Respond to a Disaster
The most important thing to remember during a natural disaster is to follow the instructions of local authorities and emergency services and stay calm.
For assistance during a disaster, telephone:
- Police/Fire/Ambulance (life threatening emergencies): 000.
- State Emergency Service: 132 500.
- Local Disaster Coordination Centre 1300 652 659.
Log On:
- To the Emergency Dashboard for local emergency contact information, weather warnings, road conditions and possible evacuation information and routes.
Tune In:
- To your battery powered radio and your local radio station to listen for weather and warning updates.
Listen Out
- For the Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) which is a wailing siren sound used throughout Australia for various emergency events of major significance.
- For Emergency Alert voice messages to your landline and text messages to your mobile telephone.
- For local community safety announcements for updates.
- For sirens and loud-hailer announcements.
- For Emergency Services personnel who may door-knock your local area to pass on warnings.
Act:
- By responding immediately to the advice provided.
- By activating your Household Emergency and Evacuation Plan if required.
- By locating and collecting your Emergency Kit, Pet Emergency Kit and Evacuation Kit.
- By activating evacuation arrangements if required.
Whilst the Local Disaster Coordination Centre (LDCC) and relevant emergency services will do all they can to assist the community in times of disaster, it should be remembered that individuals are ultimately responsible for their own safety.
There are three degrees of evacuation:
- Self Evacuation – This is when a household decides they can not stay in their home during a disaster (for example, their house isn’t strong enough to withstand the winds of a cyclone). Consider staying with family or friends that live in an area that won’t be impacted by the disaster or is a safer alternative. It is important to do this early in case the situation changes.
- Advised Evacuation – This is when the disaster is likely to impact on a certain area. Authorities will advise residents of the area to evacuate. In these situations there is still time for residents to safely evacuate and an evacuation centre is often set up. Precautions similar to those in self evacuation should be taken.
- Mandatory Evacuation – This means that all notified residents must evacuate. Such an order would not be delivered without a good reason and generally relates to the safety of those likely to be impacted by flood waters and property inundation, a threatening bushfire or chemical incident.
If evacuation is advised or mandatory, the LDCC will advise the location/s of temporary accommodation or evacuation centre/s.
No matter what, it is important that you be prepared if evacuation if required.
- View Your Emergency Guide to see other RESPOND information.
- The State Emergency Service (SES): As part of the Disaster Management Act 2003, Councils and Queensland Police Service are jointly responsible for supporting volunteer SES units. Council employs a fulltime local controller and supplies storage and operational equipment such as vehicles, flood boats, trailers, chainsaws, generators, lighting and safety equipment.
- Register.Find.Reunite: This Australian Red Cross service allows our community to register, find and reunite family, friends and loved ones during and after a disaster event.
- Emergency Contacts
- Listen to the SEWS