December 15th, 2023Forewarned is forearmed: warning system launched

Victorians will now have access to a range of education materials to better understand warnings for bushfires, floods, storms and extreme heat.

The Australian Warning System (AWS) education initiative launched earlier this week, and includes information on different hazard icons, warning levels and action statements to help the community understand what they need to do to stay safe in response to emergencies.

The three warning levels (advice, watch and act and emergency warning) are the same for bushfires, floods, storms and extreme heat.

The community education initiative features well-known ABC presenter, Justine Clarke, and the voice of Chilli from children’s TV show Bluey, Melanie Zanetti. It includes videos, story books, audio books, posters, social media content, radio advertisements.

It has been developed by Emergency Management Victoria, on behalf of Victoria’s emergency services. This follows the national implementation of the Australian Warning System coordinated by the Australasian Fire and Emergency Services Authorities Council (AFAC).

EMV has worked with emergency service agencies to ensure materials are fit for purpose, with a key focus on distribution across the state – particularly in high-risk areas.