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YOU need to take steps to prepare yourself, your family and your home. This means being prepared well before you can be affected by a fire.
Deciding if you will leave early or stay and defend a well prepared property: Not all homes are defendable, and not all people are able to cope with the ordeal of staying to defend their home. It is important that you consider your individual and family circumstances when making decisions about what you and your family should do.
Leave early : Leaving early is always the safest option. In some situations the choice to leave early is much more important. These include when:
- The Fire Danger Rating is Catastrophic. Homes aren’t designed to withstand a bush fire during these conditions. Any fire that starts and takes hold will be so intense that it won’t be safe to Stay and Defend any home – no matter how well prepared it is.
- You have not prepared yourself or your property to give you and your home the best level of protection from a fire.
- There are children, elderly or disabled people in your home. People who are vulnerable due to age, health, or any other reason, should always leave early.
- Your house is not defendable. Some homes are not safe to defend because of their location or, construction.
If you plan to leave then you should leave well before a fire reaches your area and well before you are under threat. You should listen to your local radio station for messages and warnings – but do not rely just on warnings as fires can develop quickly and impact on communities before authorities can issue official warnings.
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Stay and defend a well prepared property: Consider the following if you plan to stay and defend your property:
- Is your property well prepared and maintained?
- Are you physically and emotionally prepared to defend your property?
- Do you know what to do before, during and after a bush fire?
- Do you have well maintained resources and equipment and does everyone planning to stay and defend know how to use them?
- Do you have access to water for firefighting purposes eg. a tank, dam or pool? Town water supplies can fail during emergencies.
- Do you have appropriate personal protective clothing?
- Do you have a back-up plan? You cannot just stay and defend without careful planning and preparation.
What if something goes wrong? You need to have a back-up plan! Sometimes, no matter how well prepared you are, things don’t go to plan. That’s why, whether you plan to leave early or stay and defend, you need a back-up plan.
