Powered by Tasmania Fire Service’s Bushfire Ready Neighbourhoods Program
Bushfire-Ready Challenge 4:
PUT TOGETHER AN EMERGENCY KIT
Watch the below video about this week’s challenge, and then work through the following information and activities, to help you discover your bushfire risk!
What is an EMERGENCY KIT?
An emergency kit is a collection of essential items that will help you survive a bushfire or emergency incident. This kit should be resourced to support you for up to 2-3 days. Your kit should be prepared now, and stored somewhere that is easily accessible, allowing you to quickly grab and go. This will save you vital time during an emergency, allowing you to act on other items in your bushfire plan.
Why do I need an emergency kit?
Watch what can happen during an emergency.
*Please disregard websites provided in this video and refer to www.fire.tas.gov.au
for Tasmanian specific information
What’s the difference between an emergency kit, and other essential items you need to grab in an emergency?
An emergency kit is something you can ‘set and forget’ until you need it in an emergency. This means that items included do not need maintenance or replacing within 12 months of packing.
Other essential items are things that you use in your day-to-day life, but you will need to take in an emergency. It is critical to keep a list of these items in your emergency kit.
Click the button below to read more about recommended items on page 9 of the Bushfire Safety Guide. Or refer to your hardcopy.
Leave early to ensure you can pack more!
It’s always best to leave early before a bushfire emergency. Not only will you get to safety quicker and easier, but it means you will be able to pack more items. Remember, you may be away from home for 2-3 days, so allow yourself time to pack your creature comforts!
Put together an EMERGENCY KIT!
ACTIVITY:
Just like the families in the video above, let’s practice for an evacuation, and see what items you grab when you’re on the clock!
Follow the steps below for a chance to win an emergency kit from the Tasmania Fire Service!
Get everyone together.
Gather your family or household at the dining table.
Set a timer.
Grab a stopwatch or timer and set it for 10 or 15 minutes.
Challenge your family to collect emergency items.
Ask everyone to grab what they think is required for an emergency evacuation and bring them to the table. Start the timer and GO!
Stop the timer!
Now reflect on what items you now have in front of you. Are all of these items what you really need in an emergency!?
Reflect.
Take the time to reflect on how everyone was feeling during the activity. Did people feel anxious or stressed? Did you feel rushed and overwhelmed? Spend time talking about this.
Discuss your emergency kit and other essential items.
Finalise the items that you require for bother your emergency kit, and also other essential items.
Put together your emergency kit and store away.
Put together your emergency kit, ensuring you include a list of other essential items you will need to grab during a bushfire incident. Then discuss and elect a location in your home to store your emergency kit. Ensure it is easy, safe and quick to access in an evacuation.
How did you go?!
Send us a photo of your completed activity to community@fire.tas.gov.au and go into the draw to win a brand-new emergency kit from the Tasmania Fire Service! Make sure your photo includes items you grabbed, and any lists you made.
Remember, EVERYONE HAS A ROLE during an evacuation!
Just as you should have discussed druing your bushfire planning, it is important to outline roles and responsibilities when planning what to take. When preparing your emergency survival kit, and taking the time to outline other essential items, you can assign every family or household member a role and responsibility during evacuation.
Even the kids can play a role!
during a bushfire incident. Taking age and ability into consideration, the youngest members may take responsibly for the following:
- Packing their own emergency kit ahead of time, or assisting in selecting items with the family.
- Take responsibility for other additional items that need to be grabbed in an evacuation.
- Be assigned small and safe home preparation tasks before evacuation.
- Take responsibility for pets and pet items
Roles & Responsibility can help reduce panic
By assigning clear roles and responsibilities, it will help all household members to:
- Alleviate anxiety, panic and stress.
- Give individuals purpose and ensure they do not feel 'lost' or 'in the way' during an evacuation.
- Save crucial time, so can leave early and safely.
- Ensure inidivudals are where you need them to be when its time to leave.
You should now have some piece of mind that you’re ready to leave early in a bushfire!
There’s only one week to go of the Community Bushfire-Ready Challenge! Hold tight to find out what your last challenge will be.