Local Disaster Co-ordination Centre gets prepared for storm season with activation exercise at The H

Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group, Mayor Bill Ludwig said our region has experienced more than its fair share of natural disasters in recent years and it was important to ensure Council staff, local emergency services and agencies were given the opportunity to sharpen their training skills and response capabilities.

“This training forms part of Council’s Local Disaster Management plan in which the LDMG puts itself through the paces with an activation exercise of the Local Disaster Co-ordination Centre in The Hub, to ensure all agencies are prepared for the season and to familiarise themselves with the state-of -the-art facility,” Mayor Ludwig said.

“The exercise will also give members of the LDMG a chance to familiarise themselves with the incident management software while assisting in the testing of the Local Disaster Co-ordination Centre Sub Plan.

“It also provided an opportunity to reflect on the lessons learnt from weather events like ex-Tropical Cyclone Marcia and share it with groups like the Advanced Diploma and Diploma of Emergency Management students from CQUniversity, so they could experience the national first-class facility during a simulated activation exercise.

“Today’s training also included a complete lockdown of the building with the lowering of the cyclone shutters and a video conference with the State Government. The building also switched across to generated power to ensure its fully functional at all times.”

Deputy Chair of the Local Disaster Management Group Councillor Nigel Hutton said the exercise was a timely reminder for residents to be as prepared as possible before a natural disaster occurs.

“The best way to minimise the disruption to you and your family’s lives, is to first understand your risk to natural disasters, look at the big picture and identify the scenarios you need to consider, and make a plan,” Cr Hutton said.

“Council is encouraging all Livingstone residents to take the time now to look at their preparation for the upcoming season. The community is also being invited to attend the Tsunami and Storm Surge Information Day in Emu Park on Sunday, 3 November – to get help with your ‘what-if’ plan or to learn more about coastal hazards, and gain advice from our emergency services and Council Disaster Management on other hazards and risks.

“Natural disasters including flooding, rain, tropical Cyclones and bushfires are an annual occurrence in our region and it’s essential that residents understand the risks in order to take the necessary steps to reduce the impact of a natural disaster on their wellbeing, home, family, finances, and business.”

Livingstone Shire Local Disaster Co-ordinator David Mazzaferri added there are several key steps residents should follow to ensure they’re prepared this summer, storm and cyclone season which include stocking their emergency kit, cleaning up their yards and making sure they have an emergency plan ready to go should disaster strike.

For more information, go to http://www.livingstone.qld.gov.au/157/Disaster-Management or https://getready.qld.gov.au/homepage/