{"id":3289,"date":"2022-10-04T23:39:55","date_gmt":"2022-10-04T12:39:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/?p=3289"},"modified":"2022-10-04T23:39:57","modified_gmt":"2022-10-04T12:39:57","slug":"building-resilience-through-emergency-awareness-and-planning","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/onthecoastpublications.com.au\/onthecoastover55\/building-resilience-through-emergency-awareness-and-planning\/","title":{"rendered":"Building resilience through emergency awareness and planning"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The official bushfire and storm season has begun and Central Coast Council is again encouraging our local community to \u2018Get Ready\u2019 and understand their risk of storms, floods, bushfires and other emergencies and prepare now for future events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council Director of Environment and Planning, Dr Alice Howe said we are no strangers to emergency events and extreme weather on the Central Coast.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe have experienced a wide range of emergency events in recent years \u2013 from severe bushfires, storms, coastal erosion, repeated heavy rainfall and flooding, in addition to the COVID-19 pandemic,\u201d Dr Howe said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“We know that severe weather and other emergency events will continue to be a part of our lives on the Central Coast, especially as we continue to experience La Ni\u00f1a climate conditions which can bring above average rainfall, severe and frequent storms, and a hot, humid summer season. Now is the time to understand your current risks and create an up-to-date plan for natural emergency events and severe weather.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Council Acting Director of Community Services, Glenn Cannard said as a community, we\u2019ve displayed great strength in working through these challenges together and alongside emergency service organisations – from the response phase through to recovery and circling back again.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cNow is the time to prepare. Please don\u2019t wait for a disaster to happen before you think about what you need to do, or how you are going to protect your home and belongings. Being prepared for emergencies can save lives, property and helps our community to recover more quickly from emergency events when they do occur,\u201d Mr Cannard said. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe all share the responsibility of being informed and aware of our risks, and to check that we are adequately prepared to respond to emergencies.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cRegardless of whether a resident has recently moved to the Central Coast or has been in the same house for decades with an existing plan, now is the time to understand current risks and create an up-to-date plan.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Five steps to prepare for emergency events and severe weather:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

  1. Know your risk<\/strong> \u2013 It\u2019s important to think about the area you live in, your circumstances and the types of disasters that could affect you. Council has tools and links to a number of resources to help you identify your risks.<\/li>
  2. Plan now for what you will do.<\/strong> Ensure you have a current emergency plan in place which considers your risks, abilities and resources, plus an emergency evacuation kit ready to go.    <\/li>
  3. Get your home or business premises ready<\/strong>. Prepare your property to best withstand emergency events, with general maintenance and checks, and ensure you are adequately insured.<\/li>
  4. Be aware and keep informed<\/strong>. Find out in advance where to find critical information in the lead up to, or during, an emergency event.<\/li>
  5. Look out for each other.<\/strong> Don\u2019t wait for an emergency to build community networks with neighbours. Get to know each other now, share your plans with neighbours, friends and family and identify your community strengths and weaknesses to be able to plan for them in advance.<\/li><\/ol>\n\n\n\n

    For information and resources on preparing for storms, floods, bushfire, heatwaves and other emergency events, go online to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au\/emergencies<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Council Administrator, Rik Hart, said the Central Coast\u2019s environmental characteristics of over 128,500 hectares of bushland, 80km of coastline and encasing large lakes and waterways can isolate communities quickly in a severe emergency situation, making preparedness particularly important for the region.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCouncil has a holistic approach to management of emergency events which encompasses the full circle of emergency management planning, preparedness, response and recovery \u2013 all of which are constantly being improved upon to incorporate new learnings from each event and shared knowledge from a range of key stakeholders,” Mr Hart said.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cCouncil is not the main authority in emergencies. However, we continue to work alongside and support lead emergency agencies to raise awareness and share resources that will help our local community prepare for emergency and severe weather events.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    \u201cI encourage all the Central Coast community, including residents and businesses, to take the time this month to \u2018Get Ready\u2019 for emergency events and boost our defence as a resilient community.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Central Coast Council is part of Get Ready, a community preparedness program coordinated by Resilience NSW.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

    Get Ready Central Coast! For information and resources on preparing for emergency events, go online to centralcoast.nsw.gov.au\/emergencies<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n

    #GetReadyCentralCoast #EmergencyPlanning<\/p>\n\n\n\n