Plan and Prepare for an Emergency Central Coast

How to Plan and Prepare for an Emergency on the Central Coast

Yarramalong Local, Renee Perkins Lacy will never forget the night she watched her world burn. Trapped in a tiny group of houses at Cottage Point in Ku-ring-gai National Park, her family was helpless against the flames that threatened them. They were saved by a group of heroic firefighters who battled through the night, but for Renee, the feeling of fear and helplessness is never far from the surface. As an adult, she has translated that terrifying childhood experience into an organised practice to protect her own family from environmental threats. This is called Emergency Preparedness.

Central Coast Council is advocating for Coasties to start thinking about their own emergency preparedness. Whilst we are lucky to live amongst such incredible natural environments, for many of us, there is a risk of being impacted by unexpected weather and fire events.

What does this mean? Renee assures us that there is no need to start digging bunkers in the backyard. Emergency Preparedness is just a practice of organisation and acquiring key information.

We recently sat down with Renee to understand what it means to be prepared in an emergency;

What does ‘emergency preparedness’ mean?

The main idea is that it takes the stress out of an unexpected event. We see threatening events in the news all the time and the reality is that we need to consider the possibility of natural disasters. To be prepared means that you know how different events could affect you and your home. It’s about making sure that you have established clear procedures to follow if something happens.

Why do you think it’s important to educate Coasties about being ready for an emergency?

Extreme events are having such an impact on communities. Severe

storms, heat waves, floods, and fires; have all hit the Coast in recent years. These days, we depend on utilities and services for everything, and, during these events, we can find ourselves without power, flushing toilets or running water. In my area, we have seen power outages last for days. This can put great strain on families and create a lot of stress and

fear. Knowing how to be ready for an emergency is everybody’s responsibility. It’s important to make sure we are talking to each other and sharing our knowledge to be prepared.

Why do you think it’s important to educate Coasties about being ready for an emergency?

Big storms and weather events are having such an impact on communities in our current environment. High winds, floods, and fires; have all hit the Coast in recent years. In today’s society we depend on utilities and services for everything, and, during these events, we can find ourselves without the basics. In the past, we have seen blackouts last for days. This can put great strain on families and creates a lot of stress and fear which can turn a manageable situation into a traumatic event. With preparation, this can be more manageable.

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Emergency Preparedness on the Central Coast

What types of emergencies have you experienced? How has this informed your need to be prepared?

We endured a lot of fire events during my childhood living in Cottage Point and we almost lost my family home in 1994. This really informed my need to be emergency-ready. I now live in Yarramalong Valley and have experienced flooding; a completely different type of emergency. Since living there, my family and I have navigated three major floods. Flooding

often means that you are isolated for long periods of time; being alone for over a week with no communication is a reality for people in some areas. I learnt to combat the fear of something like that happening by being organised and prepared. 

How do we get started? What advice would you give Coasties about preparing their emergency plans?

Education about your local area is a good place to start. Know the risks in your local environment. Do you live near bodies of water? Is your property near to bushland? Knowing the history of your area is important as well. Becoming clear about the risk factors will help you make the right preparations to support yourself and your family. In Renee’s experience, simple things like canned food and a portable gas top stove have been excellent resources to have on hand. Storing bottled water is also a must.  Living on a bigger property, Renee has also used generators and Starlink communications, which have helped her recover from flooding with minimal loss.

What about my pets?

Pets are family too, but can be problematic during events because they are scared. Make sure you have access to pet crates, leads and food, which are easy to grab in an evacuation or when you lose services. If you are on property with livestock, then you need to ensure you have a plan for animals and that you can open gates to allow animals to seek safety and move to safer ground if needed. We practice our evacuation with our pets, so they get used to going in the grate and in the car.

The concept of an emergency is scary. How can you positively involve kids in emergency preparedness?

The best thing to do is to be clear and open when communicating with them. Keeping them informed can help them to remain calm during events as they understand what is happening and that their family has enough resources to sustain a few days in the dark. Give them a say and have a chat about things that are most important to them and what they would like to take to help them feel safe. Letting children be a part of your emergency preparedness is an empowering experience that shows them that you value their ideas and that, together, you can manage challenging times.

How can I work with my community?

Familiarise yourself with local services. Visit your local NSW RFS on their open days and chat about your plans. The SES website gives some excellent advice on emergency preparedness and there are plans you can fill in to suit your family. Check in with your neighbours and establish a relationship that will help you support each other during unexpected events. Local community Facebook pages are also a great way to stay connected and share information about ways to prepare your homes through the changing seasons. In Yarramalong we make sure that we lean on our community and know our neighbours. This helps during those scary times of isolation because we know that we are not alone and that we can rely on our emergency preparations.

Test your and your family’s own emergency preparedness below:

> Do you know your closest neighbours and have their contact info? Y/N

> Are you aware of the potential risks your home/property could face? Y/N

> Do you have some of the above-mentioned essentials in your pantry that could sustain your family for a few days? Y/N

> Have you ever chatted to your kiddos about what could happen if an emergency were to take place? (This could be as simple as a chat about smoke alarms after a visit to your local Fire Station’s open day). Y/N

> Are you a member of your local neighbourhood/community Facebook group? Y/N

How’d you score?

Scoring 4/5 or more means you’re doing well! Keep up the good work and being prepared for an emergency.  

For more information about emergency preparedness contact Search Plan and Prepare at centralcoast.nsw.gov.au

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