Following a National Volunteer Summit held in Canberra in October 2001, the participants, who were mainly volunteers from the emergency sector, resolved to form a National Forum to provide volunteers, their managers and their organisations with the opportunity to raise issues of concern to a national representative body.

With the assistance of Emergency Management Australia, the National Forum is now up and running, and we invite anyone who is associated in any way with the volunteer emergency sector to browse through the site, which will contain up to date information about what is going on at national level, and what we are trying to achieve. The site will also provide you with the opportunity to ask questions and raise issues to the Forum. Please don't use it as a forum for criticizing your own organisation, but use it to raise legitimate issues which the Forum should be aware of and which we may be able to help you with.

B. W. Howard AO, MC, ESM - Honorary Chairman (2002-2010)