Empowering Coolgardie Seniors: Building Bushfire Resilience Through Community Awareness
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Published on Wednesday, 21 February 2024 at 1:51:47 PM
In a commendable initiative to enhance bushfire resilience, the Coolgardie Community Recreation Facility hosted a bushfire awareness session on February 12, 2023.
The event, led by Sheree Forward, Emergency Management Officer, and Steve Forward, Chief Bush Fire Control Officer, aimed to empower the senior members of the community with the knowledge and skills necessary to navigate the increasing threat of bushfires.
The session was seamlessly integrated into the regular Seniors Monday morning tea, ensuring a comfortable and familiar setting for the attendees. The primary focus was on providing practical strategies and actionable insights tailored to the unique needs of seniors, enabling them to respond effectively to bushfire emergencies.
A highlight of the event was the emphasis on creating a personalised Bushfire Kit, with special attention to the inclusion of medications, a critical aspect often overlooked in general preparedness planning. Additionally, the facilitators introduced the concept of buddy groups, fostering a network of mutual assistance among seniors, particularly those without close family ties in the area, to strengthen communal bonds and collective response capabilities during bushfire incidents.
The session also stressed the importance of accessing reliable and up-to-date information during bushfire seasons, guiding participants to rely on the Department of Fire and Emergency as the authoritative source for bushfire information. This approach aimed to mitigate the risk of misinformation and enhance community safety.
The integration of the bushfire awareness session into the Seniors Monday morning tea played a crucial role in fostering a sense of community resilience. The initiative reflects the commitment of local emergency services and volunteers to the well-being of all community members and sets a precedent for similar programs across regions prone to bushfires.
The Shire of Coolgardie plans to run more Bushfire Awareness presentations in the future. If you would like to be kept up to date about these sessions please sign up for event notifications hereWant to know more about being Bushfire Ready? Please visit: https://www.dfes.wa.gov.au/
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