Australian Bushfire Survival Plans and Advice

Due to the ever increase amount of bushfires in Australia I though it would be a good time to collate some free resources of Bushfire protection advise/plans.

These resources are from government websites and I have attempted to get information for each state.

I hope you find this helpful and it prompts those of you who don’t have a bushfire/house fire protection and action plan in place to create one! 

Tasmania: Tasmanian Fire Service (TFS) website.

Home Fire Safety

The advice in the downloadable booklet is designed to keep you and your family safe. It contains information such as: Safe cooking, electrical safety, safety equipment, planning and checklists.

Community Protection Plans

Community Protection Plans are simple plans for community members that include information such as: safe place locations (map included), exit routes, emergency broadcaster’s names and general bushfire information on what to do before and during a bushfire emergency.

You can locate your nearest areas plan by clicking here.

Bushfire Survival Plan Booklet

This booklet is designed to guide your through the steps necessary to prepare your home so it may be defended during a bushfire. It includes information such as: Fire Danger Ratings, Alert Levels, planning, decision making advice and examples several checklist and plans.

The Prepare Act Survive page has some great videos too!

A full list of TFS publications can be found here.

New South Wales: Fire and Rescue NSW website

Escape Plan (Grid)

Fire and Rescue NSW has created a page that you can print, draw your families escape plan on and display in a central location in your home.

Home fire Safety Audit

You can complete and online ‘survey’ to improve your understanding of the fire risks in your home. You simple answer a few questions to gain a better understanding of what your personalised checklists should look like.

Click here to start your audit!

Bushfire Survival Plan Booklet

This booklet is designed to guide your through the steps necessary to prepare your home so it may be defended during a bushfire. It includes information such as: Fire Danger Ratings, Alert Levels, planning, decision making advice, common myths and examples several checklist and plans.

Prepare. Act. Survive Fact sheet

Provides a basic understanding of the Prepare, Act, and Survive concept/slogan.

A full list of publications can be found here.

Victoria: CFA Victoria website.

Fire Ready Kit

This booklet is designed to guide your through the steps necessary to prepare your family for a bushfire. It includes information such as: Identifying your risks, leaving options, property preparedness, planning and several checklists. 

Home Fire Safety Checklist

This is an online checking tool with some simple ‘yes’ ‘no’ type answers.

Start yours by clicking here.

For more information CFA recommends:

·         Attending a local FireReady Victoria meeting in your area

·         Attending a local Bushfire Planning Workshop in your area

·         Joining or establishing a neighbourhood Community Fireguard Group

·         Requesting a home bushfire site visit

·         Landscaping for Bushfire: Garden Design and Plant Selection

·         Red Cross Bushfires Prepare to leave early guide (PDF 1237kb) For people who will need help to prepare and to leave early when there is high bushfire risk.

South Australia: South Australian Metropolitan Fire Service (SAMFS) website or SA County Fire Service

Home Fire Safety

The advice in the downloadable booklet is designed to keep you and your family safe. It contains some basic information.

SAMFS has an extensive list of fact sheets for home fire safety. You can browse them by clicking here or the CFS has a range here.

            Guideline to Bushfire Safety

This booklet is designed to guide your through the steps necessary to prepare your family for a bushfire. It includes information such as: Identifying your risks, leaving options, property preparedness, planning and several checklists. 

Community Guideline to Bushfire Safety

The CFS encourages residents living in bushfire risk areas to form small groups and work together in preparing and protecting their families and properties from bushfire. These groups can consist of just a few families living in the same street or area who face a common bushfire threat.

Western Australia: Department of Fire and Emergency Services (DFES) website

            Am I at Risk from Bushfire?

This provides a basic understanding of the Prepare, Act, and Survive concept/slogan.

Prepare, Act, Survive booklet

This provides a more comprehensive look into the Prepare, Act, and Survive concept/slogan which include fact sheets and checklist.

Homeowners Bushfire Survival Manual

This is a comprehensive manual that has been prepared to help you be better informed about bush fires. It draws together the best advice available on preventing fires and preparing for them.

Northern Territory: Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service website

Escape Plan (Grid)

NT Fire and Rescue has created a page that you can print, draw your families escape plan on and display in a central location in your home.

Home Fire Safety Checklist

Answer the simply questions to find out and remember what you can do to help keep your home fire safe.

A full list of publications can be found here.

The Dept. of Land and Resource management also provides some useful information called: “Fire and Your Responsibility” on their website.

Another site that is worth a look is the Australian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council website. And each states SES website which are linked below:

NSW   ACT   NT   TAS   VIC   WA   QLD   SA

Stay safe during bushfire season, Remember to Prepare, Act and Survive!

Hope for the best, Prep for the worst!

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Survival Garden: 10 Easy-to-Grow Herbs and Vegetables

10 Easy-to-Grow Herbs and Vegetables 

Only a hundred years ago almost all Australian new how to grow their own food and raise farm animals however in today’s society most are incredibly dependant on major supermarket chains for their day to day needs.

Growing your own food is a great way to ensure you and your family will have a sustainable source of food and possible barter source during a SHTF situation.

A great way to begin is by starting your own garden.  If you are not already doing this, then why not start now. We have listed a few easy-to-grow herbs and vegetables to get you thinking …

Beans

What you get: Green beans provide a bounty of nutrients: vitamins A, C and K, , potassium, foliate and iron, as well as fiber.


Cultivation: Plant your bean seeds in well-drained soil where they’ll receive full sun. Sow seeds every few weeks to enjoy a continual harvest through the summer.



Beets
 
What you get: 1/2 cup of cooked beets boasts 2 grams of fiber and provides 19 percent of the daily value for foliate and vitamin B needed for the growth of healthy new cells. Beets’ beautiful color comes from betanin, a phytochemical that’s thought to bolster immunity.
Cultivation: You can plant your beets as soon as your soil can be worked in the spring.

Carrots

What you get: High in beta carotene— this is the same compound the body converts to vitamin A, a vitamin essential for vision, healthy skin and the immune system.
In your garden: Plant carrots as soon as the soil can be worked. They thrive in fertile sandy soil.

Cucumbers

What you get: While the cucumber isn’t known as a nutrition powerhouse, it does provide refreshment: at 95 percent water content, a cup of cucumber slices is nearly as thirst-quenching as a glass of water.
Cultivation: Give your cucumber plants generous amounts of organic matter and good fertilization and they will respond with lots of crunchy cucumbers; harvest them regularly to increase production.

Lettuce Mix

What you get: Although nutrients differ with each variety of lettuce, leafy greens are a great start to any meal, supplying vitamins A, C and K as well as foliate.
Cultivation: Lettuce thrives in cooler weather so plant it in the spring and fall, sowing every few weeks for a continuous harvest.

Snap Peas

What you get: You get one-third of your daily value of vitamin C and 3 grams of fiber in every cup.
Cultivation:  Snap peas are hardy legumes that germinate in soil temperatures as low as 5°c, but don't do so well in hot and dry weather. Plant your peas so that they can mature as early as your planting schedule allows and sow more seeds when cooler fall days return.

Radishes

What you get: Radishes are rich in ascorbic acid, folic acid, and potassium. They are also a good source of vitamin B6 and calcium.
Cultivation: Even if you don’t have a green thumb, radishes are easy to grow in containers and gardens; spring radish varieties are often ready in just three weeks and are more mild in flavor—hotter summer soil produces spicier radishes.

Mustard Mix

What you get: Dark leafy greens are particularly rich in vitamins A, C and K as well as foliate
Cultivation: You can sow salad greens in your garden from early spring to midsummer.

Basil

What you get: Although no verified health benefits, Basil has been used in several herbal medicines throughout the world and no other herb epitomizes the taste of summer like basil!
Cultivation: Plant basil in rich, moist soil where it can enjoy full sun. Sow your basil every few weeks for continual harvest.

Thyme

What you get: (Source Wikipedia) Oil of thyme, the essential oil of common thyme contains 20–54% thymol. Thymol, an antiseptic, is the main active ingredient in various commercially produced mouthwashes such as Listerine. Before the advent of modern antibiotics, oil of thyme was used to medicate bandages. Thymol has also been shown to be effective against various fungi that commonly infect toenails. Thymol can also be found as the active ingredient in some all-natural, alcohol-free hand sanitizers.
A tea made by infusing the herb in water can be used for coughs and bronchitis.
Cultivation: Grow thyme in an area that will receive full sunlight.

Hope for the best, Prep for the worst!

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Quinoa, A Prepper Super Food!

Quinoa, A Prepper Super Food!

Firstly, a tad bit pretentious to correct people but apparently most of us Aussie have been pronouncing it incorrectly, it's not "kwin-oh-AH" or other variations, it should be pronounced "keen-WAH".  

And yes its consider one of those super cool super foods that health food and gym junkies love but that should NOT put you off storing this amazing whole grain!

I’m always a little suspicious of anything that gets labelled as a ‘superfood’. Which is why it took me a while to get around to trying quinoa...

Now I realise that NO prepper should be without this in there food stores! 

Quinoa is a highly nutritious 100% whole grain that is both gluten free and wheat free. It is a complete protein, an excellent source of iron, dietary fibre and contains vitamin B and essential amino acids. 

As well as being a great source of protein and delicious it’s simple to make (especially in a SHTF situation):

Rinse Quinoa, the combine ½ cup of Quiona and 1 cup of water (one part Quiona, Two parts water) and bring to the boil. Reduce and allow it to simmer for approx 8 minutes (until tender) and you’re done! 

You could add all kinds of vegetables, broths or seasonings to create a tasty meal. Or you can use it as a rice substitute. 

Speaking of rice, I have both rice and Quinoa in my food store however since I have discovered the wonder that is Quinoa I’m leaning more towards it than rice. 

Rice stores well and is less expensive but it does not have the same nutritional value that Quinoa does. I think it’s more important to stock up on a super food that will help keep me and my family healthy during a SHTF situation.

I highly recommend this product to everyone building a food store and to try in every day cooking!

Quinoa Recipes   Where to Buy Quinoa (or a local supermarket) Grow Quiona Buy Quinoa Seeds

 

Please note the above hyperlinks are examples only. We have no affiliation with any of the above websites. 

Hope for the Best, Prep for the Worst!  

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