Preparing for an emergency
All households should have an emergency evacuation kit prepared in case you have to evacuate your home with little warning. The kit should contain:
- important documents
- medications
- a torch
- batteries
- first aid supplies
In the event of an evacuation, secure your home, turn off all electricity and gas mains and go to your allocated evacuation centre and register with the Red Cross.
Who to call in an emergency
Keep the following information handy, should you need to refer to it in an emergency. It is useful to program these numbers into your telephone:
| Life threatening emergencies only |
000 |
| Police attendance |
131 444 |
| Storms (State Emergency Service) |
1300 130 039 |
| Bushfires (Fire Brigade) |
000 |
| Earthquakes (State Emergency Service) |
1300 130 039 |
| Fire, rescue and chemical accidents (Fire and Rescue Service) |
000 |
| Sea Rescue (Sea, Search and Rescue Service) |
08 9335 1332 or 000 |
If the phone service in your area is out of order and you cannot make contact with the emergency services:
- Stay calm – listen to the radio for official warnings and weather updates.
- Organise your family and neighbours into a self help group ensuring that safety is a priority.
- Watch for emergency service units – they will patrol your area when they can.