Response
When a disaster unfolds, there’s going to be chaos.
Communities that have spent time planning and preparing are going to do better.
assess your community’s level of preparedness
- Who is coordinating community actions (for those not involved in emergency services)?
- How will you get and share up-to-date information?
- How do you know whether everyone is accounted for?
- Do you have a printed directory of contact phone numbers that can be accessed in a hurry?
- Where will people (and their pets) gather to get information, refuge or shelter?
- What if everyone comes into town, how will you manage the extra traffic and parking?
- Has your community done mental health first aid or accidental counsellor training?
- Do you know how to run a debrief?
- How will you spread the load so that you’re not relying on a handful of volunteers?
- Do you have a written and practiced community disaster plan?
If you answered ‘no’ or ‘don’t know’ to any of these, it’s time to start planning.
For more information about emergency services, visit SAFECOM website
Reunite with your loved ones
During an emergency the Register.Find.Reunite service matches registrations from people affected by an emergency to enquiries made by their loved ones searching for news.
Every Disaster is different
What to do in a Bushfire
Fires can threaten suddenly and without warning. You need to be prepared to enact your Bushfire Survival Plan without receiving any emergency warning.
What to do in a flood
Refer to the Bureau of Meteorology (BOM) for the latest weather warnings, SA SES for emergency services and Traffic SA for road closures.
What to do in a storm
As with bushfire readiness, the key to minimising harm during a violent storm is preparation.
- Securing loose items in your yard
- Clearing your gutters, downpipes and drains to prevent blockages
- Trimming trees and branches that could fall on your home or property
- Fixing any damage to your roof
- Checking your insurance policy is current and covers you for storm damage
- Make an emergency plan for your family that explains what you would do in an emergency
- Putting together an Emergency Kit, including a battery-powered radio, torch and spare batteries
- Activate your emergency plan
- Locate your emergency kit
- Stay indoors and away from windows
- If outdoors, find safe shelter away from trees
- Never drive, ride or walk through floodwater
- Ensure pets are safe
- Check local and social media for information, updates and advice
What to do in a heatwave
Heatwaves are becoming more common and preparing is essential to staying safe, especially to the vulnerable members of the community.
- Never leaving children or pets alone in a parked car (even if it’s just for a short time), especially during a heatwave.
- Sleeping in the coolest part of the house—it might not be your bedroom.
- Filling a small spray bottle with water—it’s a great way to keep cool, especially for children.
- Adding a slice of lemon and ice cubes to your water.
- Setting your air conditioners to the cool setting.
- Registering older family members for the Red Cross Telecross REDi service on 1800 188 071.
- Making sure pets have cool spots, shade and many bowls of iced water. Bring them inside during the day.
What to do in an Earthquake
Heatwaves are becoming more common and preparing is essential to staying safe, especially to the vulnerable members of the community.
- Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.
- Stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes.
- Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place.
- Do not use a doorway except if you know it is a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway and it is close to you.
- Many inside doorways are lightly constructed and do not offer protection.
- Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Do not exit a building during the shaking. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
- DO NOT use the elevators.
- Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.
Resources
- Emergency Control Agencies (SA) RESOURCE
- Disaster Assist website
- Community experiences of the January – July 2022 floods in New South Wales and Queensland Summary Report
- Community experiences of the January – July 2022 floods in New South Wales and Queensland Summary Report - Video content
- Emergency Services in SA
