Emergency REDIPlan

This is an 4 step emergency plan developed by the Red Cross.

INTRODUCING  EMERGENCY REDiPlan:

FOUR
STEPS TO PREPARE YOUR HOUSEHOLD

I write to introduce you to the Red Cross Emergency REDiPlan.
As we head toward a period with a high likelihood of fire danger, flood and
storm activity, there is a need to build resistant communities who are
well-prepared for emergencies. I'd like to offer an opportunity to work
together through Emergency REDiPlan.

What is Emergency REDiPlan?

Emergency REDiPlan is a Red Cross community information
program to help people in Australia prepare for, respond to and recover from
emergencies. It was launched by the Federal Attorney-General, The Hon Robert
McClelland, MP in October 2008. It focuses on helping the individual or family
to prepare for a disaster. It is designed to complement traditional education
materials delivered by Police, Fire, SES and Health Departments.

One of Red Cross' global goals is to reduce the impact of
emergencies on the most vulnerable people. Our work in emergencies both
internationally and around Australia has taught us that helping individuals and
communities to be prepared is an important part of risk management.

In consultation with key Emergency Management partners,
including Emergency Management Australia, we have developed Emergency REDiPlan and the Four Steps to prepare households as tools to help build more emergency-resilient communities through individual household preparedness.

What are the Four Steps?

Emergency REDiPlan promotes preparedness through a logical and
easy-to-follow Four Step process.

Step 1: Be Informed

Taking an all-hazards approach to preparedness, Step 1
encourages people to understand their local environment and all potential
threats within it, as well as the sources of information or help in an Emergency.
This will encourage participants to make contact with the key Fire, Council and SES authorities in their area.

Step 2: Make a Plan

This covers making a household plan for both evacuation and
staying at home, considering short-term requirements and also longer-term
needs, such as insurance cover and financial security. The underlying premise
is ‘protect what's important to you'. It is hoped that through proactive
planning families will seek guidance from key combat agencies about protecting their home, while we seek to prepare the family for possible evacuation (if required) or to shelter in place for issues such as power outages or paramedics.

Step 3: Get an Emergency Kit

From survival essentials to passports and photographs, Step 3
provides advice on useful items to keep handy in case of emergency to either
evacuate or shelter in place.   

Step 4: Know your Neighbours

Research shows that people who feel part of their community
are more likely to be prepared for, and to help each other in an emergency.
Step 4 promotes simple community-building exercises to help people get to know their neighbours.

Community Engagement

We have resources and a volunteer speaker's network to help
educate people about household preparedness. This includes the instruction
book, ‘Four Steps to Prepare Your Household', fact sheets, kid's activity book,
a version for seniors and other promotional items. All of the information is
also available at www.redcross.org.au

We are working with Emergency Management partners, other Red
Cross programs, local Councils, other Agencies and businesses to distribute
preparedness information among communities in Australia and deliver these
important messages to households.

Please feel free to contact your local Red Cross REDiPlan Community Speaker:

(h) 6495 6263    (m) 0417 131 992