Dear Editor,
Communities across Australia are reeling from the compounding effects of fires, floods, cyclones and the global pandemic, and there can be no doubt that more challenges will emerge. Australian Red Cross is urging people to act now to prepare for the inevitable disasters ahead.
Red Cross has long known the value of communities and individuals taking time to plan and prepare for potential disasters. That value has now been underscored by a Curtin University report into the effectiveness of our emergency preparedness programs for people who lived through the devastating 2021 Wooroloo Bushfire in the Perth Hills.
This month marks our annual campaign to encourage people to prepare ahead for disasters, because preparedness has been found to improve how people experience disasters and how they recover from them.
Excellent resources on the Red Cross website www.redcross.org.au/prepare include steps to create your own emergency plan, download the Red Cross Get Prepared App, prepare a survival kit, emergency contacts list, and keepsake list, and understand ways to help manage stress.
With disaster season almost upon us, I urge people to start thinking now about how they will manage.
Garry Page
Director, Australian Red Cross, Queensland
