Russell Buzby

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When the Risk Map Moves 61% in One Update: Wildfire modelling and the limits of periodic assessment

A recent update to the U.S. Forest Service’s wildfire simulation model dramatically revised risk assessments, increasing…
The Drone Works. Who Answers for It? Autonomous systems and the emergency-management accountability gap

Autonomous drones are enhancing firefighting capabilities, but accountability issues arise when they malfunction or make decisions.…
Half the Forest That Burns, on a Handful of Days: Heatwaves as the dominant forest fire driver

A recent study highlights that from 2001 to 2024, 42% of forest fires in the western…
Two Freezes in Three Years: The KPMG suspension and the accountability that waits for a scandal

The Department of Finance has halted new contracts with KPMG due to whistleblower allegations of misconduct,…
The Switch Is in Another Country: Australia’s AI sovereignty and the day the access was cut

The U.S. directive to Anthropic to block foreign access to its AI models prompted a shutdown…
A Governance Problem Dressed as a Data Problem: Australia’s national bushfire picture expires this month

Australia’s National Near Real-Time Bushfire Boundaries dataset faces funding expiration soon, highlighting a larger issue of…
From Resilient Individuals to Responsible Organisations: Australia’s first firefighter trauma framework

A new framework for tracking exposure to traumatic events in emergency services shifts responsibility from individual…
Coordinating the Wrong Thing: Why better disaster response still failed the Black Summer test

Australia faced another severe fire season after the Black Summer as structural governance issues persist. Although…
The Augmentation Trap: When AI productivity eats the expertise it depends on

The “augmentation trap” highlights the risks of AI tools that boost short-term productivity while eroding essential…
You Cannot Govern What You Cannot See: Shadow AI, agentic risk and the observability gap

A recent study on 27 Australian critical infrastructure organizations reveals the risks of unsanctioned AI, termed…