31 October 2019
Emergency services put their plans into practice by holding an evacuation exercise of Powelltown, Gilderoy and Three Bridges last Saturday 26 October.
The exercise was a part of the state’s summer preparations and an opportunity for the sector to work together with the community to respond to a bushfire emergency scenario.
Deputy Emergency Management Commissioner Deb Abbott said the exercise was about putting plans into practice and learning about what worked and what needed to be improved for not only emergency services, but the community too.
“Not only did we test out a real life evacuation scenario, but we sat down with the community afterwards to discuss the experience and learnings from it.
“As we head into what we know will be a hot and dry summer, this exercise should also serve as a reminder to everyone that now is the time to get prepared.
“If you don’t already have one, make a plan, practice your plan with your family or as a community and stay safe this summer. We all need to do our part in preparing for the risk of fire risk this summer.”
In Victoria you can receive emergency information from a number of sources including the VicEmergency app, emergency.vic.gov.au, tuning in to ABC radio or other emergency broadcasters including commercial and community radio stations, Sky TV, or by phoning the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226 and following VicEmergency on Facebook and Twitter.
The department acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people as the Traditional Custodians of the land and acknowledges and pays respect to their Elders, past and present.