During an Emergency

If you are in a life threatening situation, you should always call Triple Zero (000) for police, fire or ambulance.

The only way of contacting Triple Zero (000) is with a voice call - you cannot use SMS, email, instant messaging, video calling or social media to contact emergency services via Triple Zero (000).

Be prepared to describe your location as accurately as possible. Your mobile phone only shows the call-takers your billing address, not your current GPS location. And don’t hang up until the call taker tells you to.

The free Emergency+ App is a Triple Zero (000) smartphone app that provides key numbers for the emergency services and displays the GPS coordinates of your location so you can read it out to the emergency operator.

The VicEmergency Hotline 1800 226 226 provides information during and after major incidents in Victoria. In a situation where you can see or smell smoke, the VicEmergency Hotline can also advise whether or not a planned burn is in progress.

Once you have completed your emergency plan and have taken the steps to get prepared for an emergency, you need to understand how to put your plan into action.

Residents are encouraged to leave the night before, or early in the morning on a day where dangerous conditions are expected.
When an emergency breaks, get your plan out and start to follow it. If you haven’t made a plan then you need to act immediately to protect yourself and your family. Ensure you have the Vic Emergency App that will give you information and speak to your neighbours so you can work together.

View the resources below for more information about what to do during an emergency:

• CFA website - before and during a fire
• SES website

Motorists are advise to obey road signage and are reminded that it is an offence to drive around road closed signs.

During emergencies such as fire or flood, Regional Roads Victoria is responsible for not only providing information about freeways, highways and major roads impacted, but also local or council roads.

For the latest information on road closures check the VicTraffic website.

To report a hazard, call 13 11 70 or visit www.vicroads.vic.gov.au

A BPLR (also known as a Neighbourhood Safer Place) is the last resort when all other household bushfire plans have failed.

It does not provide the same level of protection as a well-constructed defendable home, private or neighbourhood bushfire shelter, or a community fire refuge.

It should not be confused with an evacuation centre, which provides affected people with the essentials including accommodation, food, and water during an emergency like bushfire.

Evacuation centres are set up and operated by the relevant agencies during the emergency.

Bushfire Places of Last Resort locations in Southern Grampians Shire:

Balmoral
• Balmoral Community College (car parking adjacent to gym/tennis courts)
• Balmoral Mechanic Institute and Memorial Hall (grounds)

Branxholme
• Used Bowling Green (opposite Fire Station)

Cavendish
• Cavendish Town Square Memorial Park

Coleraine
• Coleraine Railway Reserve (open space)

Dunkeld
• Dunkeld Community Centre (Sterling Place)

Glenthompson
• Vacant land adjacent to Glenthompson War Memorial Swimming Pool

Hamilton
• Hamilton Showgrounds

Penshurst
• Grassed road reserve at the rear of Penshurst Senior Citizens Centre

It’s important that during an emergency you stay informed as when an emergency breaks, you cannot rely on someone coming to your door to tell you that you are in danger.

During an emergency, your access to critical information may be impacted by bad mobile reception, electricity and wifi. Always ensure that you have several backup methods to access information.

VicEmergency App

The VicEmergency app aligns with the VicEmergency website to provide a centralised location for Victorians to access timely emergency information and warnings. View the Vic Emergency Website. You can download VicEmergency from the App Store or Google Play.

Social media

Follow VicEmergency on Facebook and Twitter for helpful information. You could also follow your local and regional SES and CFA (bear in mind local brigades and units may be responding to an event and not updating their social media). Southern Grampians Council also provides information on our Facebook page.

Radio and TV

During emergencies, Victoria’s emergency broadcasters will provide information, including updates and community alerts, to help you to make decisions based on the advice of the emergency services. You can get this information from any of Victoria's commercial radio stations, ABC local radio, a number of community stations and SkyNews TV. These are outlined further below and a list of the coverage areas can be downloaded on the Emergency Management Victoria website.

Local Emergency Broadcasters

• ABC Local Radio 94.1FM, 107.9FM, 594AM
• 3HA 981AM
• Mixx 88.9FM
• SkyNews television