MORE than thirty healthcare providers have met in Coffs Harbour to get the latest input from the State Emergency Service to update their disaster planning.

In collaboration with Healthy North Coast, the aim of the workshops was to learn about the first response agencies, to build connections with them and understand the local considerations when it comes to planning for disasters such as storms, flash and riverine floods and marine tsunamis – being specific to the Mid North Coast region.

Advertise with News of The Area today.
It’s worth it for your business.
Message us.
Phone us – (02) 4981 8882.
Email us – media@newsofthearea.com.au

Scott McLennan, NSW SES north east zone community capability officer put forward comprehensive simulations of preparing for these disasters.

“There’s a big push especially for National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) providers to ensure all their participants have appropriate disaster management plans,” Scott told News of the Area.

“We’ve noticed since 2017 that these people were at risk of being left behind as the NDIS world is quite disparate, so we are trying to collaborate about that.

“New data from the floodings throughout NSW was that 6 percent of people who are told to evacuate do not evacuate and of that 60 percent, we need to rescue 20-30 percent.

Scott said “that’s a huge burden on the mental health of residents, visitors, friends and family and we need to work together with them so they understand the risk and for us to mitigate that risk as best as possible”.

Better emergency processes are built from learned experience.

“We learnt from the COVID pandemic about the importance of being organised, having good processes in place and great communication,” said Melissa Fitzgerald, operations manager at Woolgooga Retirement Village.

“We are close to the beach so we do take the threat of a marine tsunami into consideration and it’s good to be aware that that’s something that could happen and how it might impact us.”

Owen Lednor, director of care at Shoreline said “we are a multi-level site and that introduces new challenges to evacuations and being able to maintain services, so it’s been a good opportunity to flesh that out as a group.”

“Particularly with aged-care facilities, there are issues such as staffing, how to keep it running during the emergency, the need for earlier evacuation processes and if some staff stay in situ – how they are going to manage that facility, for example, can staff get in or out and are there enough supplies, food and medications?

“Connectivity is also a big issue as we are very reliant on our mobile networks and our internet capabilities and in recent events we’ve lost those – so if the power and phones are cut off, paper backup processes are vital,” Christine McDonald, deputy zone commander, north east zone, NSW SES, told News of the Area.

“Today’s event starts the ball rolling and the staff that have come are open to the conversation and it’s great to see them being so proactive,” she said.

By Mary KEILY