Hold a bushfire planning meeting with your household
Put the kettle on and clear the kitchen table. The best plans are made together!
To complete this week’s challenge, you will sit down with any other members of your household and consider what's going to go in your Bushfire Plan. If you already have one, get ready to update!
Have your Plan ready to go by referring to the ‘MY BUSHFIRE PLAN’ section of the TFS Bushfire Safety Guide and/or bringing up the online version.
Watch this short video and work together with your household to answer the following questions.
Bushfire Planning - Nigel & Bernadette
What are your triggers to leave early?
And what does 'early' actually mean? It certainly means before a bushfire is threatening your area, but it's really up to you and anyone you live with to decide exactly what your household's triggers to leave will be. It is one of the most important aspects of your Bushfire Plan.
Triggers to leave are different for every household. In a high-risk area, you might plan to leave when the Fire Danger Rating hits a certain level, even if there is no fire burning. Alternatively, you might plan to leave when there is a fire within a certain distance of your home, at a particular Warning Level. To know when conditions like these are met, you'll need to keep an eye on the Australian Fire Danger Rating system and the TasALERT website, and stay tuned to your local ABC radio station.
What will you take?
Working out what to take during an emergency is always tricky.
That’s why we recommend that you make an emergency kit ahead of time and a list of additional items you will need to grab at the time you leave your house.
Check out page 9 of the TFS Bushfire Safety Guide for further advice and look out for Challenge 4 in a couple of weeks!
Where will you go?
Leaving early is always the safest option during a bushfire incident.
We encourage households to seek out friends and family as your first option when leaving a bushfire affected area.
That way, you can sit back with a cuppa and wait the fire out!
We know it might not always be that easy, and that’s why the TFS has Community Bushfire Protection Plans in place across many Tasmanian communities to help you make more informed decisions, such as identifying Evacuation Centres and Bushfire Places of Last Resort (Nearby Safer Places).
Community Bushfire Protection Plans
Be aware that Bushfire Place of Last Resort are just that – a last resort!
Do you need to consider people at increased risk, such as those who are elderly or live with disability?
We are all experts in our own lives, so to ensure we can act quickly during a bushfire incident, we need a Bushfire Plan that is fit for purpose.
TFS and SES work closely with initiatives like Collaborating for Inclusion to support people in their own unique circumstances using a person-centered emergency preparedness (P-CEP) approach.
Gary Matthews - "Disempowering"
More information and resources, such as the Capability Wheel tool, are available on the SES Tasmania's Person-centred Emergency Preparedness webpage.
Consider who can help you develop a Bushfire Plan that works for you - it might be a friend, family member, support provider or carer.
What role will each person play?
Every member of your household should have some role to play within your Bushfire Plan, according to their age and abilities. The last thing you want in an emergency is someone feeling lost, confused, panicked or like they’re getting in the way.
Use this planning time to consider and discuss what each person could be responsible for when the time comes to put your Bushfire Plan into action.
It’s also important to talk to neighbours, family and friends about your Plan. It’s helpful to know what those around you are likely to do and whether you can help each other.
Did you know you can also work with your neighbours to reduce risks together in a Bushfire-Ready Group? Find more at the Tasmania Fire Service Bushfire-Ready Groups page.