For almost a year, Georgie Burt has lived with the "greatest pain" a parent can bear.
Her son was one of six children who died in Tasmania's Hillcrest tragedy on December 16, 2021.
"The grief has not lessened and it never will," Ms Burt said.
"To think it has been one year without my son's smile, my son's beautiful energy in our home is just a pain I can't put into words."
On that day, six children died and three others were seriously injured when a jumping castle was lifted into the air during an end-of-year celebration at Hillcrest Primary School.
They were Peter Dodt, Jalailah Jayne-Maree Jones, Addison Stewart, Jye Sheehan, Zane Mellor, and Chace Harrison.
Ms Burt said it was difficult to express how she was feeling.
"To lose a child is the greatest pain, that no human should have to bear," she said.
"I miss my beautiful son … he was courageous, handsome, unquestionably unique, my firstborn son and my light in the darkest of rooms.
"I will miss him until I see him again."
On Thursday, the day before the official anniversary, a commemoration ceremony will be held at Market Square in Devonport, with the families, friends and broader community invited to formally remember and honour the lives of the children who died.
The commemoration will also be livestreamed for those who prefer not to attend in person.
A metal heart structure will be placed in the square, in recognition of the image of Tasmania's broken heart, a symbol shared widely around the state in the days following the tragedy, with attendees given the opportunity to place down flowers or messages of support.
Devonport City Council Mayor Alison Jarman said it was vital those attending the event knew they weren't alone, with this a time that will be difficult for many.
"It's hard to imagine how the past 12 months have been for the families and those affected deeply," Ms Jarman said.
"You are never far from our thoughts and I'm sure there isn't one person in our city that hasn't been impacted by the tragedy.
"For those attending Thursday's one year commemoration community event … please know that you are not alone.
"We are all there with you, remembering those precious children and those who have had to navigate this year without them."
More than 10 of the officers who responded to the Hillcrest tragedy are still off work, according to the head of wellbeing support for Tasmania's first responders.
Matthew Richman said there were 174 people who responded to the incident, with about a dozen — not including paramedics — yet to return to their jobs.
Those staff, he said, were being offered regular support, with a two-year wellbeing check process being run for the first time.
"When Hillcrest occurred, we activated our critical incident stress management team and also our broader wellbeing support team, and we had people on the ground very quickly to provide support on scene," Mr Richman said.
"That support really increased over the first couple of weeks and we're extending that support out for a two-year period.
"What we have done is we've made sure there's been regular contact, particularly in the first period — that included through things such as our assistance dogs, our peer support officers being present face-to-face, going around police, ambulance and fire stations … making sure they were getting the psychological support they needed.
"We immediately had quite a number of psychologists on the ground in Devonport."
He said a "second phase" had since been started, with wellbeing checks being conducted roughly every six months to check in on employees, with the support of psychologists.
"The newest thing is that we're actually tracking people over time," Mr Richman said, with the impact of cumulative trauma something wellbeing support is well aware of.
"We have to remember, of course, that the emergency service workers that responded to Hillcrest have responded to a number of other jobs since. And so whilst this was a really significant event and very impactful, there have also been other incidences that they've been required to attend, so we need to view it through a variety of different lenses.
"[Hillcrest] was a really impactful event for the entire community. All the emergency responders are part of that community, and it was felt very strongly."
'Ask for help if you need it'
Lauchie Avery is the chairman of the Hillcrest Affected Area Recovery Committee, which was formed to be a point of contact for the Devonport and wider North-West community in the ongoing recovery effort.
He said the group continued to engage with the community about what supports were needed, and to understand where the barriers were in people accessing them.
"We've been trying to assess the community needs and what they want by way of surveys, setting up websites and consulting," Mr Avery said.
"I think the fact that that resource is out there, it gives reassurance."
A former Western District commander with Tasmania Police and a north-west local, he said trauma could present itself in a variety of ways and hit at different times — with it vital to ask for help when you need it.
"These events have the potential to create issues with people 12, 18 months, five years down the track," he said. "It can be just a slight trigger just to bring it all back or to break down the walls.
"It can happen, and if it does, just make sure you're being looked after … don't bottle it up, don't lock yourself away.
"And if you need professional help, don't hesitate to ask for it. It's out there."
Planning for a permanent Hillcrest memorial will take place next year, with Mr Avery urging the community to reach out to the recovery committee about what they want that to look like.
"If people have ideas [about the memorial] or how we can help the community, we would like their input," he said.
Hillcrest Primary School have asked that members of the public do not attend the school on Friday, instead placing tribute items at Market Square.
