Compiled Plans & Documents OPW18-0342 02

                                                                          Bushfire Emergency Provisions
                                           Retirement Living Village – 6 Grasstree Court, Sunrise Beach

Step 6 Staff Training and Community Awareness
In order to be appropriately prepared for a bushfire event, and to develop organisational situational
awareness of bushfire, a range of training and other awareness measures should be implemented
on an annual basis to ensure village operators and occupants remain up-to-date on general
matters of emergency management (for the facility) and bushfire hazard. The following measures
are recommended for integration into the overall emergency plan for the village:

     •    Adopt corporate systems and process which make it easy and routine for staff to check daily
          fire weather forecasts during the fire season (August to March), and for staff to maintain
          situational awareness. This may include centralised computer monitors with RFSQ, BOM and
          the Council’s Disaster Dashboard pre-loaded and saved to favourites, including signage
          around the office to prompt staff to routinely check fire danger ratings, and include
          information at staff desks on the relevant websites to monitor. This could be expanded to
          include similar information on signs around the facility for occupants.

     •    Ensure each staff member, upon commencement and then annually thereafter, is made
          aware of their responsibilities and the process of the bushfire-specific monitoring and
          evacuation provisions set out in this document, to be incorporated into the overall
          emergency plan for the village;

     •    Consider the incorporation of annual ‘evacuation doorknock drills’ for the EPC and volunteer
          wardens to practice the door-to-door warning system. Subsequent to each practice, the
          EPC should undertake a review of the process to understand those aspects which present
          challenges or did not work effectively and implement relevant changes, to continually
          improve the system over time;

     •    Where relevant whole-of-facility safety and emergency management meetings are held
          (and on an annual basis), familiarise the occupants with the fire danger ratings, the bushfire
          warning systems and the facility’s emergency management provisions which are specific to
          bushfire;

     •    Encourage occupants to prepare emergency kits ahead of each disaster season. This could
          coincide with the Queensland-wide ‘Get Ready’ campaign. Village operators could
          consider inviting Noosa Shire Council’s Disaster Management Team to come in and speak
          with residents about preparedness, noting their specific needs, and preparing an emergency
          kit to aid in efficient evacuation, if need be. Preparation will assist in reducing occupant
          stress during a real event, if they feel more confident and know exactly what they need to
          do; and

     •    Where emergency building evacuation signage is installed across the village, include or co-
          locate emergency management information in the event of bushfire, flood, cyclone, etc.
          This could include information that in the event of SEVERE, EXTREME OR CATASTROPHIC fire
          weather, residents should prepare to evacuate the facility to a safe location.




Status: Provisions                                                                          December 2018
Project No.: 18-030                                                                              Page 21