WITH only one in 10 Western Australians having a bushfire plan, a new My Bushfire Plan website and app was launched by the Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) last week to help families manage their personal bushfire risk.
The website and mobile app enables users to create a bushfire survival plan by guiding them with easy-to-follow steps that can be completed quickly and easily.
The new tools have been designed to help people make critical decisions ahead of the bushfire season, such as what they will do if a bushfire threatens their home, guide them to identify when they will leave, what they will take and where they will go.
Launched in conjunction with a new bushfire awareness advertising campaign to urge Western Australians to develop a bushfire plan, the new platform is an Australian-first.
The 'How Fireproof is Your Plan?' campaign throughout the southern bushfire season will encourage the community to evaluate their bushfire plans by showing the consequences of not planning for the event of a bushfire.
Emergency Services Minister Fran Logan said the new website and app were straightforward and contained vital information to help save lives and properties.
"We know that indecision can be deadly during a bushfire, and this campaign is deliberately emotive to bring home the reality of being trapped on your property or in a car," Mr Logan said.
"Research conducted by the DFES shows that while Western Australians understand the danger of fire, and the bushfire risk for the State, most do not understand or plan for their own risk, which is why this campaign is so important.
"People might think that they are prepared, but when their hose melts, the power fails or they become exhausted from the radiant heat, they will not be able to think clearly enough to make life-saving decisions.
"You must know beforehand what actions you will take during a bushfire and having a plan in place at your fingertips during an emergency could be the difference between life and death."
- The My Bushfire Plan app is available from the App Store, Google Play or mybushfireplan.wa.gov.au
