EMERGENCY WARNINGS

The ACT Emergency Services Agency is well prepared to warn the Canberra community about any impending or known emergency situation.

The ESA has arrangements in place with all local major media outlets and Canberra Connect to disseminate emergency warnings and information to the ACT community 24 hours a day 7 days a week.

This may include the threat of a range of natural disasters such as bushfire and chemical or toxic plume.

Some natural disasters such as earthquakes generally happen without warning, so in such a case the warnings issued by the ESA would more likely relate to the impact the incident has had on the ACT and any actions residents should take as a result.

Several events in the past few years have shown that storms are an almost constant threat to Canberra. Warnings about severe storms are issued by the Australian Government Bureau of Meteorology (BOM).

The ACT Emergency Services Agency, through the ACT State Emergency Service, may value add to these warnings by providing advice to residents on how to prepare for major storm events based on advice from the BOM.

How will I know if an emergency warning has been issued?

The ACT All Hazards Warning System was introduced in late 2005 to help residents identify what type of emergency threat they may face.

The colour coded system is broken down into five different colours from possible threat, to likely threat, to imminent threat, then immediate impact.

To find out more about the ACT All Hazards Warning System click here.

The Standard Emergency Warning Signal

As part of a coordinated national emergency plan, an audio signal has been adopted to alert the community to an urgent safety message relating to a major identified emergency such as a storm, flood, fire, or earthquake aftershocks.

What is SEWS?
It is a distinctive sound broadcast over radio or television, and in public places.

What does SEWS sound like?
You can hear the signal by listening to this sample audio file (MP3 78KB). The signal sounds like a wailing siren.

When is it used?
The SEWS will be broadcast immediately before an urgent safety message. The signal will occasionally be broadcast as a test message. Any test of the signal will be announced prior to after the signal.

What do you do when you hear it?
Following a signal there will be a message, pay immediate attention, listen to the announcement, and follow any instructions given.