As the world witnesses the devastating impact of urban fires in the United States, with parallels to past bush fire and flood events in Australia, the urgency of disaster preparedness has never been so real.
For older people, people living with disability, carers and care service organisations, being prepared can mean the difference between life and loss.
Carers NSW proudly introduces the Disaster Preparedness Hub, a vital resource that empowers individuals and organisations to create practical, person-centred plans for bush fires and floods. The Hub provides tools to mitigate risks, and establish solid plans for leaving early, sheltering in place, evacuation, and post-disaster recovery.
Additionally, The Hub provides guidance for individuals and organisations on how to be facilitators of these conversations and provides information for care service organisations to strengthen disaster planning, inclusion and communication.
The Hub received input from carers, people living with disability and chronic health conditions, older people, aged care and disability service providers, local and state government agencies and the emergency services sector.
Key Features of the Disaster Preparedness Hub
The Household Readiness Toolkit, central to the Hub, is tailored to individual capacities and includes:
- Household Readiness Plan: An easy-to-follow guide focusing on household capabilities and risks to create Leave Early, Stay in Place, and Evacuate scenario plans for bush fire and flood.
- Household Readiness Planning Guide: A framework supporting individuals and organisations to have meaningful planning conversations, helping to identify strengths and build effective disaster responses.
The Hub also features a suite of engaging videos that provide step-by-step guidance, covering:
- The importance of planning and how households, community groups and organisations can use the resources effectively.
- Integrating warnings and triggers into disaster plans, with insights on accessing and acting on warning information.
- Firsthand accounts of participants who contributed to the development of the Household Readiness Plan.
- Specialised videos and resources for care service organisations, including the Disaster Preparedness for Care Service Organisations video and accompanying information sheet.
The Hub has been delivered as part of the Care2Prepare Project, led by Carers NSW in partnership the Physical Disability Council of NSW (PDCN) and aged care service provider GoCo. This project received funding from the Australia Government through the Preparing Australian Communities Program.
"Disaster preparedness is essential for everyone, but it is especially critical for at risk cohorts as we have unfortunately seen recently in the Los Angeles fires," said Carers NSW Interim CEO Julie Toma. "The Disaster Preparedness Hub provides older people, people living with disability, carers and care service organisations with the tools, knowledge, and confidence to act decisively, safeguarding lives and communities in emergencies."
