Make your emergency plan

Most of what people leave behind when they're forced to move quickly isn't forgotten by accident — it's things that only get remembered if they're already packed. This matters most for anything you can't quickly replace or go without:

• Medication — at least a few days' supply, in its original packaging.
• Oxygen or other medical equipment — and a plan for how you'll transport it.
• Mobility aids — wheelchair, walker, cane — plus chargers if they're powered.
• Communication tools — your device, charger, and a backup way to communicate if it's lost, flat, or you're too overwhelmed to use it. The Non-verbal Communicator app is built for exactly this — worth setting up now, before you need it.
• Chargers and a battery pack for phones and any medical devices.
• Important documents — ID, Medicare card, insurance details, a list of medications and dosages.
• Water and a torch, plus anything you use every single day and would notice the absence of within a few hours.

Keep this bag somewhere you'd actually grab it from on the way out — not in a cupboard you'd need to search.

A plan that only lives in your head — or only on your phone — isn't much use if you're the one who's hurt, overwhelmed, or unreachable. Make sure at least one other person knows:

• That you have a plan, and roughly what it says.
• Where your emergency bag is kept.
• Any equipment or medication you rely on, and where it's stored.

Family, carers, support workers, and neighbours are all worth telling. If you'd like your neighbours to know how to help — or you want to be that neighbour for someone else — that's exactly what Street Mate is for.

There are several kinds of emergencies worth having a plan for — fire, flood, tsunami, cyclone, severe storm, earthquake, and even a terrorist incident. Each is different, but the same core plan (who leaves, what they take, where they go) applies to all of them — you're just adjusting the details to the specific risk in your area.

It helps to know who's who before you need to call on any of them:

• NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) — bushfire response and warnings.
• Fire and Rescue NSW — structure fires and rescue in towns and cities.
• State Emergency Service (SES) — floods, storms, and general emergency support.
• NSW Police — evacuations, road closures, and community safety.
• NSW Ambulance — medical emergencies.
• Local councils — local recovery centres and community support.
• ABC Local Radio — the official emergency broadcaster for warnings and updates.

If you or someone nearby is in danger right now, call 000.

A few home maintenance jobs make a real difference to how well your property copes:

• Clear gutters and roof valleys of leaves and debris.
• Keep garden beds and landscaping clear of dry, dense fuel near the house.
• Make sure your garden hose reaches every side of the house.
• Check your home and contents insurance is current and covers your area's risk.