Being prepared
How you can help - reporting suspicious activity
If you see or hear of activity that you believe could be suspicious call the National Security Hotline on 1800 123 400.
Preparedness at home
In a terrorist incident, electricity may be affected or lost. Other essential services may also fail or suffer performance problems. For example, telephone services can become difficult to access in an emergency due to congestion (i.e. overuse) or they can be lost entirely due to power failure or to lines being cut in an explosion.
There are things you can do at home to prepare for an emergency such as a terrorist incident. The following lists suggest things you can prepare and what you may need to to do in an emergency.
A basic home emergency kit should include:
- Torch (with spare batteries)
- First aid kit and manual
- Telephone which doesn’t require mains power to operate (e.g. mobile phone)
- List of contact details for family members and emergency services
- Supply of medications and hygiene products
- Copies of important family documents (birth certificates, passports and licences)
- Battery operated radio (with spare batteries)
If it seems likely you may have to evacuate, you should get together the following:
- Mobile phone, spare batteries (if available) and charger
- Supplies of prescribed medications (including prescriptions)
- Spare home and car keys
- Cash and credit cards
- Spare clothes and blankets
- Food/medications for your pets
If you are told to leave your home
- Turn off electricity, gas and water supplies, unplug appliances and lock all doors and windows
- Check on any elderly or disabled neighbours – do they need assistance to evacuate?
- If you leave by car, take bottled water and blankets and listen to local radio for safety advice and instructions
- Make sure you have made arrangements for your pets
Living or working in regional centres or Sydney CBD
There are specific emergency plans and programs in place for the Sydney CBD and North Sydney CBD. Plans are also in place for Wollongong, and are being developed for other regional centres such as Newcastle.