With almost a year under his belt, Eurobodalla's first full-time local emergency management officer Angus Barnes has taken a deep dive into the shire's emergency plans, working alongside response agencies and community groups to ensure we'll be as prepared as possible facing future catastrophes.
Council upgraded the role from parttime to full-time late last year, reflecting both community sentiment and our own commitment to disaster preparedness in the wake of bushfires and floods. Angus was a natural fit; a seasoned professional with 21 years Rural Fire Service experience and known for his straight-talking, get-it-done approach.
Currently Angus is working on a community information piece for guiding individuals and groups on where to find and how to use abundant existing resources.
"All the response agencies have done a significant amount of work on preparedness – the RFS on bushfire readiness, the SES on floods, and so on. I'm gathering all that up so people can link from one place. It's a good opportunity to remind the community of Council's differing roles before, during and after a natural disaster," he says.
Angus is also working with the NSW Reconstruction Authority on disaster adaptations and pre-emergency recovery plans, formalising the processes of natural-disaster recovery, and putting these in place before disasters happen.
"It's not all big-money or agency-led responses. It can be simple things, like photographing each room in your house from each corner of the room to make a record of your belongings. So much easier for you to make a contents claim, and easier for the insurer too," says Angus.
- This story was first published in Council's quarterly newsletter for residents, Living in Eurobodalla. A printed edition is delivered to Eurobodalla's 26,000 households.
