Preparing for an emergency

People who don’t have insurance or who are underinsured find it very difficult to rebuild their lives without it. Make sure to check your policy every year to ensure that your policy provides you with enough cover to rebuild to a standard that you are comfortable with.

Underinsuring is a common problem. It might mean home owners need to borrow extra money to rebuild, or compromise on the type of home they want such as size or features.

A bushfire, flood or other emergency could destroy driveways, retaining walls, gardens, sheds, fencing, swimming pools and more. Call your insurance broker or insurance company to discuss your policy limits and coverage.

• Know what your policy covers

• Make a home inventory

The CFA has a number of fire safety resources to help you and the community prepare for fire.

• Understand how the Fire Danger Rating Scale can alert you to fire danger.
• Learn more about rules for Total Fire Ban days with Can I Can't I
• Keep your family safe from indoor fires and check out Home Fire Safety advice.
• Information to help you know how to protect yourself and your property from Grassfires in Urban Areas.
• Your Guide to Survival provides you with information on how to stay informed on fire risk days, why you should leave early, what information to gather ahead of fire season for you and your family, understand what to expect during a bushfire and guidance on how to stay informed of fires across your area.
• Learn more about your local Bushfire place of Last Resort

SES has a range of information about Glenelg Shire including a local flood guide for Casterton

They also have a Plan and Stay safe  guide to plan and prepare for floods that covers; types of flooding including riverine and flash flooding, weather warnings, preparing an emergency plan, what you can do to stay safe, evacuation and a flood checklist.

Fire Prevention

Deaf Emergency Information brings important information together in one place, in Auslan and in written English. If you are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing, this website will help you to:

• Understand the different natural hazards experienced by Victorians every year
• Learn from the experiences of other people in the community
• Understand how to watch and act so you can take responsibility for your own safety
• Learn how to prepare, respond and recover from natural hazard events in your area
• Understand how emergency services work together

Red Cross has developed Emergency REDiPlan, which includes booklets outlining four simple and easy-to-follow steps to prepare your household for an emergency, tips to keep in contact with family and friends during and after an emergency, and useful resources to record an emergency plan for your household.

If you haven't prepared and made a plan, an emergency could disrupt your life in ways you don't expect. Get prepared and you'll be more confident, more in control and more likely to cope when disaster strikes.