Many of us feel overwhelmed in an emergency and it’s better to be prepared.

That’s why the City of Canterbury Bankstown is urging residents to download the Get Prepared app now, so you can better handle an emergency situation.

As part of Emergency Get Ready Week from 18-24 September, Council is encouraging residents to prepare and stay safe in a time of crisis by downloading and completing an emergency plan.

Research shows that the more people prepare for a disaster, the faster they recover.

Canterbury-Bankstown Mayor Bilal El-Hayek said the Get Prepared app is a free and easy to use, one-stop tool to help you deal with emergencies.

“Fire authorities are already warning of a long hot summer and the potential for fire outbreaks,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“The app helps residents connect with key support people, accomplish simple tasks to make loved ones safer, and protect the things that matter most to them.”

The City of Canterbury Bankstown has collaborated with a number of local councils, who are participating in the Resilient Sydney program, to create a metropolis that is connected, inclusive and resilient.

“During our community engagement to develop Council’s Resilience Strategy, residents let us know about the need to have access to information about how to prepare for emergencies,” Mayor El-Hayek said.

“The Get Prepared app is the perfect way to get your household ready for any emergency.

“With more than 500,000 expected to be living in CBCity by 2036, it is more important than ever that our community is resilient and able to adapt and thrive into the future, no matter what challenges we may face as our diverse community grows and changes.

“I encourage everyone to tell their family, friends and neighbours about the Get Prepared app so we can prepare our community, because a prepared community is a resilient community.”

To help get prepared in an emergency, residents can also:

• Establish a quick and easy network of support with three key contacts;
• Review the risks relevant to where they live;
• Create checklists of actions to make an emergency plan; and
• Save the emergency plan as a PDF to be printed and shared with others.