Highlights
Over 77,000 rescue calls in one year
Up to 400 rescue requests per day during spring and summer months
Automated communications significantly reduce response times
When you find a sick, injured, or orphaned native animal anywhere in New South Wales, Australia, you call WIRES. The largest wildlife rescue service in the country, WIRES (Wildlife Information Rescue and Education Service) celebrated 35 years of animal rescue in 2020. WIRES receives around 170,000 calls annually and provides rescue advice and assistance for over 100,000 animals per year.
To help as many animals as possible WIRES uses a network of volunteer rescuers and caregivers. In fact, WIRES has around 2,500 volunteers involved in the rescue, rehabilitation and release of animals across NSW. WIRES has developed a comprehensive animal database that records information on types of animals, injuries, fates, and locations for rescue and release.
Animal rescue, rehabilitation, and release are more than just a public service for the people at WIRES. It is truly a job born of passion. WIRES’ mission is to actively rehabilitate and preserve Australian wildlife and inspire others to do the same. “We are deeply committed to improving outcomes for native animals. To be able to rescue more animals faster is one of many ways that we do this and our team all put their heart and soul into the work. It is truly a labor of love,” says Leanne Taylor, CEO of WIRES.
“Literally the first couple of rescues we sent out using the new system were solved in minutes.”
-Kyla Shelley, COO, WIRES
Challenges
Each time WIRES received a rescue call, a team member had to find an available volunteer based on the location, the animal, and the type of injury or situation. Depending on those and other variables, the rescuer might need specific training or experience. For virtually its entire existence, WIRES had to match the rescue to the volunteer manually, entering the rescue details into the system and then using a spreadsheet to contact appropriate volunteers, calling them one by one until they found a rescuer.
Response times used to vary considerably due to the volume of rescue calls, the location and the availability of volunteers. During the peak spring and summer seasons, WIRES receives up to 400 rescue calls a day and some calls can take hours to resolve. The number of rescue calls has risen sharply recently because of increased urbanization, sprawl, and a reduction in natural habitat— all of which have increased human-animal interaction.
“We are deeply committed to improving outcomes for native animals. To be able to rescue more animals faster is one of many ways that we do this and our team all put their heart and soul into the work. It is truly a labor of love.”
Leanne Taylor, CEO, WIRES
Solution
To rescue animals faster by reducing the amount of manual work needed, WIRES implemented xMatters. With volunteers in the xMatters system, the rescue team can now contact available, qualified, local volunteers in an instant. All rescues escalate automatically if not solved in set timeframes and there is no doubt that more rescues are being solved faster now than before. “Literally the first couple of rescues we sent out using the new system were solved in minutes,” Shelley says.
Benefits
While response times used to vary by time of year and rescue specifics, WIRES now achieves more consistent response times. Since volunteers in the field use the xMatters app, text, and email, they can receive alerts and respond from anywhere. Rescue team members can also include custom messages so volunteers understand the specifics of each rescue situation before accepting.
The situation may require someone who is trained to handle venomous snakes or someone trained and vaccinated to handle flying-foxes. With the set-up of the new system WIRES can contact the right volunteers for all rescues across each species, including reptiles, raptors, macropods, wombats, birds and possums.
Animal rescue is an ongoing priority for WIRES, as is the long-term protection and preservation of native Australian animals. As they gain more passionate volunteers, provide more wildlife training for wildlife rescuers and carers, provide more community wildlife education and improve their systems, WIRES can and will help more animals than ever before. For more information about WIRES visit them at https://www.wires.org.au/.
Highlights
Drop-down lists and spell check have greatly improved the accuracy and quality of information captured from callers.
Pre-formatted, contextualized electronic forms with relevant prompts and fields empowers teams to gather information efficiently.
Two months to fully adopt xMatters, a month shy of the assumed timeline.
Wesfarmers Chemicals, Energy & Fertilisers (WesCEF) operates chemical, energy, and fertilizer businesses that service a range of sectors in both domestic and international markets. Headquartered in Western Australia, WesCEF employs people in a wide range of disciplines, professions and industries.
“xMatters allows us to ensure we provide the right information to the right people at the right time to enact a timely response to emergency situations.”
– Jon Knox, Quality Superintendent at WesCEF
Challenges
Prior to xMatters, WesCEF relied on a manual, hand written form for gathering information from persons phoning to report an incident. The information captured would then be condensed and sent out via text message to initiate a response, with the hard copy form provided to responders upon arrival. The information received by the responding incident team did not provide enough detail and thereby increasing the time to achieve resolution.
Solutions
WesCEF initially sought xMatters to replace their SMS-based incident notification process. A simple implementation was completed to meet their immediate MVP for replacing their former tool. This was not only a success, as thorough training and support ensured xMatters was customized to their needs, but during the process, more benefits were quickly realized and implemented immediately.
The biggest concern throughout the implementation process was adoption; how quickly would WesCEF’s Incident Management Team (IMT) members be fully trained on the solution and use it in their day-to-day? Overall it took about two months to be fully set up on the platform, a month less than their assumed adoption timeline on day one of the process.
Benefits
WesCEF has been using xMatters to support their emergency management and business continuity strategies, specifically in Emergency Response and Incident Management Team mobilization and communication. Since implementation, WesCEF has been able to develop pre-formatted, contextualized electronic forms, complete with relevant prompts and fields to empower their teams to gather information efficiently. Once completed, these details are immediately relayed to response teams ensuring that all parties have the right information and can mobilize in a timely manner.
Some of the key benefits WesCEF has realized by using xMatters include:
- Increased accuracy – Incorporating elements such as drop-down lists and native spell check has greatly improved the accuracy and quality of the upfront information captured.
- Increased flexibility – xMatters enables WesCEF to optimize forms and workflows on the fly, allowing for fast, efficient incorporation of lessons learned and continuous improvement ideas that can be instantly deployed. Under the previous paper-based approach, that process could take days or weeks to complete.
- Increased confidence – xMatters enables efficient, two-way communication when responding to an incident and gives WesCEF’s incident controllers real-time information.
During the implementation of xMatters, WesCEF realized some immediate benefits including centralized message tracking and configurable response sets; Additional functionality and use cases were also explored and implemented to better support response processes. One example of this was WesCEF’s creation of a simple workflow to notify standby IMT members when the nominated Incident Controller had assumed responsibility for an event. A small change, but very meaningful when a call is received and members can be confident that the right person received the call. In all instances, WesCEF’s improvements were able to be implemented in-house utilizing the user-friendly support documentation and product experts available at xMatters.
Like most businesses, COVID-19 challenged WesCEF to adjust and rapidly adapt the way they worked. One such challenge was how to continue to effectively manage emergency incidents at a time where most team members were working from home.
Once again, utilizing the intuitive workflow configuration, WesCEF was able to integrate xMatters notifications with Microsoft Teams. Teams was a platform the business was becoming increasingly familiar with during COVID lockdowns, and being able to integrate information directly from xMatters allowed the team to easily collaborate, share information, and access crucial documentation enabling a streamlined, distributed incident response process. This capability is continuing to be used post lockdown restrictions, allowing for integrated in-person/remote incident response coordination.
At WesCEF, safety is at the heart of all they do. Having effective systems and processes in place to respond to unwanted events is key to ensuring businesses can continue to operate safely. With xMatters, WesCEF is able to access the right information and ensure it is provided to the right people at the right time for a quick and efficient issue resolution.
Full transcript
[00:04.9]
Hello, my name is Wyatt Kinney and I’m the Everbridge Global Insights team’s regional analyst for Asia Pacific. Today I’ll be providing a brief update on renewed military tensions along the Thailand and Cambodian border and what this escalation means for organizations operating in the region.
[00:21.3]
On December 8th Thailand carried out airstrikes against Cambodian military positions near the contested areas of Pre Vaheer and Tamu. And Tom, Thai authorities say the strikes were a defensive response after Cambodia deployed long range rocket systems close enough to threaten Thailand civilian areas.
[00:39.5]
Cambodia reports at least four civilian deaths, additional injuries and damage to infrastructure in the area that was impacted. Both governments initiated evacuations along the border following the strikes. This marks the most serious escalation between the two countries south since mid-2025.
[00:57.0]
Why does this matter? These strikes are part of a broader pattern of instability throughout 2025, including exchanges of fire between the two sides earlier this year in May, civilian confrontations in September along the border which included protests and a landmine blast in November that disrupted the Kuala Lumpur Peace Accord which was a US and Malaysia facilitated framework designed to help Thailand and Cambodia manage border incidents, coordinate troop movements, support joint de mining within the area.
[01:27.3]
The implementation of this peace report has been uneven as we’ve seen further escalations since it’s been implemented. At the same time the communication channels meant to prevent escalation are underdeveloped or inconsistent. Without reliable joint investigation or de escalation tactics, even routine troop movements from either side can be seen as hostile actions.
[01:51.3]
So the core of what drives the tension between the two countries, the International Court of Justice in 1962 ruled that the pre of a year of temple belongs to Cambodia. But the ruling did not clarify the surrounding territory, leaving the border ambiguous and highly dispute prone.
[02:10.8]
Domestic politics play a role as well. Thai security institutions emphasize rapid decisive responses. Cambodia faces a strong sovereignty expectation from communities living near the contested area. External actors also shape the tension.
[02:27.7]
The US and Malaysia continue to support the Kuala Lumpur process in the peace accord. Cambodia’s close relationship with China adds additional geopolitical weight to its own decision making when these disputes occur. So impacts on business operations.
[02:45.2]
For companies operating in northeastern Thailand or northwestern Cambodia, this escalation affects logistics, workforce mobility, regulatory processes and project timelines. Cross border checkpoints already seeing slower processing and heightened inspections.
[03:02.0]
Manufacturing zones reliant on cross border flows including textiles, footwear, electrical components, automotive components. It’s possible they’ll see production delays and the need for higher inventory buffers, Cambodian nationals working in Thailand may face tighter document checks, leading to temporary workforce gaps.
[03:22.1]
Infrastructure and development projects near the border, especially those requiring surveys or demining, may experience pauses or restricted access. Even administrative processes such as Cambodia’s recent e visa changes are adding uncertainty to the digital and regulatory workflows.
[03:40.5]
So, an outlook for this situation in the next 48 to 72 hours. Continued tension along the border, no doubt. Hopefully no indication of intentional escalation. But like we talked about before, you know, even a simple troop movement could spark something. The lack of joint monitoring keeps misinterpretation risks elevated.
[04:00.8]
Certainly, over the next two to six weeks, fragile standoff is most the most likely scenario. Even with occasional incidents, uneven diplomatic engagement, organizations should anticipate recurring operational variability, over the next six to 12 months going into 2026, the core issues are going to remain, which includes an unclear border, leftover mines, and weak coordination between the two governments.
[04:32.4]
Unlikely, to be resolved, be resolved quickly. Because of that, even without a full scale conflict, the border is expected to remain unstable from time to time or sporadically throughout the next year. So what should organizations do now?
[04:47.5]
Companies should ensure their business continuity plans allow rapid adjustments to routing, staffing, and facility access. Alternate transport corridors either through Laos, Vietnam, or other maritime routes may be needed if tensions increase. Non essential travel near affected districts should be limited.
[05:05.3]
Essential personnel should receive vetted route guidance and reliable communication tools. And finally, communication with staff, partners, and investors should remain factual and neutral, Given the sensitivity of the territorial issues. Thank you so much.
[05:20.6]
We’ll continue to monitor the situation closely. Have a great rest of your day.
In our latest Rapid Resilience Briefing, we analyze the new phase-one Gaza ceasefire, a fragile starting point but not a complete peace plan.
Full transcript
[[00:05.0]
Hello, my name is Zsolt Csepregi. I’m the regional, analyst for the Middle east and North Africa at Eberbridge’s Global Insights Team. Today I will outline the ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas and highlight the associated security and business risks. The newly announced Gaza ceasefire, which was brokered by the United States, Egypt, Turkey and Qatar, is a phase one agreement which is designed to secure the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners, assured limited withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza and expanded humanitarian aid access.
[00:39.4]
It’s an important step, but it’s not a solution. Mediators themselves call it a starting point. A narrow humanitarian and political transaction, but not a complete peace plan. The goal right now is simple, to stop the immediate fighting and get the Israeli hostages home.
[00:55.9]
Everything beyond that, from Hamas disarmament to the future of Gaza’s governance, remains deeply contested. The second phase, meant to turn this truce into a sustainable political settlement, will be much harder. Israel insists that Hamas must be disarmed and excluded from the governance of Gaza.
[01:14.9]
While Hamas for its part, refuses to surrender control or its legitimacy. These positions are fundamentally incompatible once the immediate pressure eases. So the Israeli hostages are home and Israeli troops pull back, both sides will have far less incentive to compromise.
[01:34.7]
External actors are also shaping this trajectory. Palestinian Islamic Jihad has cautiously accepted the deal, but there is still a risk that more militant elements within Hamas or BIG could splinter towards Islamic State aligned, groups that outrightly reject any form of political compromise with Israel.
[01:55.6]
The Houthis in Yemen continue to reject the ceasefire outright, keeping Red Sea maritime risks elevated, while Hezbollah remains deliberately ambiguous along the northern border of Israel. For businesses and international operators, this environment represents de escalation without guaranteeing a resolution.
[02:15.4]
It’s a reduction in immediate violence, but not in underlying instability. So logistics and air travel are likely to remain volatile with potential disruptions from renewed rocket fire, drone attacks or political protests.
[02:30.5]
And beyond the region, pro Palestinian and pro Israeli demonstrations will continue across major global cities, carrying reputational and operational risk for multinational firms. Global companies should therefore remain vigilant and adaptable as this first phase of the ceasefire unfold and negotiations on the second phase start.
[02:51.0]
Even if progress continues, instability will persist across the Middle East. Organizations should diversify logistic routes, review travel and security protocols and maintain flexible staffing and crisis communication plans. Monitoring both of regional developments as well as protest movements globally will be key in protecting personnel and operations.
[03:12.8]
The coming months will demand strategic patience coupled with operational flexibility as the ceasefire talks may reduce violence temporarily but are far from assuring a lasting stability.
Join Adam DeLuca for a weekend update about the situation in Iran and Israel after weekend bombings occurred.
In our latest Rapid Resilience Briefing, Zachary Nelson and Wyatt Kinney discuss the latest military developments and rising tensions in Taiwan Strait.
We discuss the continuing escalations in the Kashmir region between India and Pakistan, with both countries reporting civilian injuries and casualties.
