Eurobodalla’s own emergency preparedness guide hits mailboxes
Created by locals for locals, the Eurobodalla Preparedness Guide is a one-stop guide for individual, family, neighbourhood and community disaster readiness.
Arriving in mailboxes across the shire from Monday 10 November, the easy-to-use guide has practical starting tools and information on preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural disasters and emergencies, with:
- up-to-date local emergency contact information, all in one place
- personal and property preparation planning tools
- step-by-step instructions for preparing, monitoring and responding to emergencies
- local support hubs, communication and connection resources
The guide’s creators Sandra Makdessi and Von Hutcheson want every household in the shire to be empowered with the information and tools to keep them safe in times of crisis, make informed decisions, and support each other before, during and after emergencies. That includes better preparing you property ahead of time, making an effective bushfire plan, or simply feeling more confident about what to do when the unexpected happens.
Von said, “The Eurobodalla Preparedness Guide is the beginning of a wider movement towards more connection and community strength around disasters and it is so valuable in our region”.
Accessible to everyone – digitally connected or not – a hardcopy of the guide will be delivered to every home in the shire and also continually updated and available on SHASA’s website.
The Eurobodalla Preparedness Guide was officially launched on Tuesday 14 October at Moruya’s Mechanics Institute to a large group including dignitaries, local emergency services, community support groups, media, and enthusiastic supporters and well-wishers.
A key message for the people in the room was : “We encourage you to use the guide, read it, share it, talk to family, friends and neighbours and your community – stick it on your fridge, create your emergency action plans, prepare a survival kit and prepare your property, before the emergency. Together, we’ll build a more resilient shire.” Sandra said.
Speaking at the launch, emergency management professional Dr Brett Henderson said effective emergency management depends on every household and organisation doing their bit before the crisis occurs. Dr Henderson is a retired police commander, SES volunteer, and has recently completed his doctoral thesis ‘Sharing the Responsibility for Emergency Management’, which focuses on Eurobodalla.
“The Eurobodalla Preparedness Guide focuses on individual preparedness, an essential component of our ever-changing disaster environment.” Dr Henderson said.
The Eurobodalla Preparedness Guide was made possible with support from SHASA, Anglicare, Eurobodalla Council, Moruya Rotary, Supporting Spontaneous Volunteers Program, ECSN and SAGE.
