Home > Get Ready Challenge > Stage One > Bushfire Basics Knowledge is power. So before we get stuck into the Challenge, here’s a quick run-through of how bushfire behaves in the Blue Mountains.In this article we’ll cover Why the Blue Mountains are such a high risk...
Stage One – Discover your area and plan your way out
Experience has shown that the greatest risk to life in a bush fire is to those involved in car accidents as a result of poor visibility. Thick smoke and heat exposure while a fire front passes through can turn a moment of panic into a deadly situation. Knowing where you’ll go ahead of time, and having a couple of different ways to get there, is the first stage of making a good bush fire survival plan.
We’re going to show you how to look at your neighbourhood through a firefighter’s eyes. Familiar things, that you walk or drive past every day, could have a real impact on your safety in a bushfire emergency.
Key stuff you’ll discover in Stage One includes:
- where risks are likely to come from
- how fire is likely to impact YOUR neighbourhood
- safe places to go and safe ways to get there.
Let’s jump in and discover your Stage One tasks!
Challenge Task 1: Rediscover Your Area
We can all learn something new about the place we live. In this activity you’ll look at your back yard, street and village through the eyes of a firefighter – seeing the potential hazards and risks that will guide the rest of your planning.
Challenge Task 2: Location, Location, Location
Knowing the location and direction of a bushfire – and where it’s likely to impact – is vital to the decisions that you will make next. A few elementary map reading skills will help you make safe decisions about where and when to go.
Challenge Task 3: Exit Strategy
Knowing the location and direction of a bushfire – and where it’s likely to impact – is vital to the decisions that you will make next. A few elementary map reading skills will help you make safe decisions about where and when to go.