Preparing our community for future emergencies

Port Macquarie-Hastings

Port Macquarie-Hastings Council (PMHC) will initiate a series of natural disaster preparedness days aimed at educating the community on how to plan for future emergencies.

Following recent disasters that have rocked our region – and left people feeling more and more vulnerable to the impacts of mother nature – Council is hosting three free Community Preparedness Days that will give rise to how households can better prepare for, and cope with, future natural disasters.

Starting at Bruce Porter Reserve, Laurieton, on Saturday 7 May, key emergency service personnel will be attending the Community Preparedness Days to talk about disaster management.

They will provide expert advice about how to best prepare for emergency scenarios before they happen, and what to do during and after they occur.

PMHC Group Manager Community, Lucilla Marshall, said the best time to plan for an emergency is now, because you never know when the next will happen.

“One thing we can learn from the past two years is to never take your preparation plans for granted when it comes to emergency situations,” Ms Marshall said.

“Knowing what you need to do before, during and after an event could help you save a home, a loved one or even your own life. Please consider making it to one of our Community Preparedness Days so that you can learn and hear from the experts with the right qualifications, insight and advice on what you need to know.”

As well has hearing from those in the know, children can enjoy a fun day out by staying entertained with music, jumping castles and terrain-training obstacle courses.

Those attending need not pre-register, simply turn up on the day. There will be live demonstrations and displays of equipment and resources that can help make sure your household is equipped with all the information you need to stay safe.

Prior to attending, the community is encouraged to familiarise themselves with Council’s Emergency Hub landing page and Disaster Dashboard on the PMHC website at https://www.pmhc.nsw.gov.au/Residents/Emergency-information.

This is a great resource that shows service outages, and prioritises the resolution of service issues impacting welfare and safe access.

Emergencies can happen at any time and it’s important to prepare, know where to find help, and how to stay updated.

Residents do not need to register for the Community Preparedness Days, they can simply show up at any one of the below locations.

  • 7 May, 1-4pm – Bruce Porter Reserve, Laurieton
  • 21 May, 1-4pm – Westport Park, Port Macquarie
  • 4 June, 1-4pm – Bain Park, Wauchope

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