CFA members helped celebrate the launch of a new Deaf Emergency Information resource at Morwell Fire Station on Thursday 23 October.
Vicdeaf developed the resource in partnership with CFA, SES, EMV and the Department of Health and Human Services. It’s now available for all CFA members to use when working with community members who are deaf, deafblind or hard of hearing.
Every year, bushfires, floods and other extreme weather events affect thousands of people in metropolitan, regional and rural Victoria. The state’s emergency services work hard to educate the community about the risks of natural hazards, how to decide when to leave safely, and how to understand warning and evacuation systems. However, much of this important information is provided in written or spoken English. This means that deaf, deafblind and hard of hearing Victorians, who cannot rely on spoken English or whose first language is Auslan, are often the last to know. The Deaf Emergency Information resource brings important information together in one place, in Auslan and in written English.
You can access the website at www.deafemergencyinfo.com.au
Author: Danielle Scorer