Little is known about the (in)actions of Australian householders in terms of their disaster risk reduction (DRR) practices. The degree to which top-down, educative methods are effective at prompting householder actions is questioned by practitioners and disputed within the academic literature. However, these methods remain the dominant forms of 'engagement' applied within the emergency services sector. This paper presents the initial findings of an alternative method for engaging householders, which builds relationships between emergency services organisations and the public. A total of 74 Community Engagement for Disaster Risk Reduction (CEDRR) door-knock surveys were conducted with householders in Victoria by volunteers from the Victoria State Emergency Services (VicSES) and Australian Red Cross in partnership with researchers from the University of Melbourne. These findings provide valuable insights into householder (in)action and show intentions and actions resulting from CEDRR engagements. The findings demonstrate there can be effectiveness when engagement is rooted in relationships. This paper offers an empirically supported method that challenges the prevailing educative methods.