Australia emergency management officials pose alongside Cal OES leaders in Los Angeles.
Furthering California’s role as an international leader in emergency management, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) recently supported a two-week delegation of nine emergency management officials from across Australia to strengthen international partnerships in wildfire preparedness, response and recovery.
Australia and California have a strong and longstanding partnership fighting fires and sending and receiving resources during times of crisis. Situated on different sides of the globe, California and Australia’s peak fire seasons are opposite, allowing for effective resource sharing. Strengthening this collaboration ensures both regions continue preparing to address future wildfires together.
During their visit to Los Angeles and Sacramento, the group, joined by the Australian-Consulate General in Los Angeles, engaged in discussions with subject matter experts from across California. A central theme of the exchange was how to better prepare for, respond to and recover from wildfires. Both organizations discussed the January 2025 Los Angeles wildfires and Australia’s 2009 Black Saturday and 2019 Black Summer fires.
The nine delegates represented all levels of Australia’s emergency management and firefighting leadership. Agencies included the National Emergency Management Agency, South Australia Country Fire Services, Western Australia Department of Fire and Emergency Services, Forest Fire Management Victoria, New South Wales Rural Fire Service, Victorian Country Fire Service, Australian Capital Territory Rural Fire Service and the Tasmania Fire Service.
The delegation also met with CAL FIRE, local Los Angeles County firefighters, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and debris removal experts from Cal OES and the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE). They visited the Eaton and Palisades burn sites and discussed the ongoing debris removal and rebuilding in Los Angeles. The delegation shared information about destructive fires in Australia and opportunities to continue collaborating.
The group also discussed watershed protection, housing, and Australia’s integration of First Nations knowledge and cultural sensitivity into its emergency management practices. Discussions also addressed emerging challenges, including the risks associated with lithium-ion batteries and the growing role of aerial firefighting in wildfire suppression.
As California and Australia both face increasingly severe wildfire seasons, sharing strategies and innovation will continue to help build more resilient communities.