By ANEEKA SIMONIS
A PROGRAM to help evacuate vulnerable Cockatoo residents during heatwaves has increased its reach ahead of the coming bushfire season.
Ready2Go will keep a watchful eye over nine residents who, due to age, frailty, mental health or lack of public transport, cannot easily evacuate during peak fire season.
Fourteen volunteers, double last year’s amount, have signed onto the care program to help get high-risk residents out of the area and into a refuge at Living Learning Pakenham.
The prevention program was one of several initiatives around Cardinia shire showcased at the Community Resilience Forum 2014 in Pakenham last week.
The presentation was well-attended by a range of emergency response groups such as Emerald Emergency Support Team (EST), Lang Lang Emergency Response Team (LLERT) and Gembrook Community Emergency Management Planning Group (GCEMPG).
EST, a co-ordinated group of about 40 volunteers, works together to set up a secure, temporary hub and create a database for missing residents during an emergency.
The group, which is stocked with food and water, is also trained to provide first aid and psychological help.
LLERT, which is made up of ambulance trained volunteers, provides the first emergency response to people in Kooweerup and Lang Lang.
The team, which has sizeably cut down ambulance waiting time in the towns, were first on scene to 291 incidents last year.
GCEMPG told the forum on Thursday 4 December that their prevention efforts saw a group of locals highlight keys risks in Gembrook which they hope to mitigate with increased community support.
Cardinia Mayor Leticia Wilmot said preparation is the key to bouncing forward, not being knocked back, from disasters such as bushfire.
“Cardinia shire is sadly not immune to emergencies.
“In any one year, our residents could be faced with floods, fires, storms or be affected by heatwaves,” she said.
“By being here today you are taking a step in the right direction to ensure your community bands together and bounces back from an emergency.”
Emergency Management Victoria’s Relief and Recovery Director Adam Dent said the shire’s resilience program was impressive and all residents should do what they can to overcome the effects of an emergency.
“Resilience is everybody’s business.
“It’s not just about getting back on your feet but improving after an incident,” he said.
