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Simon De Silva: Hi, I’m Simon, and I’m a Firefighter from Fire and Rescue New South Wales.

Leyla Craig: And I’m Leyla, a Disability Inclusion and Engagement Officer from Fire and Rescue New South Wales.

Simon De Silva: We’re here today to tell you about how NDIS Providers and NDIS Participants living in the community can work together with emergency services during emergency and disaster events like bushfires, floods and the COVID 19 pandemic.

Leyla Craig: We’re also here to give you some useful tips for preparing and practising at home.

Simon De Silva: Most people think that emergency and disaster events will never happen to them.

In Australia, we’re experiencing increasing numbers of natural disasters every year and it’s important for NDIS Participants and Providers to be ready.

Leyla Craig: In just a few steps you can prepare yourself and rest assured that you will know what to do should the time come.

Having an individual emergency plan is the first step.

Sometimes we can keep these things in our heads like a list of what items we would take if we had to evacuate quickly.

But it’s better to write it down.

Your NDIS Provider may be able to help you with that, or perhaps a family member or friend.

Then you can update it as needed and share it with others.

You can find a simple template on this website to get you started.

Having a Go Bag ready or a checklist for preparing one is also an easy step you can take.

Simon De Silva: Once you’ve got those two things in place, it’s also useful to think about where and how you and your NDIS Provider access information about emergencies and disasters when they happen.

For the most up to date information, the ABC is the national emergency broadcaster by TV, Radio and the ABC emergency website.

Their details and other useful sites can be found on this website.

It’s important to remember that calling 000 should only be used if you require serious or immediate response from police, ambulance or fire services.

000 does not provide information about emergency and disaster events.

Leyla Craig: Did you know that many emergency services like the one we work for, can assist you with advice on being prepared for an emergency?

As an NDIS Participant, if you have support needs that might make evacuation challenging, it can be a good idea to make contact with your local emergency services to discuss.

They may also be able to talk with you about local evacuation centres and facilities.

Simon De Silva: Remember, this is something you need to do before an emergency or disaster has occurred.

The same goes for practical checks, like ensuring smoke alarms are working and practising evacuation drills in your home.

Leyla Craig: Finally today, we’d like to emphasise that having the right mindset about emergencies and disasters underpins everything else we’ve talked about.

We understand that sometimes people would rather not think about these things, but once you get started, it’s easier than you think.

Awareness and action are the keys to planning, preparing and practising.

Simon Craig: Think about the steps you can take.

Talk to your NDIS Provider about how to be prepared for an emergency and remember that our colleagues, your local emergency services are there to support you too.