Letters

Prepare now for an emergency

Ed, For many of us it’s unthinkable. Until it happens, and then it’s too late. We all face emergencies: as large as a bushfire or as personal as a medical crisis. They can all be devastating, as so many people found out last year in the flooding across much of northern NSW in the aftermath of severe Cyclone Debbie. In Emergency Preparedness Week (17-24 September 2017), Red Cross is asking you to take one easy action to make your next emergency less stressful. These are simple and practical steps you can take to protect the people you love, your own wellbeing and the things you value most. Easy things to help you prepare include: • think about being in an emergency situation and how you might react. This will help you stay calmer and respond better when an emergency happens. • find out where to get important disaster information, like your local radio emergency broadcaster. This means you’re better informed when an emergency happens. • get to know your neighbours. They’re the people who might support you and look out for you when an emergency happens. For more easy things to do, get your Red Cross RediPlan at redcross.org.au/prepare. Di Bernardi Manager Emergency Services, Red Cross NSW