Sign up for disaster messaging service at Cyclone Sunday

Date: Friday, 30th October 2009

Townsville residents will be able to sign up for the City Council`s new disaster messaging service at this weekend`s Cyclone Sunday event.

The council is partnering ABC North Queensland and Emergency Management Queensland in hosting the emergency expo. Everything you`ll need to prepare for the approaching cyclone season will be in one place: Townsville`s Strand Park from 9am to midday this Sunday.

The Local Disaster Management Group will be on hand to talk about its role during emergencies and residents will be able to sign up for the new Early Warning Network – the first in Australia.

So far, 6200 residents have signed up for the service, which sends emergency alerts to members when a disaster is imminent.

Health and Community Safety Committee chairman Cr Dale Last encouraged people to get along on Sunday and sign up for the service, especially residents of the Northern Beaches and South Townsville, whose homes are often at risk of tidal inundation.

"We`re very pleased with the subscription rate and coverage across Townsville but we could always do with more," Cr Last said. "Residents will be contacted only when their suburb or street is directly at risk, and it doesn`t have to be via email or mobile, it can be a recorded message to a landline phone. Disasters can unfold very quickly, so this is one of our most valuable response tools.

"Given the record flooding that occurred here early this year and that a cyclone`s predicted for January, I`d encourage everyone to get ready now, before we all get busy with Christmas."

Also taking part in Sunday`s event:

• Broadcast Australia
• Centrelink
• Department of Communities
• Ergon Energy
• Red Cross
• Main Roads Department
• State Emergency Service
• James Cook University Cyclone Testing Station
• Bureau of Meteorology
• Department of Primary Industries
• Queensland Police
• Queensland Fire and Rescue Service, including Blazer the QFRS safety bear
• Rural Fire Service

ABC North Queensland will broadcast live from 10am to midday and there`ll also be food stalls, a sausage sizzle from the Picnic Bay Surf Lifesaving Club, and children`s entertainment.