The Shire has developed an Emergency Preparedness and Response Guide to assist the community to be ready for power or communication outages. The guide outlines actions to take before, during and after an emergency.
Before an Outage - Be Prepared
Household Readiness
- Install a small generator to power essentials.
- Keep a water tank for drinking and hygiene needs.
- Use UHF radios (Channel 28) for emergency communication.
- Print an emergency contact list.
- Prepare an emergency kit:
- Battery-powered radio and torch
- Spare batteries
- First aid supplies and essential medication
- Fuel for generator
- Non-perishable food and drinking water
- Power bank for mobile phones
Medical Essentials
- List of medications with dosages.
- Copies of prescriptions.
- Essential medical items (inhalers, insulin, EpiPens).
- Medical summary for ongoing health conditions.
Community Preparedness
- Essential facilities (Emergency Services Centre, Shire Office, Recreation Centre) have backup power.
- Fuel and water contingency plans are in place - person preparedness is still essential.
- Follow the Shire's website and social media for updates.
During and Outage - Stay Safe
Communication
- Use UHF radios or satellite services (Starlink, Crips Wireless) with generator power.
- Tune in to emergency broadcasts or receive SMS alerts (if registered)
Power and Services
- Critical sites use backup generators
- Shire may deploy trailer-mounted generator (35KVA) (medical centre, fuel station and safety services are restoration priorities)
- Shire Admin Centre on Longhurst Street will operate prioritised services, If not, services will move to Emergency Services Centre (Latham Road)
Health and Safety
- Welfare checks will be conducted by Shire, LEMC and Police
- Notify Shire or Police if help is needed
- Hospital will operate with backup power
After an Outage - Recovery and Review
- Continue safe use of generators until full power returns.
- Restock emergency supplies and refuel.
- Report Issues:
- Shire (9064 7308) - road/ building hazards
- Telstra (13 22 03) - communications
- Water Corp (13 13 75) - potable water
- Western Power (13 13 51) Electricity
- Share feedback with the Shire to improve response plans
Evacuation and Emergency Coordination
- Evacuation Centre: Narembeen Recreation Centre, Currall Street
- Coordinated by: Shire and LEMC
- Centre provides: information, welfare support, updates.
- Emergency updates via:
- Evacuation Centre
- UHF Channel 28
- Shire SMS alerts
- Public Noticeboards
