Heat Preparedness Plan

About this pattern

A heat preparedness plan is part of a commons-infrastructure that enables community response to heat emergencies and helps to keep vulnerable people safe at these times.

The Heat Preparedness Welcome Pack should include a heat emergency preparedness guide that explains the available infrastructure showing how to respond to heat events in this community. The pack should identify cooling infrastructures and resources, and the chain of command for activating a heat emergency and protocols for checking in with neighbours. The ultimate aim of such a pack would be the creation of a community-based governing body of stake holders that maintain this commons-infrastructure.

Pattern Conditions

Enablers
- Occupational Health and Safety guideline can be consulted to ensure that heat emergency preparedness conforms with existing protocols and requirements.
- NSW State Emergency Service and Rural Fire Service also have resources to be consulted, as well as strategies for mobilising peer to peer networks for emergency preparedness.
- ABC news and websites and other social media outlets will also play essential role in mobilising a response.
Constraints
- In new communities, levels of trust may be low. Linguistic or cultural barriers may limit the effectiveness of the heat preparedness guide or the implementation of strategy.

Commoning Concerns

Ownership
Landcom/community.
Access
Open to all residents of community.
Use
Orients new residents to available resources and protocols for dealing with a heat emergency.
Benefit
Community residents benefit through knowledge of available resources and practices of mutual aid in face of a heat emergency.
Care
The initial duty of care lies with community liaison officer and then with community themselves.
Note
Welcome pack as knowledge commons.

References

ABC. (2019). Heatwaves: Helpful tips to make sure you're prepared, https://www.abc.net.au/news/emergency/plan-for-an-emergency/heatwave/
Akama, Y., Chaplin, S. & Fairbrother, P. (2014). Role of social networks in community preparedness for bushfire. International Journal of Disaster Resilience in the Built Environment 5(3): 277-291.
AMC. (2016). Ahmedabad Action Plan for Heat Preparedness, India, https://www.nrdc.org/sites/default/files/ahmedabad-heat-action-plan-2016.pdf
Black, D.A., Veitch, C., Wilson, L.A. & Hansen, A. (2013). Heat-Ready: Heatwave awareness, preparedness and adaptive capacity in aged care facilities in three Australian states: New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia. Gold Coast: National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, https://www.nccarf.edu.au/sites/default/files/attached_files_publications/Black_2013_Heat-Ready_Heatwave_awareness.pdf
New South Wales Health. (2019). How to Prepare for a Heat Wave. https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/beattheheat/Pages/prepare-for-heat.aspx