Disaster preparedness sessions for community groups, and a disaster awareness program for school children are among the uses of the Cassowary Coast’s new Disaster Management Public Education and Training Centre.
The centre, which is a specifically designed coordination centre for cyclones, floods and other natural and man made disasters, was officially opened by Queensland Emergency Services Minister Neil Roberts last month.
It is also a centre for agencies and community groups with a role in disaster management. These groups, from the Red Cross and St Vincent de Paul to the Coastguard, can use the centre free of charge for meetings, workshops, public education and training exercises.
Cassowary Coast Regional Council operates the centre, which will host regular public education sessions on disaster and emergency preparedness, and will be a source of disaster preparedness information.
Mayor Bill Shannon said an Innisfail Shire Hall boardroom has been used as the disaster coordination centre before, during and after Cyclone Yasi.
“Our new centre has all the necessary equipment at the ready, where we can have a room set aside for those using the Guardian computer system to log and answer the many, many calls coming in from the public before, during and after a cyclone, and a fit for purpose area for all those people who work together before, during and after a cyclone,” he said.
“These include police, Emergency Management Queensland officers, State Emergency Services volunteers and Queensland Ambulance officers.
“They also include Council officers, councillors and volunteers who are answering the phones and organising everything from water and ice drops, and the clearing of roads and repairs of critical water and sewerage infrastructure to providing evacuation centres and crisis housing, sourcing generators for lifelines and even things like portaloos and laundries for communities in need.
“The new centre is a real boost to our disaster response management.
“We hope it will also become a hub for training and information dissemination to boost community resilience in this region.
“We already have bookings from a range of agencies for meetings, training, first aid sessions. We also have an exhibition of cyclone and flood photographs.”
