Procedures for the Bushfire Season
Oxley Christian College
Oxley Christian College has developed a Bushfire Preparedness Plan. The preparation of this plan has been developed in accordance with the College’s Emergency Management Plan.
Bushfire preparedness is not just a concern for schools listed on the Bushfire At−Risk Register. Student transport to and from school, participation in offsite activities (including camps, excursions and sporting activities) and the risk of localised fire events demonstrate the importance of bushfire preparedness for all schools.
The College’s Bushfire Preparedness Plan documents procedures designed to ensure that preventative strategies are implemented and that students and staff are prepared to respond in the event of a bushfire. This response may include pre-emptive planned closures of the College, evacuation or what to do if evacuation is unsafe.
We wish to advise that the College may cancel camps or excursions, or may even be required to close the school when Emergency Services declare a Code Red (Catastrophic) fire danger day, or when the risk of bushfire is heightened. Parents will be advised (by SMS and other means) if the College is to close, or if camps or excursions are to be cancelled, with as much forward notice as may be possible.
Illustration: Fire Danger Rating levels
It is important that all families, particularly those in bushfire-prone or high-risk areas, have a family fire safety plan. The plan should include information about alternative care arrangements for children in the event that the College is required to close. Families are encouraged to practise the plan and be familiar with procedures to be followed in the case of a bush fire or house fire.
Oxley Christian College is not listed on the Department of Education's Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). The College has been assessed as Category 4 and is on the Category 4 List, meaning it is in an area considered to be at some risk of bushfire or grassfire.
For up-to-date information on this year’s fire season please refer to:
- VicEmergency: emergency.vic.gov.au
- VicEmergency Hotline: 1800 226 226
- CFA (Country Fire Authority): www.cfa.vic.gov.au
- Fire Rescue Victoria: www.frv.vic.gov.au
- CFA Facebook: facebook.com/cfavic
- ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters