Inclusive Preparedness

Published on Tuesday, 4 August 2026 at 1:51:39 PM

With the weather starting to warm up as we get a little closer to spring, it's time to start thinking about preparing for fire season and how you can support others in their preparation. A key part of this is supporting those in your family and the community who need a little help in preparing.

What is Inclusive Preparedness and why is it Important?

Inclusive preparedness means helping everyone prepare for emergencies in a way that works for them. Everyone should be able to access emergency information and understand what to do.

People have different needs, abilities, supports, languages, and life circumstances. So being prepared looks different for everyone, and plans should reflect those individual needs. Preparing early can help people stay safer, make informed decisions, and get the support they need during an emergency.

Inclusive preparedness helps ensure that no one is left behind.

Planning for Your Needs

Preparedness starts with thinking about what you and your household rely on each day and how those needs could change during an emergency. Take five minutes to consider:

1. Who are the people who support you and who do you support?
2. What medications or medical equipment do you use? Can your regular medication be easily replaced in an emergency or does your medical equipment need electricity to run?
3. How do you get emergency information?
4. What transport may you need?
5. Do you have any pets or animals in your care?

Based on these thoughts, create or review your emergency plan in Emergency WA.

Supporting Each Other and Helping Others Prepare

Once you have planned for what you and your household need, the next step is to see what you can do to support your friends, family and neighbours. Preparing for emergencies together can help everyone stay safer.

Some small steps you can take to help support your friends, family and neighbours are to:

• Talk with them about the risk.
• Share emergency information and preparedness resources.
• Make a plan for how you will stay in touch during an emergency.
• Check if someone you know might need extra support to prepare.

Small conversations today can make a big difference during an emergency.

Want to do more? Become a P-CEP Facilitator

A Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) approach is one of the best ways to support inclusive preparedness. It focusses on each person's strengths and recognises that people know their own needs and support networks best.

As a P-CEP Facilitator, you can help people create their own emergency plans by through supportive conversations in your organisation or community.

Learn more about the Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness (P-CEP) Online Certificate Course.

Take Action this Month

1. Create or review your emergency plan in Emergency WA;
2. Think about the people, equipment, medication, and information you rely on each day, and include them in your emergency plan;
3. Share your plan with people you trust; and
4. Check you can access emergency information. This can be through:
• Your local ABC Radio stations 531 AM or 107.3 FM,
• The Emergency WA app which includes accessibility features and live ABC emergency broadcasts, or
• The National Relay Service which provides communication support for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech communication difficulties.

Helpful Resources

Emergency Planning and Preparedness

• Emergency Plan: A free tool available on the Emergency WA website and app to help you create a personalised emergency plan.
• Person-Centred Emergency Preparedness home page.
• P-CEP Tools including the all-hazard P-CEP Workbook and capability wheel.

Information in different formats

• Easy English resources for bushfire and lithium-ion batteries.
• Translated hazard and language support information in 23 languages including Auslan videos.
• Information and planning support for people and communities at higher risk, such as hard copies of the Be Safe and Leave Early Plan.

Emergency Communication and Information Support

• Emergency WA app includes accessible features such as read-aloud warnings, adjustable text size, improved colour contrast, screen reader support and live ABC emergency broadcasts. Guides are available: How to use the Emergency WA app.
• National Relay Service provides communication support for people who are deaf, hard of hearing or have speech communication difficulties. Access videos and step-by-step guides on how to call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency using the National Relay Service.

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