During the COVID-19 pandemic, Victoria will continue to face other emergencies such as fires, storms, heat and flooding. It is important everyone is prepared to respond to these emergencies in a COVIDSafe way.
- If you need to leave your home due to extreme weather, heat, bushfire or flood, please do so. Follow your normal evacuation or relocation plans in a COVIDSafe way.
- If you need to leave home because your health and safety, or the health or safety of someone you live with is at risk, please do so. This includes if you are escaping family violence. You can travel to a friend or family member’s home, or book into alternative accommodation like a hotel or motel.
- Regardless of your location, continue to follow COVIDSafe principles, such as wearing a face mask, washing hands, coughing into a tissue or your elbow and maintaining appropriate physical distancing.
- If you have COVID-19 or are a close contact of someone with COVID-19 and need to evacuate, please don’t hesitate to leave. Wear a face mask and contact the Department of Health on the number you have been provided with as soon as you can.
Power outages
If a power outage impacts your health or safety, or the health or safety of someone you live with, you can travel to accommodation like a hotel or a friend or family member's house. If you require power for life support or a ventilator you can travel to a friend or family member’s house who has power.
Check your electricity distributor's to get an estimated time until power is restored.
The Department of Health (DoH) works with energy providers to check on customers who are dependent on power.
Regardless of your location, continue to follow COVIDSafe principles, such as wearing a face mask, washing hands, coughing into a tissue or your elbow and maintaining appropriate physical distancing.
Making a COVIDSafe fire plan
Talk to your local fire service, family, friends and neighbours about the fire risk where you live and make a fire plan for what you’ll do on hot, dry, windy days. Plan what your trigger is to leave, and where you will go to stay safe.
'Leaving early' means being away from high-risk areas before there are any signs of fire. It does not mean waiting for a warning or a siren or waiting to see or smell smoke.
Resources
Resources are available to help community members increase their understanding of local fire or flood risks, prepare their properties and plan how to stay safe during an emergency, including escaping family violence.
- Victoria State Emergency Service (VICSES) – learn more about how you can best plan and prepare for potential flooding and weather events.
- Country Fire Authority (CFA) – a wealth of resources to help you understand your fire and know what to before and during a fire.
- For information in an emergency:
- Download the VicEmergency app
- Go to:
- Listen to ABC Radio or other emergency broadcasters, including commercial and community radio stations or Sky TV
- Phone the VicEmergency Hotline on 1800 226 226
- Follow VicEmergency on and .
- For information about responding to family violence:
- Visit Family violence crisis response and support during COVID-19
- If you or someone you know is at risk or experiencing family violence, call Triple Zero (000) in an emergency or the Safe Steps Family Violence Response Service on 1800 015 188.
- Deaf, hard of hearing, or those with a speech/communication impairment can contact the VicEmergency Hotline via the National Relay Service on 1800 555 677.
- For help with English, call the Translating and Interpreting Service on free call number 13 14 50 and ask them to phone the VicEmergency Hotline.
- For comprehensive planning and preparedness messaging for all emergency events, please visit the Understanding Warnings on the VicEmergency website.