“Have a plan,” says fire chief Matt Reeves as the community gathers in Vincentia this coming Thursday to meet with the full suite of emergency services and learn about how to make your own plan, connect with your neighbours and understand the warnings.
Thursday, 15 October is the evening when Bay & Basin residents will come to the hall at Vincentia Public School for a session designed to help our region be as prepared as we possibly can for a potentially catastrophic fire season.
“Nothing beats local context and understanding of local risk,” says Matt Reeves, Superintendent and District Manager for the NSW Rural Fire Service (NSW RFS) Shoalhaven District, about why it’s more important for residents to attend this community meeting rather than simply reading about bush fire preparations online. “Being able to put that advice into local perspective is a really important component of these types of get-togethers.”
He adds that the emergency personnel who will be speaking at and attending this meeting are all locals, who live and work right here and have the best current knowledge and advice.
“We’ll have members from the local RFS brigades to chat to people at the end, so they’ll be able to get more specific information relevant to their personal circumstances.”
Have a Plan
When the pressure is on, your plan will be the most important factor in your survival. Every person or household’s plan will be individual to them, but Superintendent Reeves says write it down, especially a checklist, so you won’t have to be making vital decisions on the fly.
“People in high-risk industries like pilots, for example, write things down and have checklists for a reason. When the pressure is on, they’re guided by what they’ve thought about in calmer times,” Superintendent Reeves explains. “That’s really the benefit of your bushfire plan. However it looks for you, it’s your plan to own. Don’t just have it in your mind, have it written down, have a think about how all the parts of the plan connect together and use opportunities like this meeting to ask questions and seek advice.”
Multiple Hazards
Heatwaves and other hazards can commonly occur at the same time as bushfires, so the presence of the suite of emergency services personnel on Thursday evening will be able to talk through the situation where multiple hazards collide.
“Bushfire is just one hazard in the landscape, and what we’re seeing more and more is some of these hazards colliding, like heatwaves,” Superintendent Reeves says. “It’s not uncommon to have a heatwave warning with bushfire warnings. Hearing about the general emergency management as well as the bushfire risk, it completes the story for people.”
Neighbourhood Effort
While the Bay & Basin were largely spared during the catastrophic fires of 2019–2020, Superintendent Reeves says it was right on our doorstep and the crews did an incredible job of keeping it at bay. He adds that many people may never have experienced that kind of emergency in the landscape, so it’s important to gather as a community to make sure we are all preparing together to our specific local conditions.
“All of these emergency services coming to this meeting, we all live in the community, we all live with the risk. We’ve all gotta be in it together,” says Superintendent Reeves.
He adds that it’s important to take the time to connect with your neighbours, your street, and keep an eye on some of our older residents and the holiday houses where the owners might need a resident to help keep them updated on local conditions.
Context Is Key
There is no reason to be on high alert or anxious every day, says Superintendent Reeves, but it’s important to keep yourself informed, understand the warnings and what they mean.
“At its peak, a fire emergency is complete chaos. No matter how much effort you put in to not let it be, it’s all the more reason why we have to have a plan and a backup plan,” he says. “We’re not saying, ‘Be nervous every day.’ One of the advantages of these meetings is understanding when turn the heightened awareness on, and when to turn it off so that we can enjoy living where we live. We certainly don’t want people waking up every day in summer and being afraid.”
Come Along, Bring a Neighbour
Organised by Vincentia Matters, the meeting is open to all residents of the Bay & Basin region, at Vincentia Public School Hall from 7pm.
As well as a keynote address by Superintendent Reeves, there will also be presentations from a panel of speakers from Police, Red Cross, Council Emergency Management and Ambulance, followed by a Q&A session.
Liz Tooley, Secretary of Vincentia Matters, says, “In 2023, Vincentia Matters organised a similar event which was extremely well attended at the Vincentia Golf Club. The feedback from those who attended was so positive and appreciative, that it was decided to organise next Thursday’s meeting to encompass the whole Bay & Basin area.
“People came away from the 2023 meeting with information and advice which allowed them to prepare effectively for the coming summer. With El Niño now at the strongest it has been, Vincentia Matters believes the community will greatly benefit from the expert and professional knowledge which will be shared on the night.”
