My Bushfire Emergency List - What I now know

putting out bush fires in the mountains

                       

1.   Any smoke in bushland is BAD, any smoke with 90km winds is DOUBLY BAD.

2.     All the cleaning leaves and sticks out of gutters and the backyard that you thought you should do all year – guess what – you should have done it and don’t forget hose nozzles and gutter blockers will all be sold out in your local community – stock up.

3.     The mobile phone service will crash, you will run out of credit, the power will go out. Buy a landline as loved ones will be separated from you for hours by blocked roads and fires.

4.     You will be scared and every family member will react differently to the situation. Go with it – just be safe.

5.     Packing to evacuate becomes like an equation;

The longer the time you have to evacuate = more of a dilemma for you as to what to take.

P.S. Take photos and certificates.

6     The constant sirens, helicopters, fire trucks and police cars are all good because they are the brave men and women who will put their life on the line for you and your community. It is now a confirmed fact in your mind that the Police are AWESOME and that the Firies {fire men and women} are DOUBLY AWESOME.

7.     You realize that people do really care. Neighbours help the elderly clear leaves off their rooves. For the Firies and those affected by the fires, businesses offer freebies like food, hairwashes, accommodation. Friends and family offer places to stay, churches are stocked by their communities with food, clothes and money to give to anyone in need. The government does all it can to get people on their feet. Even Princess Mary of Denmark visits –why? Because people matter and she is an Aussie after all.

Princess Mary and Prince Frederik of Denmark encouraging the community

8.     You will be shocked by the devastation and destruction of the fires as you pass daily the charred, mangled messes of what once were lovely homes. You are thankful to God that everyone survived. But your heart and the heart of your mountains community is broken for those who have lost everything. As a community you want to shout out to them that “We care, we want to stand with you on the long difficult journey ahead, we won’t forget you in the weeks and months and years to come.”

9.     You will be hit again with the realization that family and friends are everything. You will also think of your own mortality, you can die at any moment, is your eternity secured? Yes, as a believer you know Jesus has paid the ultimate price for your salvation but have you cared enough to tell others? Do they know God really loves them? You also believe the Bible in Romans 8: 28 that God in his mercy can bring good out of terrible things for those who follow Him. So you and the Christian community will work and pray and look eagerly for God to fulfil His promise.

10.                        BUSH FIRES are BAD but they are NEVER the END of the STORY.
                                       Hey, Jennifer Ann, don’t forget to take the  DOG!!!!!!