Volunteering and Essential Service Delivery in Rural Communities: An Investigation into the Sustainability of Volunteer Bushfire Brigades in Western Australia

Abstract

This thesis examines the effects of economic, environmental, and social changes on the operations and structures of volunteer bushfire brigades in Western Australia. It also explores the perceptions and experiences of stress and fatigue among volunteer bushfire brigade members. Using the findings from multiple case studies, a conceptual framework was developed which incorporates aspects of Institutional Theory and Oppenheimer’s (2008) three elements of volunteering to aide in the understanding of volunteer fire brigades.