Preparedness & planning

What actions can we take to learn from local knowledge and experience in responding to and recovering from disaster?

“Planning … on a day-to-day basis we change our programs according to the weather – too hot, too cold … we have the app and watch it every day over summer, but big picture climate change – probably not”

Preparedness and planning actions are a powerful response to the recognised growth in disaster risk and the local consequential impacts. We want to use our place-based knowledge and lived experience to develop plans that will translate into locally effective action when deployed.

People sitting around tables in discussion with butchers paper, water bottles and notepads in front of them

Key action ideas

  • Consider a mechanism for sharing the processes and information individual organisations use to develop their emergency management plans across the sector.
  • Develop a ‘lessons management’ framework to capture and share organisational lessons learned from previous events to assist with long-term preparedness planning.
  • Explore how the Municipal Emergency Management Planning Committee might strengthen its relationship with community service organisations and improve organisational role clarity.
  • Identify opportunities for health services to have enhanced involvement in emergency management planning and response that recognises both legislated responsibilities and the services experiences in previous disasters.
  • Support preparedness for priority populations – including the expansion of the ‘Go Pack’ project.
Pieces of paper with notes and diagrams written on them stuck to a wall
  • Ensure planning extends beyond narrow traditional definitions of disaster to include events such as heatwaves and outbreaks.
  • Promote Campaspe Shire Council’s Emergency Dashboard as a resource for preparedness planning.
  • Explore the sector’s ‘appetite’ to develop a local long term (2050) plan to help combat climate change.

Find out how you can support these ideas and get involved.

Resources & further reading

The Climate Justice Resource Pack developed by Jesuit Social Service Centre for Just Place contains a number of valuable resources to assist organisations reflect on and strengthen their own preparedness (see pages 18-19)

 

The Victorian Council of Social Service report A strong community sector for a safe climate describes current and future impacts of climate change on community service organisations.

Information & communication
Workforce