While emergency services do all they can to help, the person most responsible for your wellbeing before, during and after an emergency is YOU. 

With the weather events of the last few days it is a timely reminder of how important our own preparedness is. Not only for our ability to ‘weather the storm’ and protect our property as best we can to limit possible damage, but also for our emotional wellbeing.

Many people contacted the community centre last week asking for information and advice about what they needed to do, what phone numbers they needed and how they could find out about what the weather was doing. It was fantastic to see so many community members being proactive in their own preparedness. Being prepared is fundamental in building our own resilience and supports us all in feeling safer, more capable and ready.

However the time to prepare is not when a server weather event is announced, such as an east coast low or a heat wave. Nor is preparedness static, and once we have our plan and documents in a water proof bag we put it on a shelf.

Preparedness is something that we need to be ever aware of, for ourselves, our family and friends, our street and community. And the time to start preparing is NOW.

If you're wondering how to prepare for an emergency, there are a number of useful websites that can provide plan templates and information about what to put in an emergency kit. Links for these websites can be found on the DSCC website/ Disaster Preparedness. There are also a range of apps that can help you stay connected to up-to-date information such as Fires Near Me and Disaster Watch.

However one of the best ways you can be prepared is to know your neighbours, know your community and know your risk.

Over the coming months DSCC through Project Bounce Forward will be partnering with a number of local, regional and state agencies to roll out preparedness expos and information across the Dungog Shire.

Sarah U’Brien is the manager of Dungog Shire Community Centre who led the town’s recovery after the 2015 April super storm.

To contact the centre visit www.dscc.net.ausarah@dscc.net.au  or phone 02 49921133.