Fine tuning survival plans

NOOSA’S Disaster Co-ordination Centre chair Bob Abbot is urging residents to develop bushfire, storm and flood survival plans for their households ahead of summer.
It comes as Noosa’s Local Disaster Management Group took part in Operation Firestorm, a scenario-based emergency response exercise involving Noosa, Gympie and Sunshine Coast local disaster management groups and emergency services.
This year’s scenario involved major bushfires burning simultaneously across the three local government areas, including three fires within Noosa Shire.
“These annual exercises test our readiness for disaster and our disaster plan, as well as ensure co-ordination across all emergency services and agencies in responding to a disaster event,“ Cr Abbot said.
“However, being well-prepared to weather a disaster is everyone’s responsibility, and it starts at home.
“With summer approaching, it’s important that we are all prepared for potential fire events, and it’s timely for residents to talk to their families about developing not only a plan for fire events, but storms and floods, which occur all too often in Queensland.”
A bushfire survival plan details how residents will prepare and what action they will take if threatened by a bushfire.
For information about developing a bushfire survival plan, visit the Rural Fire Service Queensland website at www.ruralfire.qld.gov.au.
Cr Abbot said Operation Firestorm helped councils and state agencies fine tune their disaster response.
“There are always learnings, and communications are the key. These sorts of exercises help build trust and foster strong working relationships between all of the agencies involved,” he said.