Emergency tool for floods, etc, developed by Red Cross
The Australian Red Cross has developed an online text, video and audio resource to help people prepare for,
respond to and quickly recover from large scale emergencies such as floods, bushfires, and cyclones, as well
as local emergencies such as storms, house fires and devastating accidents.
The Red Cross’ Emergency REDiPlan website contains useful information, including a four-step approach to
emergency preparation and response, checklists, essential contacts and resuscitation/CPR guidance.
Below is a brief overview of the four-step Emergency REDiPlan.
Step 1:
‘Be informed’
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Step 2:
Identify potential hazards in your area including natural occurrences (bushfires,
cyclones, storms, flooding) and broader threats (transport or industrial
accidents including chemical spills, epidemic illness, and electricity or gas
outages). For general information on hazards, visit the Emergency
Management Australia website. For information on hazards specific to your
area, contact your state/territory emergency services, local fire services, local
council, library or historical society, as well as people who have lived in your
area for a long time.
Australia has well-developed emergency management plans — talk to your
state or territory emergency services or local council to find out which ones
cover your local area.
The Bureau of Meteorology website issues warnings for extreme weather
conditions like floods, cyclones and tsunamis. It is recommended that you
familiarise yourself with the site’s state/territory specific sections, which will
provide information about warnings in your area.
Fire services will advise when a day is declared a total fire ban. Your local fire
service will be able to provide you with further information.
Local radio stations will often provide information in an emergency, including
what is happening and what the authorities want you to do.
Familiarise yourself with emergency phone numbers as well as the Standard
Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) — a distinctive sound used by emergency
services to alert the community when an urgent safety message is about to be
played on radio, television, public address system or mobile siren (the signal
can be heard on the Bureau of Meteorology website).
It is important to remain calm during and after an emergency.
There are some simple things that you can do to help out in an
emergency, such as learning first aid can be useful in both everyday and major
emergencies.
‘Make a plan’
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Devise and document an emergency plan to help you be more resilient
during — and reduce the disruption caused by — emergencies.
Your plan should cover the following areas:
home evacuation procedures
in some emergencies you may be advised to stay at home, so you will need
to plan for food, water, warmth and light for a period of time
the locations of the meters and shut-off valves for your electricity, water and
gas, in case you need to turn these off in an emergency
the whereabouts of emergency shelters as set up by emergency authorities.
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Step 3:
‘Get an emergency kit’
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Step 4:
pet and animal safety
important contacts, including an out-of town contact, as well as emergency
meeting points
financial protection — personal or household financial plan, an adequate
household insurance policy, wills
Review and update your plan annually.
Assemble an emergency kit with items you may need if you have to evacuate
your home, or if you need to stay in your home when essential services have
been cut off.
Your emergency kit should include:
essentials such as light (torches, candles), food, water, medications and
special needs
items to help maintain personal hygiene
sources of information (eg a wind-up radio, mobile phones with spare
batteries)
protective clothing and blankets
a first-aid kit
copies of important documents (passports, wills, medical histories, land titles,
mortgage papers, insurance papers, birth certificates, etc), sentimental
items (family photos or videos) and photos of valuable household items.
supplies for pets
entertainment
Review and update your kit annually and keep it somewhere easily accessible.
‘Know your neighbours’
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Build stronger ties with your community. There is a lot of evidence suggesting
that when people are better connected to their neighbourhood there are a range
of benefits: they feel safer, there are lower levels of crime, generally people feel
and are healthier and live a lot longer — all great reasons to get to know your
neighbours.
Share knowledge with your neighbours and work with them in an emergency in
order to increase your chances of coping with crises and emergencies in the
long-term.
Consider and assist people in your community who may need your help (eg
older adults, people with physical or intellectual disabilities, people with mental
illness, single parents with young children, large families, and people new to the
area) and talk to them about emergency planning.