WARD SAYS BE FIRE SMART AND PREPARED THIS SUMMER

Member for Kiama Gareth Ward has today reminded local residents and community groups across the Kiama electorate to be fire smart and prepared with summer quickly approaching.

Mr Ward said: “The 2024-25 bush fire season is now officially underway and as we head into the hotter and drier months of the year, the NSW Rural Fire Service, supported by other emergency services, is on alert for a potentially dangerous period ahead,” he said.

“It is also prudent to ensure that our local residents have access to timely, reliable and accurate sources of information if and when an incident arises,” Mr Ward said.

NSW Rural Fire Service website

The NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) website www.rfs.nsw.gov.au is a reliable and accurate source of bush fire information.

Download the ‘Hazards Near Me’ app on your iPhone

Hazards Near Me NSW is a reliable gateway to emergency updates in NSW. Information in the app is sourced directly from NSW emergency services and includes up-to-date alerts and data about bush fires, floods and tsunamis in NSW and within a 50-kilometre radius of the NSW border.

If you already have the Fires Near Me NSW app on your phone, you’ll need to update it through your app store. If this doesn’t work, search for ‘Hazards Near Me’ and download the app.

Bush Fire Information Line – 1800 NSW RFS (1800 679 737).

This phone line includes information on current major activity, current total fire bans, advice on protecting property and other fire-related safety information. NSW RFS and local brigade social media accounts.

Official RFS social media accounts are a useful source of information about bush fires, fire danger ratings, total fire bans and hazard reduction burns. The central RFS social channels are updated in line with the RFS website and brigade social media pages have additional local information.

The NSW RFS is on Facebook at www.facebook.com/nswrfs.

Bush fire information for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired Members of the public who are deaf, hard of hearing or have a speech impairment can access bush fire information through the National Relay Service (NRS).

• TTY users: phone 1800 555 677 then ask for 1800 679 737.

• Speak and Listen users: phone 1800 555 727 then ask for 1800 679 737.

• Internet relay users: connect to the NRS then ask for 1800 679 737.

• To report a fire or emergency (TTY users only), access TTY 106.

Preparedness – Get Ready NSW

The Get Ready NSW campaign is designed to help all NSW residents be prepared for natural disasters such as storms, fires and floods, and is available at: www.nsw.gov.au/get-ready.