Get ready for emergencies

Get Ready for Emergencies – This is a guide for individuals and households to prepare for emergencies. This replaces the SES Home emergency plan.

  1. It’s about you!
  2. Know your risk
  3. Your emergency plan
  4. Communicate and connect
Adult, child and dog - talking to others about your plan for emergencies helps to protect everyone.

1.   It’s about you!

To help prepare for an emergency, think about your life now.

  • Everyday life and what you do on a typical day
  • Your home
    • Is it isolated?
    • Can you quickly get out of your home if you need to?
    • Do you rely on tank water or an electric pump?
    • Do you have working smoke alarms?
  • Transport – how do you usually leave home?
  • Your health – what do you need to manage your health everyday, such as medicine, other people or equipment?
  • Do you need support? – Do you live with a disability or find it hard to
    • Do everyday activities or
    • Read or understand information?

You may need help or have extra things to think about to get ready for emergencies.  Find out about support for people with disability to get ready for emergencies.

  • Your network – the people you know and trust and how you communicate with others

See the Get ready for emergencies guide to develop a plan that fits your life.

Storm clouds with lightning - just one of the hazards we need to think about

2. Know your risk

Find out about hazards that can impact your home.

An ambulance - an important part of Tasmania's emergency services

Understand emergency services and what they do

Group of people - getting ready for emergencies is everybody's business

Getting ready for emergencies is everybody’s business.

SES and other emergency services play key roles in floods, storms and other emergencies, but everyone must make plans for emergencies that fit their lives.

There is extra support for Tasmanians with disability to prepare for emergencies.

You must

  • learn about your hazard risk like floods, storms and bushfire.
  • Know what to do
    • Well before an emergency happens
    • Immediately before and during and emergency
  • After an emergency.
  • Your plan must include the people
    • You support
    • Who support you
  • Stay alert for any hazards such as
    • Severe storm
    • Flood
    • Bushfire
A plan for emergencies - thinking about emergencies before they happen can help keep you safe.

3. Your emergency plan

Download the Get ready for emergencies guide to make a plan that fits your life.

Your emergency plan covers:

  • Key emergency contacts and people you may need to contact in an emergency
  • Preparing an emergency kit for
    • if you stay at home in an emergency, or
    • need to leave home in an emergency.
  • What happens if there is
    • no power,
    • no water,
    • no phone connection
    • Internet or
    • Road access is cut
  • If you need to leave home in an emergency.
  • Health and insurance issues in an emergency
  • Looking after animals in an emergency (link to RSPCA information)
  • How to reduce the impacts of emergencies

Download the Get ready for emergencies guide.

Stylized image of a flooded house on fire in a storm

Where to find warnings and other key information

Find out more about emergency warnings in Tasmania.

4. Communicate and connect

Talk to your family and other support networks about your emergency plan and their plans for emergencies.  How might you help each other during emergencies such as storms and floods?  Are there any gaps in your emergency plan that others might help to address?

Two people - getting ready for emergencies is about protecting you and what you value.

More information