Residents are being urged to have crucial plans in place ahead of the risky fire season.
Penrith Mayor Todd Carney recently met with emergency management staff at the Cumberland District Fire Control Centre in Regentville to discuss the importance of being prepared for emergencies.
“Council works closely with our emergency services and Rural Fire Services (RFS) staff and volunteers to ensure the safety of our community members, and during my tour of this RFS facility I was made aware of the importance of being informed and planning ahead,” Cr Carney said.
“We are fortunate to have local despatch teams who work hard on the ground, and it is Council’s role to remind residents that there are added risks going into summer.
“With our City prone to storms, bushfires and floods, I urge community members to visit our website to find out what they can do at home to keep their loved ones safe.”
During the Mayor’s tour of the Regentville site, he viewed the main operations room complete with running news feeds and maps, as well as briefing rooms and training spaces, along with storage areas packed with uniforms and equipment for every scenario – from road spills to fires requiring breathing apparatus.
District Manager Angelo Baldo said residents may have seen hazard reduction burns across the Local Government Area as the teams prepare for the fire season.
“Our main concern going into summer is grass fires. We have had three wet summers followed by a relatively dry period, which creates issues due to the fast growth of tall grass that has dried out,” he said.
“It is really important that residents have bushfire survival plans in place and make the conscious decision to be prepared – while most people plan to keep their homes safe, they need to think about planning for the holidays when they might be away from their properties and belongings.”
Community members can visit penrith.city/emergencyready to learn more about how to get prepared, who to contact in an emergency, and which mobile phone apps provide critical information during disasters.
