Talking points for members
Disaster Preparedness
Emergencies Happen
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Australia is prone to emergencies such as floods, droughts, cyclones and fires. Tragically each year people lose
their lives in natural disasters and hundreds are injured. Many more people are also affected by power
blackouts, vehicle accidents and other emergencies.
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Disasters can destroy homes and livelihoods, disrupt routines and lives, affect health and wellbeing, and lead
to financial stress.
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1 in 3 Australians will experience an emergency or the threat of an emergency in their lifetimes but only 1 in 5
has an emergency plan
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65% of people will experience a traumatic event in their lifetime. Nearly 70% of people know someone who
might need assistance in an emergency
Why you need a plan
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People who prepare and make a plan for a disaster are more likely to cope and get their lives back on track
with less stress and anxiety.
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Part of being prepared is planning to protect what is precious and can never replaced, the things that shape
who we are – old photos, the 80s vinyl collection, war medals, or your kid’s teddy bear.
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You will never get the chance to go back afterwards to reclaim the things you’ve lost. Plan not just to survive,
but to recover.
How to make a plan
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Being prepared isn’t complicated, it’s four steps: Get in the know, Get connected, Get Organised, Get Packing.
These steps will help you understand what you may face, who you can help or who can help you, what you
need to do to protect what matters most, and what you need to survive and recover.
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To help you get prepared, Red Cross has RediPlan: a useful guide giving you helpful tips, strategies and
suggestions on how to create a personalised emergency plan in four simple steps:
1. Get in the know: Understand the risks you face, how your life might be disrupted and who can help—
before disaster strikes.
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owner:
Communications
by:
Vivian Schenker, Clare Cameron, John Richardson
2. Get connected: Connect with your community so you can help each other in an emergency and during
the long recovery journey afterwards.
3. Get organised: Think through what might happen to you during and after an emergency and take action
to protect the important things in your life.
4. Get packing: Identify and pack things that might help you survive in an emergency and get you back on
your feet quickly.
More about Your RediPlan
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Your RediPlan offers helpful tips, strategies and suggestions on how to create a personalised emergency plan.
It focuses on preparing for the psychosocial impacts of emergencies and is non-hazard specific, which means
it could equally be applicable for a house fire, a flood or gas explosion.
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Emergencies can be scary and stressful. RediPlan helps people to prepare their minds for emergencies.
Preparing to avoid the longer-term impacts that the loss of life, property, routines and environment may have
can also avoid years of stress and hardship. It’s free and is available from redcross.org.au/prepare and Red
Cross offices.
redcross.org.au/prepare
#redi4anything
Page number:
2 of 2
Review date:
Document
Media and
Authorised
owner:
Communications
by:
Vivian Schenker, Clare Cameron, John Richardson