Disaster recovery for community organisations
The Office of Emergency Management provides a range of simple toolkits to promote disaster preparedness, under the general banner of Get Ready.
One of these is aimed at helping community services providers understand their risks in a disaster situation and how to take some simple steps to get ready. Simple preparations can dramatically increase the speed with which an organisation gets back up and running, thus supporting clients and simplifying the disaster recovery operation.
The toolkit material also gives guidance on how providers can work with their clients to increase clients’ disaster preparedness.
The toolkit includes information on:
- how to create a disaster resilient community service organisation
- how to prepare clients for emergencies
- emergency management arrangements in NSW
- the role of community service organisations in recovery.
The online resource links to information sheets and other key resources, including a number of community services organisation sector capability development tools funded by the Office of Emergency Management through its Community Resilience Innovation Program grants.
These include the Person-Centred Emergency Plan Toolkit, and the Walk With disaster recovery online training tool:
- Disaster Recovery in NSW - NCOSS Webinar, Jul 2022:-
- Resilience NSW Course Catalogue, Jul 2022 :- accredited and non-accredited courses available in online, classroom, and blended learning formats
- Flood & Storm Disaster Recovery Small Business Grant re NSW storms & floods Nov 2021:- or small businesses or not-for-profit organisations that have been directly impacted by storms and floods in NSW from 9 November 2021. Blue Mountains is included in the list of LGAs identified as being impacted by this event.
- Australian Bushfires Report: Jan-Dec 2020, Australian Red Cross :- Twelve months ago, Australia was in the grip of the worst bushfire season on record. This report is for all those who endured the fires, and all those who placed their trust in Red Cross to help them. We have striven all year to be worthy of that trust
- Resilience Through Disasters Report, LCSA - 2020:- In 2019 and 2020, communities and community-based organisations across New South Wales faced significant challenges, from the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, to the 2019-2020 bushfire season, flooding, and drought. Neighbourhood and community centres have been at the forefront of disaster preparedness and response. This includes members of LCSA. In August 2020, LCSA and WESTIR Limited distributed an online survey to LCSA members across NSW with the aim of recording perceptions of the roles, responses, and resilience of these organisations through times of crisis. This report analyses the survey responses and proposes several recommendations to help neighbourhood and community centres better prepare for, respond to, and bounce back from disasters in NSW.
- Emerging Minds Community Trauma Toolkit, 2019 :- contains resources to help and support adults and children before, during, and after a disaster or traumatic event. It will help you understand some of the impacts of disaster and how you can help lessen these impacts.
- Community Recovery (Handbook 2), Australian Institute for Disaster Resilience, 2018:- this handbook aims to provide a comprehensive guide to community recovery in Australia. It is intended for use by planners, managers and those involved in working with communities to design and deliver recovery processes, services, programs and activities..