BRMC podcast airs burning issues

LOCAL emergency services have been working with Ballarat Regional Multicultural Council to produce podcasts aiming to get key messages to people of all backgrounds.
A Preparing for Emergencies series of the BRMC Community Matters Podcast has been released on all main platforms, hosted by pharmacist and broadcaster Bobby Mehta.
Topics covered include the first 72 hours of an emergency, bushfire risk and preparing properties, extreme heat, and water safety.
BRMC staff got local emergency services involved to ensure all information shared was accurate and region appropriate.
CFA community engagement officer, Nicole McGrath, is part of the project, and her professional role is to help people to understand fire, and to plan and prepare in case there’s one near them.
“That includes all parts of our community, including our multicultural communities who we know have additional requirements and needs around how they might receive their information,” she said.
“I’ve come into the podcast with CFA’s messages to see if we can communicate them in a way that means something to our multicultural communities.
“It’s vital that we find ways, and speak in a way, that means something to all parts of our community, and is contextualised to their needs, whether that’s the multicultural community, or those living with high risk due to disability or age.
“Through projects like this we can ask, what do you need, and how can we adapt what we’re doing to meet your needs? It’s about getting the information out to the parts of the community that need it the most.”
With a community radio background and awareness of the podcast boom in recent years, Mr Mehta organised to have a recording studio set up in the BRMC Welcome Centre at Barkly Square.
“Podcasts are a great accessible tool and resource for all sorts messaging in all languages, and even just to get the word out in English in a cool, simple, easy way,” he said.
“We used the podcast through COVID, and now we’ve done the four emergency episodes.
“We know people are coming to Ballarat, they’ve arrived here from all sorts of places, and they’re the ones most at risk, so it’s important we get the messages out there and they understand the risks.
“Some may not have been exposed to the emergencies we have here, and that’s not necessarily a cultural thing either. Coming from the UK, I’d never had to deal with bushfires, for example.”
Even though it can feel like an urbanised area away from the bush, Ms McGrath said there’s still potential for Ballarat to be in the firing line.
“We have those bushy fringe areas of Ballarat, like Nerrina, and so it’s important people understand that Ballarat is still at risk of fire,” she said.
“Everybody needs to be prepared and know where to source their information from.”
As a pharmacist with an interest in health and wellbeing, and Indian heritage, Mr Mehta said the podcast blends his expertise, passions, and culture.
He plans to release more BRMC Community Matters episodes to highlight different people and issues across Ballarat.
“BRMC does such amazing work for all the great communities here in Ballarat, and we want to keep pushing the boundaries and having a voice, to make sure people can see what’s happening and they can get involved,” he said.
“It’s super valuable.”