Is your family prepared for the unexpected? Be ready with a Family Emergency Kit / Survival Kit. Whether it’s excessive rain, flooding, East Coast Lows or bush fires, it’s important for families to be prepared with to deal with an emergency and have emergency supplies ready.
It’s not just flooding and bush fires. We also face the prospect of unexpected emergencies such as storms, power failures, earthquakes and even house fires. Being prepared for the unexpected and knowing what to do will give you confidence in dealing with an emergency.
Ask yourself the following questions: Do you have a Family Emergency Kit / Survival Kit in case you need to stay home for a few days? Have you prepared your family for an emergency evacuation? Do you know what to do if disaster hits and you need to evacuate?
So here are some things you need to do now to prepare your family for an emergency, whether you end up staying at home or are evacuated.
Stay up to date
Triple Zero – In a life-threatening emergency, call 000 (triple zero) immediately.
ABC Newcastle – Listen to ABC Newcastle radio station for the latest information.
Bureau of Meterorology – Check the Bureau of Meteorology website for the latest rain, storm or flood warnings and river heights. The BOM app provides notifications based on your location.
NSW SES NSW State Emergency Service – 132 500 – For emergency help in a flood or storm, call the SES on 132 500 or log on to the NSW State Emergency Service website. Follow the NSW State Emergency Services (SES) for advice for your community. | 132 500 | X (formerly Twitter) – @NSWSES | Facebook
NSW Rural Fire Service – For major bushfire incident updates call 1800 679 737 or visit the NSW Rural Fire Service website.
NSW Live Traffic – Check the NSW Live Traffic website or app for live updates on local traffic conditions and road closures.
Lake Macquarie FloodWatch – Lake Macquarie FloodWatch is a MHL Flood and Coastal Intelligence Tool (MHLFIT) that provides near real-time monitoring of rainfall and water levels across the Lake Macquarie catchment to the south-west of Newcastle. Lake Macquarie FloodWatch provides information on actual rainfall and water levels in the area that indicate if flooding is likely.
Hazards Near Me – Hazards Near Me NSW app, which provides information directly from the NSW Rural Fire Service and the NSW State Emergency Service. The Hazards Near Me NSW app is a free service that gives emergency warnings and advice for fires and floods around the state.
City of Newcastle Flood Alert – Register for the City of Newcastle Flood Alert Service. There are eight flood alert areas in the City of Newcastle area and you can select the ones you would like to receive alerts for.
Newcastle Disaster Dashboard – Discover real-time, local emergency information and recovery resources on the Newcastle Disaster Dashboard.
Ausgrid – For power outages or to report fallen powerlines, contact Ausgrid on 13 13 18 or visit their website to see outages or report a hazard.
NSW School Closures – Check to see if your school is open. The NSW Education Department maintains a list of schools that are closed due to storms, bushfires or other natural disasters. These include both NSW public and independent schools.
Create a Family Emergency Kit or Survival Kit
In the event of a natural disaster or other emergencies, you may need to survive on your own for several days. Being prepared means having your own food, water and other supplies to last for several days. Put together a Family Emergency Kit. This is a collection of basic items your household may need in the event of an emergency.
A basic emergency supply kit could include the following recommended items:
- Water – Store enough drinking water for your household for at least three days. Allow a minimum of three litres per person per day for drinking, with additional water for food preparation, hygiene, pets and hot weather.
- Food – (at least a several days supply of non-perishable food). Choose non-perishable food such as granola bars, biscuits, cereal, instant oatmeal, peanut butter, Vegemite, crackers, long-life milk, tinned food (tuna, salmon, fruit, soup, vegetables).
- Manual can opener (for food) – These are handy if tinned cans don’t have a ring-pull on them.
- Battery powered radio – Have a radio ready for updates in case mobile phone runs out of charge or there’s no phone service. Pack extra batteries.
- Emergency lighting – Pack battery-powered torches, head torches or LED lanterns, along with spare batteries. These are safer options than candles, particularly in homes with children.
- Medications & first aid kit – Have essential medications ready in case you or your family members have medical conditions. Also ensure you can locate a first aid kit including band-aids, bandages, pain relief, antihistamines, etc. Remember children’s medications like Children’s Panadol if you have small kids.
- Whistle – to signal for help
- Dust mask – (to help filter contaminated air)
- Set of gloves – A pair of study work gloves will help prevent injury and infection when needing to handling rubbish and debris.
- Tarps – Keep tarpaulins, duct tape and other useful supplies for minor emergency protection. Don’t climb onto damaged roofs or attempt dangerous storm repairs. Contact the NSW SES on 132 500 if you need emergency assistance during a storm or flood.
- Rubbish bags – Have rubbish bags handy as well as moist towelettes, and sanitiser.
- Wrench or set of pliers – These are useful to turn off utilities if necessary.
- Mobile phone and portable charger – Keep a phone and a portable charger handy. If you have a power bank, make sure it’s fully charged before power goes out.
- Spare cash – Have a small amount of cash (notes and coins) in case ATMs are inaccessible or not working due to power failure.
- Barbeque or portable stove with fuel – If you have an outdoor barbecue or portable camping stove, it may be useful for cooking during an extended power outage. Never use barbecues, outdoor camping stoves or portable generators inside your home, garage or other enclosed areas, as they can produce deadly carbon monoxide gas.
Make a Family Emergency Plan
Having an emergency kit is important, but it’s just as important to have a plan so everyone in your household knows what to do if an emergency happens.
Sit down together and discuss the types of emergencies that could affect your home, such as flooding, bushfires, severe storms or extended power outages.
Your family emergency plan should include:
- Emergency contacts: Keep a list of important phone numbers, including family members, neighbours, schools, medical providers and emergency services.
- Where to go: Decide where your family could stay if you needed to evacuate, such as with relatives or friends in a safe location.
- Evacuation routes: Know how to leave your neighbourhood safely and have alternative routes in mind. Always check current warnings and road closures before travelling.
- A family meeting place: Choose somewhere safe to meet if family members become separated during an emergency.
- Children’s needs: Make sure children know who to contact and what to do if an emergency happens while they’re at school or away from home.
- Pets: Plan how you’ll transport and care for pets, including food, medication, carriers and identification.
- Important documents: Keep copies of essential documents somewhere secure and accessible, including digital copies where appropriate.
Talk to children about emergencies in a calm, age-appropriate way. Explain that having a plan is about being prepared, rather than something to be frightened of.
The NSW SES has a free online emergency planning tool and downloadable checklists to help families get started.
More information: NSW SES – Emergency planning and checklists.
Prepare a Go Bag
If you think that there is a good chance you’ll be evacuated due to floods, bushfires or other emergencies, you’ll need to have a Go Bag. A Go Bag (aka Ready-To-Go kit) is an important step in preparing for an emergency. Use a suitcase or a duffle bag and start filling it with essential household items for about 3 to 7 days. Obviously, every family is different so customise it to what your family needs.
Everyone and every family should have a Go Bag. You can use a duffle bag or large backpack or a small wheeled suitcase and place it somewhere safe but easily accessible. In reality, this is a bag that has some essentials to keep you safe if you have to leave your home quickly to head to emergency shelter or to family and friends.
A tip for families: Keep your Go Bag somewhere easy to access and make sure it’s light enough to carry if you need to leave quickly. If you have babies, young children, older family members or anyone with additional medical or mobility needs, include supplies specific to them. You may also want to keep a smaller bag for each family member. Remember to check your bags regularly and replace expired food, medications and other supplies.
What goes into your Go Bag? Here are some things you can add to a Family Go Bag.
- Food and water – Pack your go bag with non-perishable food such as granola bars, biscuits, cereal, instant oatmeal, peanut butter, Vegemite, crackers, long-life milk, tinned food (tuna, fruit, soup, vegetables) and a can opener. Pack enough bottles of water for your family. If you have room, pack plastic plates and cutlery. For those with babies, pack formula, extra bottles and packs of baby food. Aim to have enough food and water to last 72 hours in the event of a severe emergency.
- Clothing – Pack extra clothing and footwear for each member of the family. With different seasons, choose clothes that can layer such as t-shirts, long sleeve shirts. Throw in plastic rain ponchos as well. If you have school-age kids, add in school uniforms. That way if you’re staying with friends and family nearby, your kids can be ready to go to school (if it’s even open).
- Money & keys – Include keys, cash and credit cards. Have some small denominations in cash as well as large notes in case a power outage knocks out EFTPOS facilities and you can’t use your card for purchases.
- Personal Items – Pack essential items like toothbrush, toothpaste, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, brush, and comb. Pack nappies and feminine hygiene products in a ziplock bag and remove all the air to pack it smaller.
- Sanitation items – Toilet paper, hand sanitiser, wet wipes, dust mask and rubbish bags. Large rubbish bags can also double as rain ponchos.
- Mobile phone and portable charger – Bring a phone and a portable charger. If you have a power bank that is fully charged, bring that too,
- Battery powered radio – Pack a radio in a waterproof bag for updates in case mobile phone runs out of charge or there’s no phone service. Pack extra batteries.
- Torch – Always handy to have. Pack extra batteries.
- Whistle – If you have a whistle, add this to your Go Bag. It’s handy to summon help or notify people where you are.
- Glow Stick – If you have glow sticks, add them to the bag too. You might need them if you need to signal for help in the dark.
- Important documents – Pack important documents like birth certificates, passports, etc. For other documents like insurance papers, household inventory, wills, life insurances, mortgage documents, house deeds, rental leases and landlord contacts, have copies of the document stored on a USB or in cloud storage.
- Medications & first aid kit – Pack essential medications in case you or your family members have medical conditions. Pack enough for an extended period away. Also pack a first aid kit including band-aids, bandages, pain relief, antihistamines, etc. Remember children’s medications like Children’s Panadol if you have small kids.
- Comfort & entertainment – Bring some items to keep your kids occupied and comforted like pacifiers, a small stuffed animal, blanket, deck of cards or small travel games. You might be spending extended time in an emergency shelter. These small things can help comfort your kids through a stressful time.
- Pet supplies – If you have pets, pack essentials for them as well. Pack at least three days worth of food for them as well as leashes, pet carriers and pet medication.
Check Your Emergency Kit Regularly
Once you’ve prepared your family emergency kit, don’t forget about it. Set aside some time before storm and bushfire season to check that everything is still in good condition.
Replace expired food and medications, check batteries, recharge power banks and make sure clothing and supplies are still suitable for your family’s needs.
It’s also worth reviewing your emergency plan whenever your circumstances change, such as moving house, changing schools, welcoming a new baby or getting a pet.
You can download an emergency kit checklist from the NSW SES website to help make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.
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