Disaster Preparedness

General Disaster Preparedness

As there is a single source of water, a single source of grid power and a single method of transport to SMBI, residents need to take a serious look at their disaster preparedness. We are at a higher level of risk than mainland Australia.

There are some simple things that can be done to ensure you are as prepared as you can be for these and other situations when they occur.

1. Create an Emergency Plan

The Australian Red Cross has a number of things that will help you prepare for emergencies and disasters. The first step is to create an Emergency Plan for your household to protect what matters most. Click on this link to open the “Your RediPlan” PDF that can be filled out online, and then saved and printed.

2. Install and Configure The Get Prepared App

Another Australian Red Cross resource is their Get Prepared app that is available for both Android and iOS devices. This has the basics of the Emergency Plan including your Key 3 Contacts, Meeting Points, Important Documents, Medical Contacts, Emergency Pack List and locations of emergency information and updates.

3. Emergency Pack List

A third useful Australian Red Cross resource is their Emergency Pack List. There’s no need to be a “Doomsday Prepper” to be prepared for emergencies and disasters, and having a “go bag” ready with a list of what else needs to be added before leaving home makes a lot of sense.

4. Simple Household Preparedness Options

Food – As we’re in a location with limited access to a food supply should supply lines be cut (power, water transport, etc) it makes sense to have more than the recommended 3 days’ supply of food. My suggestion for us on SMBI has always been for at least a 7 day supply of food in the house at all times. This can include pasta, rice, tinned fruit and vegetables, powdered or dried and long life foods, formula and baby food, pet food and – very importantly – coffee. Adding one or two items per shop will allow this stock level to be built up slowly and affordably. Obviously a fruit and/or vegetable garden will help a lot here, too.

Water – It is recommended that we have 3 L of bottled or potable water per person per day on hand. For 7 days, that’s around 20 L per person. If you have tank water, make sure that you have sterilisation tablets handy. Concentrated or powdered juices and/or sports drinks are also useful, especially in hot periods to replace nutrients lost through sweat.

Cooking – As we lose power on a relatively regular basis, it is worth having some form of gas cooking available. A small portable butane stove can be purchased, along with some spare butane bottles, if your normal method of cooking is via electricity. If you have a gas barbecue already, then you’re set – if you have enough gas to last a week or so of cooking.

Hygiene – We’re all a lot more used to disinfectant wet wipes and hand sanitizer these days thanks to Covid. Making sure you’ve got sufficient stock of paper towel, toilet paper, tissues, deodorant, soap and shampoo, feminine hygiene products, household cleaning and disinfectants, and rubbish bags is recommended. A boiled kettle poured into a tub with some cold water and soap will allow for sponge baths until power is restored.

Medications – If at all possible, having more than a few days’ supply of medications is important. Having a copy of any current scripts as well as your doctor’s and chemist’s contact details is recommended.

Health Supplies – A current First Aid Kit is recommended for every house. These can be purchased at the local chemist. Additionally, adult and children’s pain killers and anti-inflammatories and cough/cold medicine, as well as face masks and protective gloves is recommended.

Pets – Please ensure you have enough food, medication and other supplies for your pets. If you need to evacuate the house, please have a quality lead (and possibly a muzzle) for your dog(s), a good carrier for your cat(s), cages appropriate for birds, and whatever other means of transportation is appropriate for other pets – and be sure to take food and water for your pets, as well as a food bowl for each animal.

Generator – Diesel/Unleaded generators can be bought locally. These are a great way to prolong the length of time fridge and freezer foods remain viable, to grind some coffee, to cook on an induction plate, to charge your phone or laptop batteries, and to run those fans on a hot summer’s day. An absolute minimum size for a generator would be 2 kVA as anything under that will struggle to run too much at once.

UPS (Battery Backup) – Any sensitive electronics should be protected by a surge suppressor, and this is often improved by the use of a UPS (uninterruptible power supply). If the UPS is sized appropriately, this can be used during night times when generator use is discouraged by charging it up from your generator.