What is the Resources Rescue Theatre?

The AFAC Resources Rescue Theatre is a dedicated knowledge-sharing and professional development platform led by the Emergency Management Community of Practice (EMCoP) in collaboration with AFAC and industry partners. It is designed specifically to address the unique health, safety, and operational challenges of the mining, oil and gas, and heavy industrial sectors—where emergency response relies heavily on remote operations, complex hazards, specialist capabilities, and seamless cross-agency coordination.

The initiative provides emergency responders, operational leaders, regulators, researchers, and industry practitioners with an open forum to exchange practical lessons, emerging technologies, and transferable solutions. Rather than treating resource-sector safety as an isolated discipline, the Theatre brings real-world operational intelligence into a shared national conversation to build stronger preparedness and resilience.

Evolution: From a 2025 Pilot to an Expanded 2026 Program

  • The 2025 Pilot: The concept launched as a successful pilot program, featuring 35 presentations across seven sessions that drew strong crowds, allocated seating, and frequent standing-room-only attendance. Independent event feedback highlighted the value of well-paced 20-minute presentations and interactive speaker panels. Insights gathered from the pilot were directly used to refine rescue protocols, training delivery, and audience engagement.
  • The Expanded 2026 Program: Building on that foundation, the 2026 program expanded into a dedicated, formal conference stream with greater capacity and cross-sector partnerships—including collaboration with AFAC, the Minerals Council of Australia (MCA), WorkSafe Victoria, and international connections through the Hannover Fair networks.
  • Core Focus Areas: The expanded curriculum covers critical modern themes such as multi-agency transport corridor exercises, emergency response robotics, standardised skills assessment (ESSA), Women in Rescue initiatives, heavy and complex technical rescue, remote telehealth deployment, powered ascender safety parameters, and responder psychosocial hazards.

At its core, the Resources Rescue Theatre turns frontline operational experience into collective industry learning, helping organisations test their own emergency arrangements, reduce duplication, and strengthen safety outcomes before major incidents occur.

Ready to Learn?

Past programs including presentations are hosted securely within our member platform.

Get Involved: If you or your organisation would like to be involved with the Resources Rescue Theatre at AFAC27 in Brisbane, please email EMCofPractice@gmail.com