Preparing for an Emergency

Every home should have an emergency plan. Having a plan could save your life or the lives of others. Below are the commonly used emergency plans.

• Australian Red Cross Rediplan, generic emergency plan for households.
• CFA Your Bushfire Plan,  template for developing a bushfire plan. 
• VicSES Get Ready, a range of plans to support people at home, work or on the road.

The Australian Red Cross has a checklist that you can consider for you and your family. It is recommended that you check the items in your emergency kit every year and replace expired items with fresh items. Keep your emergency kit somewhere easy to locate. Make sure that other members of your household know where the emergency kit is stored.

In the event of an emergency, emergency service vehicles need to be able to locate your property easily and quickly and your house number needs to be clearly visible from the road.

Guidelines for displaying house numbers include:

• Minimum height for house numbers is 75mm
• Use plain, legible numbers from white or yellow reflective material
• Display the numbers on the front of your letterbox
• Keep bushes and shrubs trimmed around your letterbox

If you live in a unit or flat, make sure your house number is located on the wall next to your front door.

If you have pets or other animals, it is your responsibility to ensure their safety during an emergency. Ensure the following is available during an emergency.

Further information relating to pets in Emergencies can be found on the Animal Welfare website.