Community Information >  Prepare. Act. Survive.

Prepare. Act. Survive.
Prepare. Act. Survive web page banner red and black

 

The devastating Victorian bushfires of February 7 2009 has accelerated, and provided a renewed focus, for bushfire preparedness in this State.

A Bushfire Task Force was established in March 2009 to analyse key issues arising from the Victorian bushfires and Royal Commission and to look into immediate, medium and longer term strategies required to improve bushfire management practices in South Australia.

On Thursday, 10 September 2009, the State Government announced some of the initiatives and recommendations put forward by the Task Force that will be implemented to help elevate South Australia to a new state of fire readiness. 

Being Bushfire Ready is a shared responsibility and the following are some of the key initiatives that the Government is implementing:

  • A new telephone and text messaging warning system - alerts relating to the most severe fire threats will be sent to landline and mobile phones based on the owner's billing address for the 2009-2010 Bushfire season.
  • The adoption of a new national framework for fire warnings which includes an enhanced Fire Danger Rating system incorporating a new category of Catastrophic (Code Red) and new warning categories.
  • New legislation simplifying the rules about managing native vegetation for bushfire prevention.
  • The introduction of a new theme - PREPARE. ACT. SURVIVE. - to reinforce the message that people won't survive a bushfire unless they are prepared and take the appropriate actions to survive
  • Conducting a "Bushfire Awareness Week", October 19 - 25 2009.
  • DEH, Forestry SA and SA Water working closer together to reduce fuel loads on public land.
  • CFS introducing guidelines and procedures for "directed evacuation" involving Police and
    other emergency services.
  • Identifying "Neighbourhood Safer Places" to be used as an alternative for shelter from a
    bushfire.

To read a full summary of the 63 recommendations of the Bushfire Task Force, click here.

Latest Fact Sheets:

Fire Danger Rating - understanding the Fire Danger Rating to help you assess your level of bushfire risk and identify appropriate actions for your survival.

PREPARE. ACT. SURVIVE. - Summary of key actions that will assist you in making decisions to improve your safety and chances of survival

Watch & Act and Emergency Warning Messages - the three levels of messages that can be issued during a bushfire that you need to be familiar with.

 Preparing for Bushfires

PREPARE. ACT. SURVIVE. - summary of key actions that will assist you in making decisions to improve your safety and chances of survival.

Preparing your Property for Bushfire - detailed information as to the measures that can be taken in preparing property for the bushfire season.

Identifying Hazards around your Home - information to aid you to identify the things around the outside of your home that may easily burn and become embers and those areas that may be vulnerable to ember attack.

Fire Danger Rating  - understanding the Fire Danger Rating to help you assess your level of bushfire risk and identify appropriate actions for your survival.

Preparing Yourself for Bushfires - the emotional and physical preparations necessary for bushfire.

Bushfire Behaviour - comprehensive information about bushfire including differences in fuel, weather effects and the stages of a bushfire.

Days of High Fire Danger - outlining what high fire danger is, the Fire Danger Ratings and Fire Ban Districts.

Bushfire Survival Kits - what you need for a survival, relocation and recovery kit.

Personal Survival - information relating to heat stress, dehydration and burn injuries. 

Fuel Breaks - how to reduce and maintain defendable space between your home and property.

How Houses Burn - information as to how houses burn and the stages of a bushfire.

Planning to Leave Early - steps to take when planning to leave early and understanding the triggers. 

Planning to Stay and Defend - information on what you will neeed to do to prepare yourself and your property during the year.

Fire Fighting Equipment - information on water storage systems, sprinklers systems and other useful ways to prevent the spread of fire within the home.

Care of Pets and Livestock - advice for the care and transport of pets and livestock prior to, during and after a bushfire. 

 During Bushfires

Watch & Act and Emergency Warning Messages - three levels of messages that can be issued during a bushfire that you need to be familiar with.

On the Day of a Bushfire - the preparations and actions to take on days of bushfire threat. 

What to do in the event of a Bushfire - what to do at each stage of a bushfire , the practical tasks that need to be undertaken. 

As initiatives are rolled out, this web page will be updated so please visit this page regularly.
flame & b&w banner logo

Return To Top