Advance - Disaster Preparedness & Safety

14/02/2025

On a day of increasingly sh*tty international politics & felon politicians…we need this…. Carrolls Southern Cross

14/02/2025

Thargo Hutchi

The Matildas and Chelsea forward won’t be proud of the footage of her in a police station. But her acquittal underlines that the charges and court battle that followed were a waste of time and money

14/02/2025

Thargo Hutchi

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

08/01/2024

CLANCY OVERELL | Editor | CONTACT As the Indigenous Voice Referendum campaign heats up, it has come as a surprise to no one that some of the loudest opponents of constitutionally recognising the existence and self-determination of Indigenous people, are the same cohort of grey-haired voters that hav...

18/09/2023

Well - the helicopters over the fire-ground seem to have stopped for the night. Here's hoping the wind doesn't pick back up.

Time to be ORGANISED - Thargo Hutchi Toni Hutchinson Allan-

29/12/2022

Thargo Hutchi

From Colorado Springs to China, Ukraine to Afghanistan, Iran to Wieambilla, lessons in fearlessness and fortitude serve to inspire us all

18/11/2022

Re-thinking the Grab’n Go Bag…HERE’S AN ADDITION to your standard Grab ‘N Go Plan…

7 hours on a rooftop ???

If you have ONE MINUTE warning that you may have to head for the roof - you can make a huge difference to your comfort levels.

Can you put your hands on -
A bunch of GARBAGE BAGS - preferably on a roll, & as tough as you can buy
Rope/a roll of clothesline
A Torch (or light sticks)
Wet Wipes

- a BACKPACK:
being able to throw everything into a backpack would be handy if you can find one, as they free up your arms to climb.
- the GARBAGE BAGS:
Most can be tied so as to be water proof
They can serve as a raincoat
They can serve to collect toilet-type waste if you have no way to dispose of it

YOU HAVE ONE MINUTE:
1: GRAB YOUR GARBAGS - into them goes MEDICATIONS, Mobile Phone, Water in any sealable container, YOUR ID docs (prescriptions maybe ?)
2: Throw in some kind of rope - string can be useful, but you really want something like clothesline (if you need to anchor yourselves or link to each other)
3: Throw in a Torch, a dynamic wind-up torch can be handy as well as a big Dyno. Kids Party LIGHT STICKS are light & small & can be used to show where you are in poor light (even to guide in rescuers)…some dynamic torches are available which also have a radio (a little light is wonderful for the sense of wellbeing)
4: WET WIPES, Tissues are also good…
If you’re going to spend a few hours on the roof, you might be able to hang your butt out over the edge if nature calls, but you sure as hell aren’t going to be using the racing flood water as a bidet !!! NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the Value of Being Able to WIPE YOUR BUTT !!! a HUGE boost to the state of MIND !!

Ohh !!! AND INSECT REPELLENT~~~~& chocolate ! Always chocolate !!!

11/01/2021

PREPAREDNESS HINTS

11/01/2021

10 years ago parts of Toowoomba, Grantham, & nearby were simply washed away ... as the waters progressed parts of Ipswich, Brisbane & The Moreton Bay Region were inundated and/or swept by landslips etc....& on it went.
People died. Many people who survived the Toowoomba, Grantham event survived with literally NOTHING. Many who were flooded escaped with virtually nothing.

LAST year parts of Australia burned - people died. People survived who had NOTHING....

If you have never tried to prove who you are to a hospital, a government, or any other agency, without any form of Identification you have no idea what it’s like. Support agencies were trying to support people who had no proof of ID, or address whatsoever.
If you’ve never tried to get new ID documents, replace your ATM or Credit Cards, your Licence, your Medicare Card with NO ID you have no idea what it’s like !

SOME OF THIS CAN BE AVOIDED.

1: MAKE COPIES of your ID documents etc – paper copies and electronic copies & keep them in safe & accessible places
i. Put copies in your Emergency Grab Bag – preferable get a couple of Certified Copies of things like your Licence, Medicare Card & Birth Certificate/Passport. (your dog registration/vaccination, Car Rego , Insurance papers)
ii. Leave copies with a family member who lives in another area
iii. Put copies into a waterproof pouch on a lanyard so you can just hang it around your neck (sometimes even a double pouch of zip-lock freezer bags will do it)
ii. ELECTRONIC Copies – take photos or scan your documents
i. Store them in your phone/on an SD card/Message them to yourself/email them to yourself...
ii. You can make secure electronic document copies which can’t be opened by anyone without your password etc. so even if you lose your “device” you can access them from your account on another device, such as an Internet Café/Hub...many of the government support responses to disasters now make Internet access points available.
iii. Store them on a USB which you can wear – Lanyard, armband
2: WHAT DOCUMENTS
ID
CAR REGISTRATION
MEDICARE/HEALTH INSURANCE NUMBER
DOG REGISTRATION/VCCINATION CERTIFICATES (some Emergency shelters will require these)
HOUSEHOLD/VEHICLE INSURANCE PAPERS
a) TAKE PHOTOS – of your Car etc
b) TAKE PHOTOS OF your Valuables – Jewellery, computer/sound equipment
c) SEND THE PHOTOS TO YOURSELF or a reliable other, as well as in the Cloud
3: DO NOT RELY SOLELY ON THE INTERNET – often the very first thing to crash

29/11/2020

PLAN your GRAB & RUN
Now's the time to re-visit (or make) your plan...just in case you have to run for it.
I'll add more over the next couple of days - re-visting & re-posting the Lists already on this page...but...a couple of points...
STEP ONE - KNOW your EXITS -
a) which door or window you go out of may vary whether you are fleeing a fire or if the roof is falling around your ears (as just happened recently with hailstorms)
b) whether you use a door, a window or go over a railing may depend on whether you have 2 minutes warning or 10 minutes or 30 mins !
STEP TWO - GRAB THE DOG..or the cat, or the pony
the last thing you want to be doing as you're actyally getting into the car is to be chasing a terrified dog, running around the paddock after the horse or searching cupboards for the fraidy-cat. !!
STEP THREE - never underestimate the value of a doona/doona cover....
a) people in shock need to be kept warm
b) you can chuck a whole stack of stuff into the cover of your doona, (bedside medications, clean Reg Grun**es (un**es), jewellery, spare pair of glasses, FOOD even... tie the top off & drag it out.