Staying safe this upcoming bushfire season
Everyone in Victoria who lives near dense forest, bush, grassland or the coast needs to prepare their property for bushfires. This is a reminder for all of our participants to be safe and start preparing for the upcoming bushfire season, particularly if you are in a bush-fire prone area.
It is extremely important for both you and your support worker to develop an Emergency Evacuation Plan and put this in place. You should also ensure that your support workers have read this plan and are trained in what to do. A practice run through with your support worker is a good idea to help identify any problems in your plan, or something you may have missed.
To help develop an emergency evacuation plan, access the following guides from the Country Fire Authority (CFA):
As suggested by the CFA, when developing a bushfire emergency plan, you should answer the following questions:
- Which Fire Danger Rating is your trigger to leave?
- Will you leave early that morning or the night before?
- Where will you go?
- What route will you take – and what is your alternative in the event that a fire is already in the area?
- What will you take with you? Is there particular disability related equipment, medications or important items that you must have if you’re away from home longer than a few hours?
- What do you need to organise for your pets or livestock?
- Who do you need to keep informed of your movements?
- Is there anyone outside your household who you need to help or check up on?
- How will you stay informed about warnings and updates?
- What will you do if there is a fire in the area and you cannot leave?
- Remember to decide who will do what as part of your plan.
For further information on developing a bush fire emergency evacuation plan, contact your local CFA branch or visit their website: www.cfa.vic.gov.au
Wishing you and your family a safe Christmas and Happy New Year.
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