Disaster preparation and response

Please adapt this template to suit your club’s specific needs.

Please note: this template primarily relates to events that happen off campus. If an emergency occurs on campus, clubs must immediately inform Campus Security on 3365 3333 and follow the University’s, or UQ Sport’s lead.

Objectives

The goals of our disaster resilience action plan are:

Insert your club’s DRAP goals here

E.g.

1. Our members and volunteers are kept as safe and as well prepared as possible during an emergency.
2. By being prepared we will minimise any disruption and loss caused by an emergency.
3. We will be able to return to normal operations as quickly as possible following an emergency.
4. Through strengthening our club’s disaster resilience, we strengthen the resilience of our whole community.

How this action plan works

The PPRR framework

The PPRR disaster framework involves four key phases: Prevention, Preparedness, Response and Recovery.

Each PPRR phase outlines activities and processes that can help minimise the impact of natural disasters and ensure an effective response.

• In the prevention phase activities aim to prevent or mitigate the effects of disasters
• In the preparedness phase activities ensure that clubs can effectively respond to disasters
• In the response phase immediate actions are taken in response to a disaster
• In the recovery phase activities aim to restore club activities and infrastructure after a disaster

Disaster types

This plan focuses primarily on natural disasters likely to occur in Queensland, including:

• Bushfires
• Droughts
• Floods
• Heatwaves
• Severe storms
• Cyclones
• Storm surges

Although the primary focus of this plan is on these events, the underlying principles and processes are applicable to other challenging situations such as major health outbreaks and IT threats.

For alerts and warnings

• Brisbane City Council Emergency Dashboard
• Lockyer Valley Regional Council Disaster Dashboard, or
• Your local Council’s website
• Queensland Government alerts and warnings

Roles

It is important to appoint and train people who will be tasked with helping the club prepare for, respond to and recover from natural disasters.

For more details, see the Disaster Management: Roles and Communications Plan resource.

External contacts

Prepare and prevent actions

General preparation for natural disasters

• Sign up to any relevant alerts (also check local Council website for alert systems)
• Be prepared to communicate with volunteers, members and stakeholders (see the resource ‘Disaster Management: Roles and Communications Plan’)
• Establish and maintain an asset register
• Provide a copy of this action plan to UQ Sport / your State Level Organisation for information

Disaster resilience preparation checklists

See Appendix 1 for details

Severe storms, floods, storm surge and cyclones preparation

• Check flood risk here or via your local Council
• Identify where to relocate stock, equipment (including canteen stock and merchandise) and vehicles
• Store hazardous materials (such as chemicals and fuels) safely above ground level or off-site in case of flooding
• Be prepared to remove equipment from your site and/or raise equipment above ground level

Bushfire and fire preparation

• Search the bushfire postcode checker, to understand the potential for a bushfire in your area
• Identify where to relocate vehicles, stock, equipment (including canteen stock and merchandise) and hazardous or flammable materials such as fuel.

Drought preparation

• Consider installation of water-efficient infrastructure and design at the club’s facility (e.g. installation of tanks, drought tolerant grass, run-off capturing measures and recycling)

Heatwave preparation

*The following is an excerpt from UQ Sport Affiliated Clubs Handbook

Playing in extreme weather

For more information on playing in extreme weather, please see UQ Sport Extreme Weather Policy

Recovery actions

Immediate

• Look after your own and other’s wellbeing
• UQ offers support and resources for personal wellbeing. Students needing support should contact the UQ Student Services team
• Return to your premises only when safe and once you have received Council / UQ permission to do so
• Assess impact on your club
• Assess damage to buildings, assets, vehicles and equipment
• Record decisions and photos and/or videos of damage in an event log for insurance claims and funding applications or assistance
• Photos/videos of any damage should be taken only when it is safe to attend and ideally prior to clean-up as these are key for later insurance claims and for evidence during any disaster recovery funding application
• Estimate repair, replacement, or relocation costs
• Contact UQS with any insurance questions or to lodge a claim
• Update volunteers, members and stakeholders

Early recovery (days and weeks after incident)

• Contact your State Level Organisation to keep them updated and find out about any support available
• Look after your own and others wellbeing
• Don’t put yourself at risk when cleaning up, e.g. use qualified contractors for any electrical or gas repairs
• Update volunteers and staff and offer support – UQ offers support and resources for personal wellbeing. Students needing support should contact the UQ Student Services team
• Consider reopening options (e.g. alternative venues for training, hired equipment, reduced hours, online services)
• Assess how long you can operate with reduced or no revenue
• Contact the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) for dealing with disasters, refunds and debts
• Repair or replace damaged systems or equipment
• Continue to update your club community
• Provide updates on your website and social media (if appropriate)
• Post photos and videos on social media to demonstrate when your club is back up and running
• Thank people for support
• Keep up to date with community support and grants
• Record lessons learned from your recovery
• Update your disaster resilience action plan

Check out – local government assistance: Disaster Recovery Funding Arrangements (DRFA)

Monitor and review

Your disaster resilience action plan should be reviewed at least annually and immediately following any disaster event. This process will identify emerging risks, vulnerabilities and areas for improvement in the plan. By updating the DRAP annually and after disasters, clubs can improve their overall resilience, adapt to changing situations and maintain a proactive approach towards potential disasters, ensuring the safety and continuity of their operations.

Disclaimer

While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy and comprehensiveness of this DRAP template, associated resources, and educational materials, no responsibility or liability is accepted by CPR Group or the University of Queensland for any errors, omissions, or inaccuracies that may be present.

This template and related resources are provided for information purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice nor a comprehensive identification of all potential risks associated with any organisation. The information contained herein should not be solely relied upon as a substitute for legal or other professional advice. No individual should act based only on the material contained in these resources.

Any legal matters, insurance issues or liability concerns arising from the contents of this Disaster Resilience Action Plan template, associated resources or educational program should be referred to an appropriately qualified professional advisor.

Appendix 1 – preparation checklists

Emergency kit preparation checklist

Equipment

• First aid kit – check contents are current and complete
• Personal protective equipment (PPE) e.g. masks, gloves, safety glasses, hand sanitiser, disinfectant
• Radio – portable battery powered
• Torches and batteries
• Spare batteries, power boards and power banks
• USB memory sticks/flash drives
• Computer storage (portable hard drives/data storage, discs)
• Digital and printed business documents
• Spare keys and security codes
• Mobile phone and chargers (portable and car)
• Marker pens (for temporary signs) and general stationery
• Hazard tape
• Plastic sheeting and waterproof bags for valuables
• Utility knife
• Tie down straps and rope

On the day

• Cash
• Keys for buildings, vehicles and equipment
• Important or valuable equipment that is easily moved
• List of people (on premises or expected) and contact details

Alternatives for loss of power, access, communication and operations

• Assume there will be extended power outages – identify alternative off-site locations to operate from
• Plan for flexible staffing arrangements (e.g. work from home, online meetings)
• Follow UQ Sport policies relating to:
  • Competition suspension/resumption
  • Restrictions on activity
  • Registrations, booking and cancellation policies, including goodwill measures such as refunds

Backup data and securing of documents

• Back up your data and store off-site or use cloud storage
• Save digital copies of key documents (e.g. insurance, business registration, property deeds, key contracts, licences, certificates, awards)

Download the ‘Disaster Resilience Action Plan (DRAP) Template’