Local Information Sharing
Preparing for and managing bushfire is a SHARED RESPONSIBILITY between the state and residents.
At WA state level we are seeing more and better communication between agencies such as Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES), Parks and Wildlife (DBCA), and the City of Cockburn.
We have seen top down initiatives from those agencies giving us advice on how to prepare and survive bush fires. However, we have not pushed bottom up by residents to provide our share of the responsibility.
The Banjup Residents Group is prompting our community to take our share of the responsibility.
We should act to anticipate bushfire, react to bushfire, and to protect ourselves and our neighbours and so help ourselves.
To help each other we must share information. If, in a cluster of 10 or so houses, we could share phone numbers and alert each other to a fire threat and help evacuate if needed, then we could make each other safer.
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For each cluster of 10 or so houses in a street, we need a volunteer who coordinates and assists a cluster of neighbours to network and share information in order to be ready for bushfire. A Coordinator is NOT responsible for bushfire readiness preparations their area, they are simply an information coordination person.
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TO START
To facilitate coordination between neighbours in an emergency, the Banjup Residents Group encourages residents to form clusters of ten or a dozen neighbouring properties in a street with the purpose of contacting each other in the event of a fire or possible criminal activity.
Prompt and relevant information would be helpful to those in a cluster if someone is:
at work
away from home
needs help to evacuate
has already evacuated
can offer fire fighting assistance
will stay and defend
This sharing can be conveniently enabled using WhatsApp Groups on mobile phones. For a cluster of neighbours, a volunteer Street Coordinator will set up and administer a unique Group for that cluster and invite neighbours to join. Those neighbours will then be able to post messages that all members of the Group will see.
The messages in a local Group will not be shared with any other WhatsApp group.
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CAN YOU VOLUNTEER?
If you would like to volunteer, then request further information by emailing secretary.banjup@gmail.com .
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DON’T WANT TO VOLUNTEER? CAN’T VOLUNTEER? IS THERE SOMEONE ELSE WHO CAN?
This is a call to local action. If we don’t answer this call what happens? Well, you and your neighbours will not be covered. The idea is that the areas that are more networked will do better to prepare for a bushfire, and in a bushfire, as a community.
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