Emergency

Welcome to the Emergency Page.  Here are some ideas to help you cope with the effects of natural or man made disasters/emergencies and the potential for economic difficulties for you and your family

Tornado's are also a lot more frequent in Australia than commonly known. We are fortunate that the majority do not affect us due to our large uninhabited areas

Electrical Storms Common in Australia Often combined with severe hail and windstorms

Have an emergency pack of food, water and first aid supplies to last each member of your family for a 72 hour period.  This is how long it could take in a major incident for help to arrive. Save to have a three month supply of cash to pay for house and utitlity payments should unemployment or other factors such as the 'Millenium Bug' make bank access difficult. Start by putting a small amount each week into an account and don't touch it until you  have reached your goal.  Resist the temptation to dip into it for small bills. Aim to have a minimum of a three month storage of food and water to cater for all members of your family.  Great for conserving cash supplies to pay bills when unemployment or medical conditions strike. Ultimately aim to have one years storage of food, water and essential supplies for your family members.  Only store the type of tinned or sealed food that you actually eat.  Not some exotic mixture that you don't know how to prepare and your body isn't used to. Use the food you have stored and replace on a regular basis to get used to the menus you can prepare Have a action plan for emergencies in the home that every member of the family from youngsters to adults can follow.  Don't forget to practice your plan - kids love to play evacuating the house in case of fire etc.,

Drinking water for each member of the family Food  - not needing refrigeration.  Tins are ideal for safety. Consider food that can be eaten without cooking. Medical supplies including any medication that family members may be taking and a good First Aid kit.  Include sanitary supplies for the ladies.  (Also great for controlling bleeding if the first aid kit runs out of dressings. Change of clothing - dont forget to include warm clothing even in a warm climate. Wet weather gear for everyone Good strong shoes or other strong footwear - no thongs or sandals Can opener - You'll be hungry and embarassed if you forget this one Candles or torches with a spare supply of batteries Matches A small book on survival - make sure it is relevant to your area A small camping gas stove is recommended - You can get them that operate from a small replaceable gas cylinder so you can carry an extra one very easily. Mess tins for each family member - can be use to store things in until you need to eat - and plastic or metal mugs for everyone. Transistor radio with spare batteries to listen to any emergency announcements

Don't go outdoors during storms - cyclones and when directed to stay off the streets by Emergency service announcements Listen to and heed warnings of cyclones or tropical storms as they approach. Be familiar with you local areas counter disaster plan and emergency procedures (Your local council and State Emergency Service will help you with this) When storm warnings are broadcast - make sure that any loose items around the house are secured so that they done become missiles in high winds Regularly check and clean your gutters - the majority of damage to homes in heavy rainstorms comes from water from backed up gutters flowing back under the eaves Keep off the phone unless it's an emergency - leave the lines free as possible If you evacuate to another area - let someone know you are going to avoid family members and emergency personnel worrying where you are