DURING

It is important to stay informed and connected during an emergency event. You should stay informed on the weather conditions and hazards likely to affect you, your family, your community and animals in your care.  This includes the potential impacts on your local area, your work, schools and the services you use. This could include road closures, isolation, property damage, the loss of electricity, mobile reception, internet, water and/or sewerage services.

TasALERT is your home of emergency information and warnings, you can view the website or download the TasALERT App. The App is an extension of the website and allows you to set your own Watch Zones so you can receive a notification when there is an alert within your area.

Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) is Australia’s national weather and climate agency. The BoM provides forecasts, warnings and advice, you can visit their website or download the BOM weather app.

State Emergency Services (SES) call 132 500 for flood and storm assistance.

Tasmania Police Community Alerts for information on road closures, visit the Tasmania Police website.

ABC Radio ABC Hobart Live Audio – ABC listen to listen live, turn in to ABC 936 AM or download the ABC Listen APP

Fire Danger Rating for the current fire danger rating in your area.

TasNetworks Power Outages for current power outages in your area.

 The Right Place to help you find the health and community services you need.

Huon Valley Local Business and Service Directory

Translating and Interpreting Service (TIS National)

National Relay Service

It is important to act early – leaving an area during an emergency event can take time. People and pets can be hard to reach, children, the elderly and people living with disabilities need extra time to move. Roads can close and access to services may be cut. Start following your emergency plan and keep your emergency kit handy.

When should I evacuate?

In circumstances such as a bushfire or flood, it may become necessary for you to evacuate from your home. You should leave early, if possible, hours before the threat reaches your home and threatens your escape route.

Most people who die in bushfires do so because they leave just before the fire arrives and are overrun by the fire in the open, either in their car or on foot, are trapped by fallen trees and power lines, or crash due to poor visibility.

If emergency services have concerns regarding your wellbeing and safety, they may recommend that you evacuate. If you choose not to accept or act on these recommendations, and the situation becomes more critical, the Police have the authority to instruct you to evacuate.

How will I be notified to evacuate?

On days when extreme or catastrophic Fire Danger Ratings are forecast or Flood Advice Warnings have been issued, you should be maintaining situational awareness and be checking TasALERT and BOM Weather Warnings regularly.

Affected members of the community may be notified by one or more of the following methods:

• A visit from the Police, Fire Service or SES.
• State Government Alerts – Emergency Alert is the national telephone warning system used by emergency services to send voice messages to landlines and text messages to mobile phones within a defined area about potential emergencies.
• ABC Radio is the national Emergency broadcaster, listen at 936 AM or stream online.

You should not rely on someone personally notifying you. You need to have triggers built into your Emergency Evacuation Plan to help you stay informed and up to date.

Where should I evacuate to?

When leaving, follow your emergency plan, get your emergency kit and lock up your home. If it is safe to do so, tell your neighbours that you have evacuated and where you can be contacted. Go somewhere safe, away from the emergency effected area.

• Your first option should be with family or friends who live in an area which is not at risk from the emergency.
• Your second option should be to find a hotel, motel, caravan park or other short-term accommodation.
• If you are unable to arrange any of the above alternative accommodation, temporary short-term accommodation may be available at a designated evacuation centre. Once an evacuation centre has been activated, the location and other details will be promoted via Council website, social media and ABC Local Radio.

In the event of a major emergency, Huon Valley Council may be directed to open an evacuation centre. Our primary evacuation centre is the Huon Valley PCYC Building located in the Huonville Recreation Grounds. Cats, dogs and small domestic pets may be accommodated at the Huonville Recreation Ground.

Council may also open a Large Animal Refuge at the Ranelagh Showgrounds for those animals with nowhere else to go. This area will accommodate horses and livestock. However, pets and livestock are not always allowed at evacuation centres, so you need to consider what you will do with the animals in your care in your emergency plan, evacuation centres should be your last option.

Never turn animals out on to the road to run free. This is dangerous for emergency responders and vehicles, you may be legally responsible if they cause a crash.

If you evacuate to a relative’s or friend’s house, consider registering online through the Register Find Reunite program at Emergencies and disasters | Australian Red Cross to help others find you. This website is only activated during large emergencies.

What should I take when evacuating?

You should plan to be away from home for at least 72 hours. Ideally, you have pre planned your emergency kit with the items specific to your households needs, but at a minimum an emergency kit should include the following:

• Water (at least 5 litres per person)
• Essential medications and prescriptions
• First Aid kit
• Emergency plan
• Protective clothing, warm clothing, comfortable shoes
• Non-perishable food
• Essential toiletries
• Important documents, cash and cards
• Battery operated radio and spare batteries
• Torch and spare batteries
• Mobile phone, charger, battery pack
• Bed linen, towels and something to sleep on
• Pet Emergency Kit (crate, pet food, bowl, leads, medication)

Identify and pack things that will help you re-establish your life if you lose everything. Copies of important documents to help identify yourself and personal items that hold special meaning to you and your loved ones.

When should I return home?

Do not return home until you have been told by Tas Police or your local emergency services that it is safe to do so. Even if the emergency has been controlled, there may be other safety issues that may affect your ability to return home.

Plan to return home as soon as it is safe to do so. Be aware that fire trucks, fallen trees, power poles and wires and damaged bridges may close some roads for several hours or days. Electricity workers may be working to restore power supplies to affected areas as quickly as possible and may block roads.

In some cases, roadblocks will have been established. This is because the area you plan to enter is unsafe. Take advice from the authorities and avoid trying to re-enter unsafe areas.

A Nearby Safer Place is a place of last resort for people during bushfire emergencies. If you have not prepared your own Bushfire Plan, or your plan has failed, a Nearby Safer Place may be your last resort.

Nearby Safer Places have been assessed by Tasmania Fire Service as places that people can go to as a last resort where they ‘should’ be able to survive the bushfire attack.

Nearby Safer Places do not provide facilities or amenities. Vehicles, pets and other animals may not be able to access Nearby Safer Places.

If you choose to shelter from a bushfire at a Nearby Safer Place, you may need to move around the site to be safe from radiant heat. If a Nearby Safer Place is a building, access into the building is not guaranteed. You may need to shelter behind the building and move around it to protect yourself as the bushfire passes around you.

There may be risks in getting to, or sheltering at, a Nearby Safer Place. They may be in locations that could be directly impacted by bushfire. If this occurs, Nearby Safer Places may experience heavy smoke, falling ash and embers, intense heat and loud noise. It may be difficult to see and breathe.

Nearby Safer Places are not Evacuation Centres or Assembly Areas. If you choose to shelter at a Nearby Safer Place, you may be there alone, without any support from emergency services.

In some communities, Tasmania Fire Service may not identify any Nearby Safer Places. This may be because there are NO publicly accessible sites that are suitable in your area.

Nearby Safer Places are a place of last resort for people during bushfire emergencies.

If you live in or near the bush you need to prepare your own Bushfire Plan. To find out how to prepare a Bushfire Plan, visit www.bushfire.tas.gov.au

For more information see:
Community Bushfire Protection Plans and Nearby Safer Places – A Place of Last Resort