the most suitably decorated private and commercial premises. The local Chamber of Commerce was responsible for decorating the transport and shopping hub of Bondi Junction, with many businesses arranging to import Coronation decorations from England (“Queen in the Suburbs” 4; “The Royal Tour” 9). With “colorful activity” providing the basis of Council’s plan (“Queen in the Suburbs” 4), careful choreography ensured that thousands of people would line the royal route through the municipality. In another direct appeal, the Mayor requested that residents mass along the roadsides, wearing appropriate rosettes or emblems and waving flags (“Queen in the Suburbs” 4; “The Royal Tour” 9). Uniformed nurses would also be released from duty to gather outside the War Memorial Hospital as the royals passed by (“Royal Visit” n.p.). At the largest greenspace on the route, Waverley Park, some 10,000 children from the municipality’s 18 schools would assemble, all in uniform and wearing the medal to be presented to them to commemorate the visit. Children would also be provided with large red, white, or blue rosettes to wave as the royals drove by. A special seating area near the park was to be set aside for the elderly and ex-servicemen (“Queen in the Suburbs” 4). Fostering Expectations As the date of the visit approached, preparation and anticipation intensified. A week before, a detailed visit schedule was published in local newspaper Bondi Daily. At this time, the Royal Tour Decorations Committee (comprised of Aldermen and prominent local citizens) were “erecting decorations at various focal points” throughout the municipality (“The Royal Tour” 9). On 4 February, the Planning Committee held their final meeting at the Bondi Beach clubhouse (Meagher 6). The next day, the entire beach was cleaned and graded (Wilson 40). The afternoon before the visit, the Council’s decoration competition was judged, with the winners a house alongside Waverley Park and the beachside Hotel Astra (“Royal Visit” n.p.), one of 14 Sydney hotels, and the only one in Bondi, granted permission to sell liquor with meals until the extended hour of 11.00 pm during the Royal visit (“State House” 5). On the day of the surf carnival, The Sydney Morning Herald featured a large photograph of the finishing touches being put to the official dais and seating the day before (“Stage Set” 15). In reality, there was still a flurry of activity from daybreak on the day itself (Meagher 7), with the final “tidying up and decorating still proceeding” (Meagher 7) as the first carnival event, the Senior boat race heats, began at 10.00 am (“N.Z. Surf” 15). Despite some resident anger regarding the area’s general dilapidation and how the money being spent on the visit could have been used for longstanding repairs to the Pavilion and other infrastructure (Brawley 203), most found the decorations of the beach area appealing (“Royal Visit” n.p.). Tickets to the carnival had sold out well in advance and the stands were filled hours before the Queen arrived, with many spectators wearing sundresses or shorts and others stripping down to swimsuits in the sunshine (“Royal Visit” n.p.). With Police Inspector Michael O’Neill’s collapse and death at a royal event the day before thought to be the result of heat exposure, and the thermometer reaching the high 80s°F (low 30s°C), a large parasol was sourced to be held over the Queen on the dais (Meagher 8). A little after 3:15 pm, the surf club’s P.A. system advised those assembled at the beach that the royal party had left Randwick Racecourse on time and were proceeding towards them (“Queen’s Visit to Races” 17), driving through cheering crowds all the way (“Sydney” 18). At Waverley Park, Council had ensured that the waiting crowds had been entertained by the Randwick-Coogee pipe band (“Royal Visit” n.p.) and spirits were high. Schoolchildren, wearing their medals, lined the footpaths, and 102-year-old Ernest Dunn, who was driven to the park in the morning by police, was provided with a seat on the roadway as well as tea and sandwiches during his long wait (“Royal Tour Highlights” 2; “Royal Visit” n.p.). The royal couple, driving by extremely slowly and waving, were given a rousing welcome. Their attire was carefully selected for the very warm day. The Queen wore a sunny lemon Dior-styled cap-sleeved dress, small hat and white accessories, the Duke a light-coloured suit and tie. It was observed that she wore heavier makeup as a protection against the sun and, as the carnival progressed, opened her handbag to locate her fashionable sunglasses (“Thrills” 1). The Duke also wore sunglasses and used race binoculars (Meagher 8). The Result Despite the exhaustive planning, there were some mishaps, mostly when the excitement of the “near-hysterical crowds” (Hardman n.p.) could not be contained. In Double Bay, for instance, as the royals made their way to Bondi, a (neither new nor clean) hat thrown into the car’s rear seat struck the Duke. It was reported that “a look of annoyance” clouded his face as he threw it back out onto the road. At other points, flags, nosegays, and flutter ribbons (long sticks tied with lengths of coloured paper) were thrown at, and into, the Royal car. In other places, hundreds raced out into the roadway to try to touch the Queen or the Duke. They “withstood the ordeal unflinchingly”, but the Duke was reportedly concerned about “this mass rudeness” (“Rude Mobs” 2). The most severe crowding of the day occurred as the car passed through the centre of Bondi Junction’s shopping district, where uniformed police had to jump on the Royal car’s running boards to hold off the crowds. Police also had to forcibly restrain a group of men who rushed the car as it passed the Astra Hotel. This was said to be “an ugly incident … resentment of the police action threatened to breed a riot” (“Rude Mobs” 2). Almost everything else met, and even exceeded, expectations. The Queen and Duke’s slow progress from Bondi Road and then, after passing under a large “Welcome to Bondi” sign, their arrival at the entrance to the dais only three minutes late and presence at the carnival went entirely to plan and are well documented in minute-by-minute detail. This includes in detailed press reports, newsreels, and a colour film, The Queen in Australia (1954). Their genuine enjoyment of the races was widely commented upon, evidenced in how they pointed out details to each other (Meagher 8), the number of times the Duke used his binoculars and, especially, in their reluctance to leave, eventually staying more than double the scheduled time (“Queen Delighted” 7). Sales of tickets and programs more than met the costs of mounting the event (Meagher 8–9) and the charity concert held at the beach on the night of the carnival to make the most of the crowds also raised significant funds (“Queen in the Suburbs” 4). Bondi Beach looked spectacularly beautiful and gained considerable national and international exposure (Landman 183). The Surf Life Saving Association of Australia’s president noted that the “two factors that organisation could not hope to control—weather and cooperation of spectators—fulfilled the most optimistic hopes” (Curlewis 9; Maxwell 9). Conclusion Although it has been stated that the 58-day tour was “the single biggest event ever planned in Australia” (Clark 8), focussing in on a single event reveals the detailed decentralised organisation which went into both each individual activity as well as the travel between them. It also reveals how significantly responsible bodies drew upon volunteer labour and financial contributions from residents. While many studies have discussed the warm welcome given to the monarch by Australians in 1954 (Connors 371–2, 378), a significant finding from this object-inspired research is how purposefully Waverley Council primed this public reception. The little medal discussed at the opening of this discussion was just one of many deliberate attempts to prompt a mass expression of homage and loyalty to the sovereign. It also reveals how, despite the meticulous planning and minute-by-minute scheduling, there were unprompted and impulsive behaviours, both by spectators and the royals. Methodologically, this investigation also suggests that seemingly unprepossessing material remnants of the past can function as portals into larger stories. In this case, while an object biography could not be written of the commemorative medal I stumbled upon, a thoughtful consideration of this object inspired an investigation of aspects of the Queen’s visit to Bondi Beach that had otherwise remained unexplored. References Brawley, Sean. “Lifesavers of a Nation.” 3 Feb. 2007: 82. [extract from The Bondi Lifesaver: A History of an Australian Icon. Sydney: ABC Books, 2007.] Clark, Andrew. “The Queen’s Royal Tours of Australia Remembered: Reflection.” The Australian Financial Review 10 Sep. 2022: 8. Connors, Jane. “The 1954 Royal Tour of Australia.” Australian Historical Studies 25 (1993): 371–82. Conway, Doug. “Queen’s Perennial Pride in Australia.” AAP General News Wire 26 Nov. 2021: n.p. “Coronation Medals Presented to School Children: 6000 Distributed in Rockhampton District.” Morning Bulletin 12 May 1937: 6. “Costume Rule for Queen’s Bondi Visit.” Barrier Miner 18 Dec. 1953: 3. Curlewis, Adrian. “Letter.” Bondi Surfer: Official Organ of the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club 2.7 (1954): 9. Ford, Caroline. Sydney Beaches: A History. Sydney: NewSouth Publishing, 2014. Ford, Caroline, Chris Giles, Danya Hodgetts, and Sean O’Connell. “Surf Lifesaving: An Australian Icon in Transition.” Australian Bureau of Statistics Year Book, Australia 2007. Ed. Dennis Trewin. Canberra: Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2007. 1–12. Hardman, Robert. Our Queen. London: Hutchinson, 2011. <https://www.google.com.au/books/edition/OurQueen/DySbU9r0ABgC>. Jenkings, Frank. “Editorial.” Bondi Surfer: Official Organ of the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club 2.6 (1954): 1. Landman, Jane. “Renewing Imperial Ties: The Queen in Australia.” The British Monarchy on Screen. Ed. Mandy Merck. Manchester: Manchester UP, 2016. 181–204. Lawrence, Joan, and Alan Sharpe. Pictorial History: Eastern Suburbs. Alexandria: Kingsclear Books, 1999. Maxwell, C. Bede. “Letter.” Bondi Surfer: Official Organ of the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club 2.7 (1954): 9. Meagher, T.W. “The Royal Tour Surf Carnival Bondi Beach, February 6, 1954.” Bondi Surfer: Official Organ of the Bondi Surf Bathers’ Life Saving Club 2.7 (1954): 6–9. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A462, 825/4/6, Royal tour 1954—Medals for School children—General representations, 1954. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A1533, 1957/758B, Royal Visit, 1953–1954. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A1838, 1516/11 Part 1, Protocol—Royal Visit, 1948–1954. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A1838, 1516/11 Part 2, Protocol—Royal Visit, 1954–1966. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A6122, 1861, Government Heads of State—Royal Visit 1954—ASIO file, 1953–1958. Canberra: Australian Security Intelligence Organization. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A9708, RV/CD, Fly and Mosquito Control. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A9708, RV/CQ, Laundry and Dry Cleaning and Pressing Arrangements. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A9708, RV/DD Annexure 2, Minutes of Conferences with State Directors, 22 January 1953–14 January 1954. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A9708, RV/DD Annexure 3, State Publications. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A9708, RV/DD Annexure 15, Report by Public Relations Officer. National Archives of Australia (NAA): A9708, RV/T, Matters Relating to Dress. National Archives of Australia (NAA). Royalty and Australian Society: Records Relating to The British Monarchy Held in Canberra. Research Guide. Canberra: Commonwealth of Australia, 1998. “N.Z. Surf Team in Dispute.” The Sydney Morning Herald 6 Feb. 1954: 15. “Queen Delighted by Carnival.” The Sun-Herald 7 Feb. 1954: 7. “Queen in the Suburbs: Waverley.” Sun 21 Jan. 1954: 4. “Queen’s Visit to Races: Drive in Suburbs.” The Daily Telegraph 6 Feb. 1954: 17. “Royal Tour Highlights.” The Mail 6 Feb. 1954: 2. Royal Variety Charity. “Coronation Year Royal Variety Performance.” London: London Coliseum, 2 Nov. 1953. <https://www.royalvarietycharity.org/royal-variety-performance/archive/detail/1953-london-coliseum>. “Royal Visit to Waverley.” Feb. 1954 [Royal Visit, 1954 (Topic File). Local Studies Collection, Waverley Library, Bondi Junction, LS VF] “Rude Mobs Spoil Happy Reception.” The Argus 8 Feb. 1954: 2. Sleight, Simon. Young People and the Shaping of Public Space in Melbourne, 1870–1914. Abingdon: Routledge, 2016. “Socialites in for Rude Shock on Royal Tour Invitations.” Daily Telegraph 3 Jan. 1954: 3. “Stage Set for Royal Surf Carnival at Bondi.” The Sydney Morning Herald 6 Feb. 1954: 15. “State House Rehearses Royal Opening.” The Sydney Morning Herald 27 Jan. 1954: 5. “Sydney.” Women’s Letters. The Bulletin 10 Feb. 1954: 18. The Age 24 Jun. 1897: 5. The Queen in Australia. Dir. Colin Dean. Australian National Film Board, 1954. “The Queen to See Lifesavers.” The Daily Telegraph 24 Aug. 1953: 12. “The Royal Tour.” Bondi Daily 30 Jan. 1954: 9. “Thrills for the Queen at Bondi Carnival—Stayed Extra Time.” The Sun-Herald 7 Feb. 1954: 1. Warshaw, Matt. The History of Surfing. San Fransisco: Chronicle Books, 2010. Wilson, Jack. Australian Surfing and Surf Lifesaving. Adelaide: Rigby, 1979.