How bushfire evacuation plans are made (Part 1)

Australia knows the horrors of bushfires. Not coming up with a bushfire evacuation plan is a BIG NO-NO.

In this two-part article series, we will walk you through the six steps of establishing a bushfire evacuation plan.

Generally, this kind of work will involve choosing people for certain roles, identifying emergency facilities and getting environmental site assessments from Sydney professionals.

Here’s the first half of the six-step process:

STEP 1 - Establish an Emergency Planning Committee (EPC)

The EPC is a consultative group comprised of people who represent those who occupy, work or live at the facility. It usually consists of senior management, tenants, staff and chief and deputy chief wardens.

The EPC needs to participate actively in the planning process. They should also be the ones who are likely to be responsible for carrying out the plan during an emergency.

STEP 2 - Analyse site characteristics

To prepare an appropriate plan, you should consider the characteristics of a site such as:

• The type of facility

• Location of the facility

• How it may be affected by a bushfire

• The number of occupants and if any of them have 'support needs' that need to be considered

Coming up with a plan requires an understanding of how a bushfire may affect a site and its occupants. For a better understanding, consider consulting with the NSW RFS and other organisations that offer environmental site assessments in Sydney.

STEP 3 - Decide primary action (sheltering or evacuation)

Choosing to evacuate or shelter under general bushfire conditions is a crucial decision. There’s a difference between the two.

Sheltering is transferring people to a place that’s close to where they occupy but away from the dangers of a bushfire.

Evacuation is when people move from their place of stay to another location away from the effects of a bushfire. There’s more distance involved in this process and requires an off-site refuge.

That’s it for the first half. In the next and final part, you’ll learn the last three steps:

• Analyse requirements for sheltering and evacuation

• Develop emergency procedures

• Training of staff and occupants

Remember that when planning for emergency situations, it’s better to be safe than sorry.