Emergency and Disaster Management

Emergency and disaster management is a requirement for registered NDIS providers under the NDIS Practice Standards. Providers must plan for emergencies, work with participants on their own preparedness, keep essential supports going where possible, and communicate clearly. In this lesson you will learn why people with disability face greater risk in emergencies, what we have in place as an organisation, and what we expect from you. Key points: know the plans for every home and participant you support, follow directions from emergency services and your team leader, and put life safety first.

Emergencies can be personal, such as a medical emergency, or affect whole communities, such as bushfire, flood, storm or extended heatwave. In this lesson you will learn the common emergencies in Australian disability support and how the Australian Warning System works. The system uses three levels: Advice, Watch and Act, and Emergency Warning, each with clear actions. Key points: know which hazards are likely where each participant lives, use official sources such as your state emergency app, emergency broadcasters and websites, and never wait for a warning before acting if you are in danger.

Preparation happens long before an emergency. In this lesson you will learn simple checks to build into every shift: know the exits and assembly point, check emergency equipment and contact lists, keep a charged phone, know each participant's emergency plan and support needs, and check warnings on days of high risk. Key points: preparation takes only a few minutes, it should be part of your shift routine, and anything missing or broken, such as a blocked exit or a flat smoke alarm, must be reported to your team leader straight away.

Most house fires are preventable. In this lesson you will learn the common causes of fires in homes where we provide support, including unattended cooking, heaters placed too close to bedding or clothes, overloaded power boards, faulty chargers, candles and smoking materials. You will also learn about smoke alarms and why they must be working. Key points: never leave cooking unattended, keep heaters at least one metre from anything that can burn, avoid overloading power boards, and support participants who smoke to do so safely, in line with their choices and risk assessment.

When a fire starts, what you do in the first minute matters most. In this lesson you will learn the RACE sequence: Rescue anyone in immediate danger if it is safe, raise the Alarm and call triple zero, Contain the fire by closing doors, and Evacuate. You will also learn when it may be safe to use a fire blanket or extinguisher, and the PASS technique. Key points: only fight a fire if it is small, you are trained, and you have a clear way out; stay low under smoke; and never go back inside a burning building.

Evacuating people with different support needs takes planning. In this lesson you will learn how to use a participant's personal emergency evacuation plan, how to support people who use wheelchairs, have limited mobility, are asleep or become distressed, and what to do at the assembly point. Key points: follow each person's evacuation plan, move people to safety in the order and way the plan sets out, take essential items only if there is time, do a head count at the assembly point, and tell emergency services straight away if anyone is missing.

Heatwaves cause more deaths in Australia than any other natural hazard. In this lesson you will learn how the body copes with heat, and why many of the people we support are at greater risk, including older people, people with chronic conditions, people who take certain medications, people who cannot easily communicate thirst or discomfort, and people who cannot move themselves to a cooler place. Key points: heat is a serious hazard, risk builds over several hot days and warm nights, and planning ahead is the best protection.

Most heat illness can be prevented with simple actions. In this lesson you will learn how to prepare before a heatwave and what to do during one: check forecasts and warnings, keep the home cool by closing blinds in the day and opening up when it cools, use air conditioning or fans, encourage regular fluids unless the person has a fluid restriction, adjust activities to cooler times, and dress people in light, loose clothing. Key points: follow each participant's heat plan, check with their doctor about fluid limits and medications, and check on people more often.

Heat illness can move from mild to life threatening quickly. In this lesson you will learn the signs of heat exhaustion, such as heavy sweating, paleness, dizziness, headache, cramps, nausea and weakness, and the signs of heat stroke, a medical emergency, which include confusion, slurred speech, very high body temperature, collapse or seizures. Key points: for heat exhaustion, move the person somewhere cool, cool them down, offer sips of water and monitor them; for heat stroke, call triple zero immediately and start cooling while you wait.

Bushfires can move quickly and threaten homes on the edge of towns as well as in the country. In this lesson you will learn how Fire Danger Ratings work, from Moderate to High, Extreme and Catastrophic, and what each means for people we support. Key points: know which homes are in bushfire risk areas, follow each participant's bushfire plan, leaving early is the safest option for people who need support to move, on Catastrophic days leave high risk areas, and use official warnings and your team leader's directions to guide decisions.

Floods and severe storms can cut off roads, damage homes and disrupt power and water for days. In this lesson you will learn how to prepare for and respond to floods and storms: know whether a home is in a flood prone area, prepare before the wet season, secure loose items before a storm, move to higher ground early when told to, and never drive, walk or ride through floodwater. Key points: follow warnings and the participant's plan, call the State Emergency Service for storm and flood help, and call triple zero if life is at risk.

Many emergencies cause long power outages, and sometimes the safest option is to stay where you are. In this lesson you will learn how to protect participants who rely on powered equipment, such as ventilators, oxygen concentrators, pressure mattresses, hoists or powered wheelchairs, and how to keep medications and food safe. You will also learn when to shelter in place and what it involves. Key points: know each participant's backup plan for powered equipment, make sure life support users are registered with their electricity retailer, and follow emergency services directions about staying or leaving.

Every participant should have the chance to plan for emergencies in a way that reflects their own life, needs and choices. In this lesson you will learn what a person centred emergency plan covers: how the person will get warnings, their communication, mobility and health needs, essential medications and equipment, who is in their support network, where they would go, and what helps them cope. Key points: the participant leads the plan with support, plans are practised and reviewed, and a copy should be easy to find for anyone supporting them in an emergency.

Business continuity planning is how we keep essential supports going when something disrupts our normal operations, such as a disaster, an outbreak, a power or IT failure, or many staff being unavailable. In this lesson you will learn how our continuity plan identifies critical supports and the participants who most depend on them, how we prioritise when resources are stretched, and what you may be asked to do. Key points: essential supports such as medication, personal care, meals and powered equipment come first, communication is vital, and you should keep your contact details current and respond to rostering requests.

The emergency is not over when the danger passes. In this lesson you will learn what happens afterwards: checking everyone is safe and well, reporting the incident, including reportable incidents to the NDIS Quality and Safeguards Commission where required, taking part in a debrief, updating plans with what we learned, and supporting participants and workers to recover. Key points: complete an incident report as soon as it is safe, be honest in debriefs so we can improve, look out for signs of distress in participants and colleagues, and use our Employee Assistance Program or other support if you need it.