Emergency Dispatch Vol 4 2014

Volume.4 2014
www.dispatchmag.com.au
Earthquake Survival
pacific partnership
Community Station To
emergency Broadcast

Contents
Australian Red Cross Role In Haiti Relief
How Safe Is Your Home
Floods,Foods & More Floods
Airtanker Arrives In Victoria
What Is A Fire whirl
Severe Thunder Storms - Facts, Warnings & Protection
Surviving A Tsunami
The Australian Warning systems swings into operation
Cyclone Hazards & Disasters
Earthquake Survival
Pacific Partnership
Community Station To Emergency Broadcast
Pg 2
Pg5
Pg6
Pg8
Pg9
Pg10
Pg14
Pg16
Pg18
Pg20
Pg22
Pg24
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AUSTRLIAN
RED CROSS
ROLE IN HAITI
RELIEF
2
The impact of the 12 January earthquake off
the coast of Haiti has left even veteran disaster
responders stunned. The magnitude-7.3
earthquake – the biggest to hit Haiti for 200 years
may have left as many as 200,000 people dead
and more than a million homeless.
The quake leveled urban landscapes in parts
of the country’s capital Port-au-Prince and
surrounding suburbs and towns, leaving homes,
businesses, banks, parks, marketplaces and
schools in ruins.
With an epicentre only 15 kilometres from Port-au
Prince – hub of a centralised administration the
earthquake struck at the heart of the country.
It caused major damage to the seaport, airport
and roads, destroyed parliament and ministry
buildings, closed hospitals and crippled the city’s
telecommunications, water and electricity
supply.
The devastation caused by the earthquake has
generated one of the largest humanitarian
responses ever carried out in a single country. For
the global Red Cross network, currently playing
a key role in the emergency response, it is fast
becoming one of the largest and most complex
operations in recent memory.
Background on Haiti
The earthquake compounded pre-existing
difficult living conditions in Haiti. Ranked 149
on the Human Development Index, 80 per cent
of Haiti’s 8.7 million inhabitants were living in
poverty prior to 12 January 2010, with half of the
population subsisting on less than $1 a day.
Alongside poverty, the country’s deeper
problems included political and social instability
with an economy in ruins, chronic unemployment,
overwhelming challenges in health, as well
as severe deforestation and environmental
degradation that undermined farming, inflated
food prices, and left the country vulnerable to
flooding.
As Tadateru Konoé, president of the International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies (IFRC), observed of relief efforts in the
aftermath of the earthquake: ‘We must confront
a natural disaster that is not only one of the
biggest of the past decade, but is affecting one
of the very poorest countries in the world’. The
Haiti earthquake left people in need of more than
simple recovery.
In the aftermath
As part of its global approach to disaster
preparedness and management, the Red Cross
movement is led by its local society in a disaster
zone. Local Red Cross staff and volunteers are
usually already involved in relief efforts before
international assistance arrives. They are familiar
with the communities and context in which

3
they are working and ensure that additional
assistance is needed and appropriate. Only
moments after the earthquake struck on 12
January, Haitian Red Cross volunteers – many
of whom were also left homeless and grieving,
lost or missing loved ones – began to assess
the impact and administer first aid to the injured.
Prepositioned stores of relief items in Port-au-
Prince provided an immediate source of aid to
approximately 3,000 families. Items included
blankets, hygiene kits, tarpaulins and containers
for storing drinking water.
A local contribution
Australian Red Cross immediately offered its
support and assistance as part of the global Red
Cross response. Within hours of hearing news
of the disaster, the organization established
a national appeal through which Australians
could contribute to Red Cross relief and recovery
efforts. To date, more than $7 million has been
donated by the Australian public, businesses
and government. Australian aid workers, trained
and experienced in disaster response, were
immediately put on standby as Australian Red
Cross awaited requests for resources from staff
in the field.
The first Australian Red Cross aid worker, a
specialist in public health, travelled to Haiti six
days after the earthquake. He complemented
a team of Japanese Red Cross medical staff
tending to the injured out of a temporary basic
health care unit set up in a suburb outside Portau-Prince.
Also pre-positioned were funds held by IFRC.
Within hours of the earthquake, IFRC had released
money from its disaster relief emergency
fund to cover the purchase and transfer of
additional relief supplies, including food and
water from neighbouring Dominican Republic.
An international appeal for funds to support
response and recovery work soon followed.
Key needs in the emergency relief phase
included search and rescue, identification
and management of dead bodies, medical
assistance and the distribution of immediate
relief items including food, clothing, water, shelter
and sanitation. Shelter and sanitation continue to
remain priorities.
Since then, fourteen Australian aid workers have
travelled to Haiti; eight nurses, a midwife, a GP
and three experts in shelter and a public health
specialist. The medical teams are working with
colleagues from across the world in a German
Red Cross field hospital. One shelter specialist
has joined the committee of 26 organisations
overseeing the coordination of shelter activities
(Red Cross has taken on the role of lead
organisation on shelter), while the other two have
joined Finnish Red Cross workers erecting tents
and tarpaulins in attempts to provide people with
emergency shelter.
Australian Red Cross has also contributed
aid supplies, redirecting to Haiti a stock
replenishment en route to its storage warehouse
in Kuala Lumpur.

4
Current focus
Although the humanitarian situation continues to
improveon a daily basis, it is clear there are major
unmet needs, particularly in terms of shelter and
sanitation.
In the capital, tens of thousands of people are
struggling in hundreds of makeshift camps. With
the rainy season due to begin in May and the
hurricane season in June, the situation is made
more critical.
While the delivery and distribution of tents and
shelter materials is being sped up, with more than
75 per cent of the displaced population having
received shelter to date, the operation is severely
constrained by the preexisting shortage of land
for new settlement. Work continues with Haitian
authorities to identify additional appropriate sites
for displaced people.
Of equal concern, Port-au-Prince was left without
sanitation. So far more than 1200 latrines have
been built in 20 different improvised camps,
however more needs to be done before the rains
hit.
Aid workers are well aware that if conditions
worsen, so too will the risk of potential epidemics
of water-borne disease.
Looking ahead
The recovery process will take years – perhaps
even a generation – however aid workers are
looking at this response as a rare opportunity to
effect large-scale change where it is desperately
needed.
Red Cross is committed to ensuring that Haiti’s
devastated communities receive not only the
help they need now, but the help they will need
for a long while to come, with disaster response
units now routinely including recovery experts
to ensure community needs are understood
and planned for. In addition, all work being
undertaken by international aid workers is done
in cooperation with Haitian Red Cross, with
capacity development of the local society an
ongoing focus for the global effort.
Longer term planning of recovery activities is well
underway and will form the base upon which
work will be implemented in the future.

HOW SAFE IS YOUR
HOME?
DCS employees and volunteers are being
encouraged to lead by example and sign up for
a free QFRS Safehome fire safety check. QFRS’s
flagship community relations program, Safehome
is designed to protect lives and property by
educating householders about the fire risks that
can exist in their homes. The free service
is available to all Queenslanders and involves
a visit from QFRS firefighters, who will assist
householders to conduct a fire and safety audit
of their home or unit. Once the hazards are
identified, the householder is given advice to
reduce or eliminate the risks.
As part of the service, firefighters will advise on
safety issues including:
• Effective positioning, installation and
maintenance of smoke alarms;
• Avoiding kitchen fires, which are the main
source of home and unit fires in Queensland;
• Safe storage of chemicals;
• Using power boards and electrical
appliances safely, and;
• Reducing the fire load in, under and around
dwellings.
During the visit firefighters will also provide
householders with a free Safehome kit which
includes a safety checklist, a manual for drawing
up a fire escape plan, and information about first
aid and natural hazards such as storms, lightning
and cyclones.
Safehome visits take about 45 minutes, and can
be arranged outside standard working hours.
The program is proudly sponsored by NRMA
Insurance.
In areas serviced by volunteer rural firefighters,
home visits may not be made. Instead, a
Safehome kit, including a safety checklist, may
be posted together with a Bushfire Preparedness
Kit and a letter providing information about the
nearest fire station.
Assistant Commissioner Mark Roche, of QFRS
Community Safety and Training, said the
Safehome program helped householders identify
and deal with potential domestic fire and safety
hazards.
‘Our homes are not immune to these hazards,
and DCS staff are in an ideal position to take
advantage of the Safehome visits and set an
example for other members of the community to
follow,’ Mark said. ‘We strongly encourage staff
to make their own Safehome booking, and to
recommend this free service to family members,
friends and neighbours throughout Queensland.
‘It doesn’t matter if the householder is an owneroccupier
or a tenant, they can still arrange for a
Safehome visit.’

6
FLOODS, FOODS AND
MORE FLOODS!
March 2010 will go down in the history books as
the time of one of the most extreme
flooding events ever experienced in south-west
Queensland.
In early March a monsoonal low-pressure
system caused prolonged heavy rainfall
resulting in widespread flooding across the
region, isolating communities and leaving more
than 1000 homes and businesses inundated.
The response effort coordinated by Local and
District Disaster Management Groups assisted
by EMQ’s State Disaster Coordination Centre
was remarkable, involving hundreds of people
working extended hours to ensure the safety of
those affected.
EMQ Acting Chief Officer Bruce Grady said this
once-in-a-lifetime flooding event demonstrated
the strong relationships between government
agencies, local councils and members of the
community.
‘Local Disaster Management Groups in the
affected areas were in force from day one
preparing for the worst but hoping for the best,’
Mr Grady said.
‘Communities were warned of the potential
impact and contingency plans were put in place
to ensure ample support was provided during
this time of need.
The community resilience and spirit shone
across each of the western towns, with everyone
pooling together to care for evacuees and assist
with sandbagging and clean up operations.
‘EMQ continues to work together in conjunction
with Local Disaster Management Groups to
provide essential supplies to affected residents.’
The 132 500 SES hotline received more than 950
calls for assistance during the flooding event.
The State Government declared a disaster
situation for Charleville on 2 March after Bradleys
Gully, a creek that runs through the

7
town, rose significantly, breaking its banks and
causing localised flooding. Shortly after, a disaster
situation was also declared for the Murweh
and Balonne Local Government areas.
SES and QFRS personnel helped to evacuate
people from their homes across both Charleville
and Roma. Two-thirds of the town of Charleville
experienced inundation and more than 500 people
moved from their homes to higher ground.
Many chose to take shelter at the showgrounds
where an evacuation centre managed by the Red
Cross was established.
In Roma about 200 people relocated from their
homes, while aircraft were tasked to rescue people
from flooded outlying properties. In some
cases, residents were stranded on the roofs of
their homes. Medical evacuations took place and
resupply operations were coordinated for the
days that followed. Trucks, planes and helicopters
stacked with food supplies streamed into the
flooded towns.
A taskforce of more than 100 SES volunteers was
deployed from south-east Queensland to assist
with both floodboat and clean up operations
across the isolated communities.
The QFRS deployed several Swiftwater Rescue
personnel to St George, Roma and Charleville,
while a Strike Team of 12 firefighters went to
Charleville to assist with clean up operations
that began with the nursing headquarters at the
hospital. Upon arriving in Charleville, the team of
12 firefighters witnessed the selfless community
spirit first-hand. A local motel owner ripped up
the wet
carpet from the rooms, swept away debris and
made up beds for them to sleep in, despite being
knee-deep in floodwater just days before.
The flood threat moved south to St George a few
days later with a record peak of 14m predicted for
the Balonne River on 6 March.
Emergency services were ready for the threat,
with preparations already in place to accommodate
half of St George’s 3000 residents in an
emergency shelter at the local showgrounds.
More than 4000 sandbags were also flown in
to St George before the surge. As the river rose
evacuations began across the town, but on the
day of the expected peak there was relief across
the community as the Balonne River reached a
record 13.5m causing no further
inundation to homes.
While the flood clean up will continue in the
months to come, the deluge has had a positive
effect. It has been many months since the state’s
south-west west was clad in such a dark shade
of green, with the rain filling dams and creating a
silver lining for many farmers.

8
AIRTANKER ARRIVES
IN VICTORIA
The first operational trial of the very large
airtanker took place in Victoria this bush fire
season.
The VLAT was based at the Avalon Airport
in Victoria from December 2009 and was
available for operational use until March 2010. It
is the first trial of the large water-bombing plane
in Australia.
The Bushfire CRC will evaluate the operational
trial and will prepare a series of reports on the
airtanker by mid 2010. The airtanker has the
capacity to drop approximately 45,000 litres of
water or 42,000 litres of fire retardant - up to five
times the amount of the high-volume helicopters
such as Elvis and Isabelle. Its volume is 15 times
the amount of our largest fixedwing bombers.
The plane can land, refuel, reload and be ready
to take-off again in approximately 30 minutes,
depending on circumstances. It is likely to have a
minimum flying altitude of 300ft and its minimum
speed is approximately 150 knots. CEO of the
Bushfire CRC, Gary Morgan said the trial will
assess the effectiveness of the VLAT in Australian
conditions.
“The Bushfire CRC will bring its broad expertise
to the trial of this very large aircraft and will share
the outcomes with firefighting agencies around
Australia and internationally,” said Mr Morgan.
The Bushfire CRC researchers are from the CSIRO
and from Australian firefighting agencies,
who will work closely with the U.S. aircraft crews.
An S76 helicopter from Canada accompanied
the researchers in their task. “This helicopter is a
vital part of the trial because it has the speed and
responsiveness to keep pace with the DC-10 and
it is equipped with all the necessary monitoring
equipment to ensure that each aerial drop can be
properly assessed,” he said.
Leased by the National Aerial Firefighting Centre
(NAFC) and funded by the Victorian State
Government, the DC-10 was the largest aircraft
ever to be used in aerial firefighting in Australia.
The airtanker can be used to build retardant lines
in remote areas and to provide fire suppression
on the flanks of bush fires. There has also been
extensive trialling in non-operational situations
in landscapes unique to Australia such as dense
eucalyptus forest, grass fuels, flat terrain, hilly
terrain and with a range of payloads (water,
retardant).

WHAT
IS A
FIRE
WHIRL?
A fire whirl, also known as
a fire devil or fire tornado,
is a rare phenomenon in
which a fire, under certain
conditions (depending on
air temperature and currents)
acquires a vertical
vorticity and forms a whirl,
or tornado-like vertically
oriented rotating column
of air. Fire whirls may be
whirlwinds separated from
the flames, either within
the burn area or outside it,
or a vortex of flame, itself.
A fire whirl can make the
fire more dangerous as it
encourages the fire to spot.

14
SURVIVING A TSUNAMI
Thai Police Patrol Boats prepare for impact. / Thailand 2004
A tsunami is a series of fast, low and long ocean
waves, that move out from a central area, due to
a sudden disturbance of a large body of water.
In the past, tsunami have been known as tidal
waves but this is not correct as tsunami are not
caused by tides.
Tsunami (pronounced soo-nah-mee) is a
Japanese word meaning ‘harbour wave’. It
came from an old story about some Japanese
fishermen who, when out in the deep ocean, did
not notice a tsunami travelling underneath them.
When they arrived back at port they found the
harbour
destroyed.
In the deep ocean a tsunami can travel up to
950km/hr, the speed of an aeroplane and may
be less than one metre high. This is why the
Japanese fishermen did not notice the tsunami
in the deep ocean. Tsunami wavelengths are
extremely long with hundreds of kilometres
between wave crests in the deep ocean.
movement of water allthe way to the sea floor.
The most common cause of tsunami is large,
undersea earthquakes that occur along the
boundaries of the Earth’s tectonic plates. As
the plates move, stress slowly builds up over
hundreds, or even thousands, of years along
geological structures known as faults.
During an earthquake the stress along these
faults can be released within a matter of seconds.
This causes a sudden movement of the sea floor
which disturbs the ocean above. The affected
ocean then spreads out from the location of the
earthquake as a tsunami.
Although undersea earthquakes are the most
common cause of tsunami, they can also be
caused by volcanic eruptions, landslides and
even asteroid impact in or near the ocean.
As tsunami approach the coastline they slow
down but do not lose energy. The back of the
wave catches up with the front, causing the
wave to grow in height – up to several metres. It
is not so much this movement of water but the
energy moving through it that makes tsunami so
dangerous.
Tsunami are different from normal waves you see
at the beach. With a normal wind swell wave, it is
only the water on top of the ocean that is moving.
In contrast, the passage of tsunami involves the

15
The natural warning
signs of tsunami
In Australia you will most likely receive an official
tsunami warning. However, before a tsunami
arrives you may, but not always, experience some
natural warning signs.
You may:
• FEEL the earth shake. If you are near the
ocean and you feel the ground shake, a strong
earthquake may have occurred and possibly
caused a tsunami. However, you may not feel
the earth shake if the earthquake occurred a long
way away.
English school girl saves
100 lives
In December 2004, 10-year-old English
schoolgirl, Tilly Smith was enjoying a family
holiday on the coast of Thailand. On the
morning of 26 December, her family were
enjoying a walk on the beach when Tilly
noticed the ocean drop dramatically. It then
returned rapidly covered in froth, which she
described as looking like the top of a beer. As
the ocean moved quickly towards the beach,
Tilly knew a tsunami was approaching having
learned about tsunami in a geography lesson
a couple of weeks earlier. She raised the alarm
and the beach was cleared, saving 100 lives.
• SEE the ocean drop. Before a tsunami arrives,
the ocean level may (but not always) drop
dramatically before returning as a wall of water.
If you notice that the water is disappearing, tell
your family and friends and prepare to move to
higher ground.
• HEAR an unusual roaring sound. If you hear a
loud roaring sound from the ocean (a bit like an
aeroplane or a train), tell your family and friends.
This sound may be heard before a tsunami
arrives.
Will tsunami occur in Australia?
While the risk from tsunami is lower in Australia
than other parts of the world, tsunami do have
an effect on our coastline. Even with relatively
small tsunami, there could be strong waves, rips
and currents and unusual sea levels that can be
dangerous.
On 17 July 2006, campers at Steep Point on the
Western Australian coast were lucky to escape
when a tsunami hit their campsite. It was strong
enough to pick up their 4WD vehicle and move it
10 metres up the beach.
They were alerted to the tsunami by a loud roar
from the ocean, which is one of the natural
warning signs of tsunami.

16
THE AuSTRALIAN
TSuNAMI WARNING
SYSTEM SWINGS
INTO OPERATION
Since the Indian Ocean Tsunami in December
2004, a number of countries around the world,
including Australia, have increased their efforts
to monitor, plan and warn for tsunami. The
Australian Government, through the Bureau of
Meteorology (the Bureau), Geoscience Australia
(GA), and the Attorney-General’s Department,
(AGD) has been working with State and Territory
governments and other relevant agencies to
develop the Australian Tsunami Warning System
(ATWS).
Bondi Beach is closed due to Tsunami warning, which alot
of people ignored, caused by the earthquake in Chile 2010
in Australia’s security and has the real potential
to save lives and infrastructure.
The role of GA within the JATWC is to detect
potentially tsunamigenic earthquakes in the
Indian Ocean, Pacific Ocean and Southern Ocean,
and advise the Bureau of this potential within 15
minutes of the earthquake occurring. GA also
undertake tsunami risk studies to assist local
and State organisations in planning for tsunami
events.
The Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre
(JATWC) is jointly operated by the Bureau and
GA. Based in Melbourne and Canberra, it was
established in July 2007 so that Australia has
the independent capability to detect, monitor,
verify and warn the community of the existence
of tsunami in our region and possible threats to
Australian coastal locations and offshore islands.
The Bureau and GA are building on their combined
expertise in the relevant science and technology
areas including seismic and sea-level monitoring
and a warning systems to provide 24/7 tsunami
monitoring and analysis capacity for Australia.
The centre boasts world class scientific
technology with the expressed aim of providing
the longest lead time of any potential tsunami
threat. The major objective of the JATWC is to
provide emergency managers with a minimum of
90 minutes warning of a likely tsunami impact on
Australia. The Centre is a long-term investment
The Bureau’s role is to use its network of sealevel
monitoring equipment including coastal
sea-level gauges, deep-ocean tsunami detection
buoys and tsunami computer models to confirm
the existence of a tsunami and estimate its likely
intensity at the Australian coast. The second
part of the Bureau’s role is to issue the relevant
tsunami warnings and bulletins for Australia
(including islands and territories) as required.

Media organisations across Australia work with
the Bureau to inform the public in case of a
tsunami event. Tsunami bulletins and warning
distribution lists are maintained at each of the
Bureau’s State and Territory Regional Forecasting
Centres.
These distribution lists are used for both National
JATWC Bulletins and Regional Warnings. In
addition to the media, key agencies such as the
State and Territory emergency services, local
councils, port authorities and police are included
on these dissemination lists. The bulletin and
warning messages are also automatically
uploaded to the Bureau’s website.
GA operates an enhanced network of seismic
stations nationally and has access to data from
international monitoring networks. It advises the
Bureau and AGD of the magnitude, location and
characteristics of a seismic event which has the
potential to generate a tsunami.
Based on this seismic information from GA, as well
as advisories from the Pacific Tsunami Warning
Centre (PTWC) in Hawaii, and from neighbouring
countries with tsunami detecting capacity, the
Bureau runs a tsunami model to generate a first
estimate of the tsunami size, arrival time and
potential impact locations. They then verify the
existence of a tsunami using information from an
enhanced sea level monitoring network.
The Bureau then promulgates advice and
warnings on any possible tsunami threat to
State emergency management services, media
and the public. AGD liaises with the operations
centres of affected State and Territory emergency
management organisations and coordinates
Federal assistance as required. AGD also has
responsibility for improving public awareness
and preparedness for tsunami in Australia.
In order to assist the community, tsunami
threat levels in regional tsunami warnings
are categorised into three levels with required
community responses. These have been
determined in consultation with emergency
management authorities. These threat levels
will be specified for the same coastal areas
that are used for routine Bureau Coastal Waters
Forecasts, already known to marine users.
NO THREAT
An undersea earthquake has been detected,
however it has not generated a tsunami or the
tsunami poses no threat to Australia and its
offshore territories.
MARINE AND IMMEDIATE FORESHORE
THREAT
Warning of potentially dangerous waves, strong
ocean currents in the marine environment and
the possibility of only some localised overflow
onto the immediate foreshore.
LAND INUNDATION THREAT
Warning for low-lying coastal areas of major
land inundation, flooding, dangerous waves and
strong ocean currents.
When the main threat has passed or if a tsunami
didn’t eventuate, the Bureau will issue a Tsunami
Watch Cancellation or Tsunami Warning
Cancellation. The relevant State or Territory
emergency authority will inform the public when
it is safe to return to the affected areas.
For latest tsunami warnings call (130 0878 6264)
or visit the Bureau of Meteorology website at
www.bom.gov.au
17

18
Cyclone
Hazards & Disasters
Tropical cyclones are low pressure systems in
the tropics that, in the southern hemisphere, have
well-defined clockwise wind circulations with
a region surrounding the centre with gale force
winds.
The gale force winds can extend hundreds
of kilometres from the cyclone centre. If the
sustained winds around the centre reach 119
kilometres per hour, the system is called a
severe tropical cyclone. These are referred to
as hurricanes in North America and typhoons in
Asia.
Cyclone Season and Effects
The tropical cyclone season in Australia
extends from November to April. Cyclones
generally affect coastal areas north of
Perth along the Western Australia and Northern
Territory coasts, most of the Queensland coast
and occasionally the far northern New South
Wales coast. The greatest threat lies north of the
Tropic of Capricorn.
FREQUENCY.
Cyclones occur frequently in the southern
hemisphere, with an average of 10 per year
being tracked by the Bureau of Meteorology in
the Australian region. Cyclones in the Indian and
Pacific Oceans are also closely monitored in
case they threaten Australian islands or nearby
countries.
SEVERITY CATEGORIES.
The severity of tropical cyclones is described in
terms of categories between 1 and 5 related to
the zone of maximum winds. These range from
Category 1 (strongest wind gusts less than 125
km/h), through Category 2 (125–169 km/h),
Category 3 (170–224 km/h), Category 4 (225–
279 km/h), to Category 5 for the most severe
cyclones (wind gusts more than 280 km/h).
EFFECTS.
Cyclones approach from the sea and bring
torrential rains, extreme winds and sometimes
storm surges. Damage varies widely depending
on the path, but can include buildings, crops and
boats at sea. Most deaths from cyclones occur
as a result of drowning (both at sea and during
floods), collapsed buildings, or debris which
becomes lethal projectiles carried by the extreme
winds.

19
The Birth and Anatomy of a Cyclone
Tropical cyclones derive their energy from warm
tropical oceans and do not form unless the
sea-surface temperature is above 26.5°C; once
formed, they can persist over lower sea-surface
temperatures. Tropical cyclones can persist for
many days and may follow quite erratic paths.
They usually dissipate over land or colder oceans.
If conditions are right, an ordinary tropical
depression, or low, can develop into a tropical
cyclone. In the southern hemisphere, in a low
the winds spiral in a clockwise direction towards
its centre, where they rise and spill over in an
outward flow at high altitude. Summer heat on
the warm ocean evaporates water, creating a
deep layer of moist air. The uplift of this moist air
in the centre of a low cools it, causing the intense
rain characteristic of tropical cyclones. Higher
in the upper levels the rising air spirals outward,
removing air faster than it flows in, resulting in a
fall in barometric pressure.
The Central ‘Eye’
The circular eye or centre of a tropical cyclone
is an area characterised by light winds and
often byclear skies. Eye diameters are typically
40 kilometres, but can range from under 10
kilometres to over 100 kilometres. The eye is
surrounded by a dense ring of cloud about 16
kilometres high known as the eye wall which
marks the belt of strongest winds and heaviest
rainfall.
Cyclone Behaviour and Warning Time
Tropical cyclones in the Australian region have
more erratic tracks than those in other parts of
the world. Cyclones may exist for a few days,
to over three weeks. They may move forward,
double-back, stay motionless for periods or
move in circles, and therefore need to be tracked
carefully by weather observers. If they reach land,
the friction of the earth and the loss of sustaining
heat energy from the ocean cause cyclones to
‘fill’ and drop most of their rain. Cyclones move
at 15–25 kilometres per hour, so there is usually
sufficient warning time to prepare for their onset.
It is important for people in cyclone areas
to remember that during the passage of the
cyclone centre or eye there will be a temporary
lull in the wind, but that this will soon be replaced
by destructive winds from another direction.
Key Points in the case of a Cyclone
• Know your community cyclone plan, and how
the cyclone warning system works
• Have a portable radio and torch with spare
batteries
• Check your house is in good condition,
particularly the roof, and trim tree branches
clear of your house.
• Clear property of loose items likely to cause
damage in high winds.
• Create an emergency kit of tinned food,
water containers, emergency lighting, first aid
kit, medicines, tape and plastic bags.
• Listen to your local radio or TV for further
warnings.
• Board or tape windows, store loose articles
inside, lock up pets, fill water containers, fuel
car and place under cover.
• Switch off electricity, gas etc.
• Stay inside and shelter in strongest part of the
house (e.g. bathroom or cellar)
• Protect yourself with mattress, blankets etc.
and anchor yourself to a strong fixture (such
as water pipes) or get under a strong table.
• Beware the calm ‘eye’. Remain indoors until
advised that the cyclone has passed.
• Don’t go outside until advised officially that
the cyclone has passed.
• Beware of fallen powerlines, damaged
buildings, trees and flooded watercourses.

20
Earthquake
Survival
Earthquakes are a shaking or trembling of the
Earth’s crust caused by the release of huge
stresses due to underground volcanic forces,
the breaking of rock beneath the surface, or by
sudden movement along an existing fault line.
The latter type results from constant gradual
movement of the tectonic plates that make up
Earth’s crust, which causes stress to build up
in rock layers. Small earthquakes sometimes
result from human activity (e.g. filling of large
reservoirs).
Characteristics and Measurement
Earthquakes are unpredictable and strike without
warning. They range in strength from slight
tremors to great shocks lasting from a few
seconds to as long as five minutes. They can
occur in a series over a period of several days.
Energy released by (or magnitude of) an
earthquake is recorded on a seismograph, using
the Richter scale. This scale is open ended, as
there is no upper limit to the amount of energy
an earthquake might release. The most severe
earthquakes so far have not exceeded 9.5 on
this scale. It is not a simple arithmetic scale; for
instance, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake creates
10 times the ground motion of a magnitude 6.0
earthquake and the total energy release is about
30 times greater. This, in turn, is 30 times greater
than a magnitude 5.0 earthquake and so on.
Another scale used to describe earthquakes is
the Modified Mercalli (MM). It rates the amount
of shaking felt and damage caused (or intensity),
and uses Roman numerals. On this scale,
I is a barely detectable tremor, and XII is total
damage.
Causes of Injury & Damage
Most earthquake casualties result from falling
objects or debris when shocks damage or
demolish buildings and other structures.
Electricity and telephone lines, and gas, sewer
and
water mains can be damaged;
landslides, ground displacement (faulting),
subsidence and tsunamis may result, leaving
many people dead, injured or homeless.
Newcastle University Library / 1989

Australian Earthquakes
Because of Australia’s geological position, we
are prone to what seismologists call intra-plate
earthquakes. These are different and less well
understood than the more familiar plate-margin
type, common in the USA, Indonesia, Papua New
Guinea and New Zealand.
In the last 80 years, 17 earthquakes in Australia
have registered 6.0 or more on the Richter scale.
This is about one every five years, compared to
a world average of about 140 per year. Although
the larger Australian earthquakes have caused
significant damage, they are, on the whole, of
much smaller strength than the world’s most
damaging shocks.
Until Newcastle’s December 1989 event, the
damage bill attributed to earthquakes in Australia
had been comparatively low.
The geographically oldest western and central
parts of Australia are most seismically-active.
Compared with many other countries in our
region, earthquake activity in Australia is low.
Our most severe earthquakes usually occur in
unpopulated regions but several have caused
damage in built-up areas, mainly in Western
Australia, South Australia and New South Wales.
All states and territories have experienced
earthquakes.
Earthquake Survival & Damage
Reduction
Watch for Possible Warning Signs
• Erratic animal behaviour—watch for frightened
or confused pets running around, or a bird call
not usually heard at night.
• Ground-water levels, watch for sudden
changes of water level in wells or artesian
bores.
During the Earthquake
• Take cover under an internal door frame,
sturdy table, bench or bed.
• Keep away from windows, mirrors, chimneys,
overhead fittings and tall furniture.
• In high-rise buildings, stay clear of windows
and outer walls. Get under a desk near a pillar
or internal wall. Do not use elevators.
• In crowded areas, do not rush for doors. Stay
clear of roof and wall fittings.
• If outside, keep well clear of buildings, walls,
powerlines, trees etc.
After the Earthquake
• Check for injuries. Apply first aid. Do not move
the seriously injured unless in danger.
• Turn off electricity, gas and water. Check for
gas/fuel leaks before lighting matches.
• Be prepared for aftershocks. Evacuate if
house is badly damaged.
• D o not waste food and water, as supplies
may be interrupted.
• Listen to local radio and heed warnings and
advice on damage and service disruptions.
Salisbury, W.A. Earthquake 1968
Know Your Local Earthquake Risk
Ask your state or territory Emergency Service,
council and insurance company for the following
information.
• Whether tremors or earthquakes have
occurred in your area and what damage
resulted.
• Ask your local Emergency Service for a free
pamphlet or poster showing Australia’s
earthquake hazard zones.
• Ask your council how to make your house
safer, even in a slight-risk zone.
• Check that your insurance covers earthquake
damage.
21

PACIFIC
PARTNERSHIP
Lieutenant Colonel Helen Murphy, Commander Australian National
Command Element for Pacific Partnership on the wharf at
Guam Naval Base with USNS Mercy in the background.
The PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP campaign evolved
from the unprecedented international disaster
response for countries devastated during the
2004 Asian tsunami.
Follow up missions recognised the benefits derived
from cooperation between national governments,
militaries, international organizations, and nongovernmental
organisations during disaster relief
operations, as well as in civic assistance projects.
In an effort to capitalise on the experiences
and relationships formed during that tragic
disaster, the concept of a recurring mission was
established to:
• Strengthen relationships with host, partner
nations, and other partner organizations.
• Build partner capacity to conduct peace,
stability, and consequence management
operations
• Improve U.S. and Partner Humanitarian
Assistance/ Disaster Relief capacity
• Improve security cooperation among partner
nations.
Now in its sixth year, partner nations continue
their mission to improve the lives of people in the
Pacific region, as well as improve the capacities
of nations and organisations to respond to
disasters through recurring opportunities for
cooperation and training.
PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP 2010 seeks to build on the
relationships established in previous PACIFIC
PARTNERSHIP missions to deliver a variety
of medical, dental, engineering, and veterinary
projects in South East Asia and Oceania.
The mission will be conducted from May to
September 2010, visiting each host nation for a
number of weeks.
This year, PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP is scheduled to
visit Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, East Timor
and Papua New Guinea. Specific locations within
each country will be announced prior to arrival at
that country.
ADF Involvement
• Three phases of 12 Australian Army Combat
Engineers from 2rd Combat Engineer
Regiment based in Brisbane.
• Approximately 50 medical and dental
personnel in three phases from all three
services.
• Heavy Landing Craft based at Cairns, HMA
Ships Labuan, and Tarakan.
• ADF Contingent Commander
22

This year’s mission will be conducted from
USNS Mercy . US Pacific Fleet sponsored
PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP is an annual US Pacific
Fleet sponsored training and readiness mission
to perform humanitarian assistance in the US
Pacific Command Area of Responsibility. The
mission works by, with and through host and
partner nations, non-governmental organisations
and Government agencies.
The PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP team will work with
host nations on public health and preventive
medicine, veterinary care, optometry and
ophthalmology, dental, adult and paediatric
medicine, medical subject matter expert
exchange, immunizations, nutritional counselling,
biomedical repair and medical environmental
assessments.
As requested by each host nation, PACIFIC
PARTNERSHIP engineers will provide focused
humanitarian civic assistance to include school
and medical clinic repairs, water catchment
system improvements and in Cambodia the
establishment of three fresh water wells.
Additionally, the engineering team will provide
support to the medical and dental healthcare
providers.
PACIFIC PARTNERSHIP is truly a partnership with
a multinational team and host nations working
alongside each other to improve the lives of the
people.
23

Community Station
To Emergency
Broadcast
UGFM – Radio Murrindindi has become the
first Australian community broadcaster to have
official emergency broadcaster status.
The station today signed a formal Memorandum
of Understanding (MOU) for emergency
broadcasting with the Victorian Government in
a further bid to boost emergency messaging for
communities in times of need.
Minister for Police and Emergency Services Bob
Cameron said this is one of a range of initiatives
the government is undertaking to continue to
improve the delivery of warnings to communities.
“Under the new agreement, UGFM will break into
programming to broadcast emergency warnings
at the request of the emergency services,
and move to continuous coverage in some
circumstances,” Mr Cameron said.
The Office of the Emergency Services
Commissioner has written to all community
broadcasters in Victoria, inviting them to enter
into emergency broadcasting MOUs – subject to
their capabilities. UGFM was the first community
broadcaster to submit an application for official
emergency broadcaster status.
Emergency Services Commissioner Bruce
Esplin said community broadcasters throughout
Victoria have played an important role in keeping
their communities informed about unfolding
emergencies.
the community by broadcasting emergency
information to the community in February last year,
and this agreement recognises and strengthens
their work in emergency broadcasting,” Mr Esplin
said.
Emergency warnings are now distributed in
Victoria via radio, TV, telephone and the Internet.
The MOU is similar to the MOU in place between
the emergency services, other commercial
networks and ABC Local Radio in Victoria
Bushfire Warnings & Emergency Life Threatening
Information will be aired every 15 minutes.
Bushfire Information & Incident Information will
be aired every half hour or hourly depending on
the threat level.
All Emergency Warnings given will be relevant to
UGFM’s listening area and surrounds.
(Murrindindi, Mansfield, Mitchell, Strathbogie &
Yarra Valley Shires)
Remember in a life threatening situation or
Emergency call 000 (if you see fire or flames).
For information on a fire call the Victorian
Bushfire Info Line on 1800 240 667
In a Flood or Storm call 132500 for urgent SES
assistance to life and property.
“UGFM demonstrated their ability to help