POLICY CONTENT

Floods are a natural phenomenon that occur when water covers land that is usually dry.  Flooding most commonly occurs from heavy rainfall when natural watercourses cannot carry the excess water. Flooding can also be caused by storm surges as a result of a tropical cyclone, or severe storm, a tsunami or even due to a dam release or fail.  

Extensive flooding in 2011, led the Australian Government to introduce a standard definition of flood for certain insurance policies. For this purpose, a flood is defined as: 

The covering of normally dry land by water that has escaped or been released from the normal confines of: any lake, or any river, creek or other natural watercourse, whether or not altered or modified; or any reservoir, canal, or dam. 

According to Geoscience Australia, floods can have both positive and negative impacts. They can bring welcome relief for people and ecosystems suffering from prolonged drought, but also are estimated to be the costliest natural disaster in Australia.  

Appropriate emergency preparedness and mitigation strategies need to be developed to ensure flooding can be a manageable hazard, especially in flood prone communities. Changes in rainfall intensity and the occurrence of severe storms and rising sea levels, however, have made many parts of Australia, especially coastal areas, a flood risk. 

NATIONAL QUALITY STANDARD (NQS)

QUALITY AREA 2: Children's Health and Safety

2.2	Safety	Each child is protected.
2.2.1	Supervision	At all times, reasonable precautions and adequate supervision ensure children are protected from harm and hazard
2.2.2	Incident and emergency management	Plans to effectively manage incidents and emergencies are developed in consultation with relevant authorities, practised and implemented.

QUALITY AREA 7: Governanace and Leadership

 

PURPOSE

We aim to maintain children’s safety and wellbeing by developing an Emergency Management Plan that includes flood emergency plans and proactive responses to minimise the potential risks faced by children and staff of the School during a flood.  
 

SCOPE

This policy applies to children, families, educators, staff, management, Approved Provider, Nominated Supervisor, students, volunteers and visitors of the School. 

 

DEFINITION AND BACKGROUND

FLOODS IN AUSTRALIA 

Floods are categorised according to the speed at which floodwaters rise: 
Slow-onset flood: Occur by slow rise and fall of water level and usually lasts for a relatively longer period. Slow-onset floods may last one or more weeks, or even months. Due to the flood lasting for a longer period, it can lead to loss of livestock, agricultural products, roads, rail roads etc.  
 
Rapid onset floods: Occur by a rapid rise in water level which lasts for a shorter period. The damage rapid onset floods can cause are often more destructive and pose a greater risk to life and property as people usually have less time to take preventive action prior to the flood.  
 
Flash-Floods: Occur by a rapid rise in water level, within minutes or a few hours after heavy rainfall, tropical storm, failure of dams or levees.  Flash-Flooding poses the greatest threat to life and may result in significant damage to property.  

FLOOD WARNING SYSTEM  

A flood warning system provides people with the ability to act in keeping safe and reducing the costs of flooding. A flood warning system includes the following elements:  
 
Prediction: Recognition of changes in the environment that lead to flooding and the forecast of future water levels during the flood 
Interpretation: Recognising in advance the effect of the predicted flood levels and the communities at risk  
Message Construction: Planning the content of the message which clearly warns people of approaching flood 
Communication: Distributing warning information in a timely way to people and organisations likely to be affected by the flood.  
Response: Getting the appropriate protection behaviour from the community and agencies involved  
Review: Reflecting on the various aspects of the system with a view to improving its performance  
 
Flood warnings are issued by Emergency Services. The predicted extent of the flood and the amount of time available before it arrives will determine the course of action to be taken.  
 
When there is a flood evacuation warning, educators need to prepare for possible emergency evacuation and implement the procedures effectively to ensure the safety of all children, staff, families and visitors in the School.   

IMPLEMENTATION 

Management will take effective action to ensure that the School is as flood safe as possible. We will identify possible flood risks, engage members of the community for advice and help and ensure all staff are aware of their responsibilities and roles if required to respond to a flood emergency.  Our Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is developed and updated in consultation with children, families, educators, management and emergency services.  
 

MANAGEMENT AND EDUCATORS  

To ensure compliance with National Regulations our School will ensure: 

• a comprehensive risk assessment to identify local risks associated with the impact of flooding is completed annually in collaboration the SES (State Emergency Services) 132 500 (for anywhere in Australia) and an Emergency Management Plan (EMP) is developed 
• hazards within the School that may be harmful to children or staff during a flood are identified in the risk assessment 
• families are made aware of the Flood Management Policy and emergency evacuation procedures  
• emergency evacuation plans are displayed in prominent positions near each exit and in the indoor and outdoor learning environments  
• clear procedures are in place for when a flood warning occurs to ensure the safety of educators, children and families 
• emergency evacuation rehearsals (drills) will be practiced every three months, including identifying a designated assembly point and place of refuge in case of flooding 
• a range of possible flood scenarios are included in evacuation drills 
• each emergency evacuation drill is documented (Reg. 97) 
• emergency telephone numbers will be clearly displayed in prominent positions within the School 
• emergency contact details of all children are updated regularly 
• strategies to implement emergency plans are discussed and documented at each staff meeting  
• consideration is made to how to save critical records- (current records, historical artefacts and archives) 
• counselling services are provided to employees and their family members affected by flooding 
• the School insurance policy is current and covers the School for flood damage. 

BEFORE A FLOOD  

Management and Educators will: 

• continue to visit Bureau of Meteorology to check current flood and weather warnings bom.gov.au/ 
• visit the Bureau of Meteorology flood watch- Flood warning system  
• refer to the SES State Flood Plans which outline arrangements for responding to floods  emergency.nsw.gov.au/Documents/plans/sub-plans/Sub... 
• download a copy of your council’s flood plans 
• be familiar with the warning levels and what action needs to be taken during a flood  
• ensure the removal of leaves, debris and other items that can enhance flooding (eg: check gutters and drains) 
• become familiar with the emergency evacuation plan identifying routes and safe locations if evacuation is required (note: this may be different for a flood situation) 
• prepare the Emergency Evacuation Kit  
• ensure an up-to-date emergency contact list for all children is included in the Emergency Evacuation Kit 
• organise sandbags and sand 
• follow the advice by emergency services  
• place chemicals on a high shelving to reduce contamination of flood water  
• talk to the children about the flood, using simple words that children can understand 
• ensure there is a procedure for out of hours decision making 
• ensure plans are made to include removal of animals (if safe to do so).

 

DURING A FLOOD  

Management and Educators will:

• act quickly  
• monitor current flood warnings in the local area  
• liaise with Emergency Services instructions and react to changing conditions  
• contact families to come and collect their child/ren once emergency services have issued a Flood Evacuation Order for your area 
• turn off electricity, water and gas  
• place sandbags in the toilet bowls and over shower and bath outlets to prevent backflow of sewerage into the School 
• lock all doors and take recommended evacuation routes for the local area  
• contact emergency services to ensure the relocation area is safe before proceeding and follow all advice 
• evacuate the School immediately and relocate to clearly defined area as discussed with emergency services and clearly identified in the Service’s Emergency Evacuation Plan  
• keep families updated regularly of the relocation site 

IF IT’S TOO LATE TO LEAVE DURING A FLOOD  

Important: calm and logical thinking will be required. The following points are options depending on the circumstances within your own context. Seeking safe options to move children and staff above rising waters levels will be the primary objective.  
 

Management and Educators will:

• continue to seek advice from emergency services  
• remain calm 
• move to higher ground and avoid standing in flowing or rising water 
• if time permits, stack possessions, equipment and resources onto benches and tables 
• ensure that if flowing water is above the ankles, STOP! Turn around and go another way  
• avoid entering flood waters  

 

AFTER THE FLOOD  

Management and Educators will:

• stay tuned to local radio stations and television/online for official warnings and advice  
• wait until emergency services have declared the area safe before entering the flood zone  
• do not enter the School until the water has dropped below floor level  
• do not let children play in or near floodwater  
• stay away from drains 
• wear rubber boots or rubber soled footwear and rubber/leather gloves when entering the School  
• check with electricity, gas and water establishments to determine if the supplies to the School and local area has been affected and if it safe for them to be turned on 
• be aware of damaged power lines, bridges, buildings, trees surrounding the School  
• contact families or emergency contacts to confirm the location and safety of the children 
• if possible, take photographs for insurance claims 
• when safe and convenient, clean or discard contaminated toys and equipment 
• complete a serious incident notification to the regulatory authority within 24 hours when there has been an emergency that has posed a risk to the safety and wellbeing of the children NQA ITS 
• notify the regulatory authority if the school is required to close for a period of time as a result of a local emergency (evacuation due to flooding or to repair damage caused by flooding) 
• notify the DESE if the school is temporarily closed via the Provider Entry Point (PEP) 
• notify families about absences and Child Care Subsidy (CCS) due to a local emergency

 
 

PREPARING FOR AN EMERGENCY

Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment Resources 
dese.gov.au/child-care-package/ccp-resour... 
NSW Department of Education: Flood planning for Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) 
Australian Government- Emergency Management Australia-What to do before and after a flood  
 

Resources to assist services after an emergency/natural disaster:

BeYou Educator Wellbeing after a natural disaster 
Community Child Care- What happened to my world? Helping Children cope with n... 
Get Ready Queensland- Cyclone and Storm Surge 
 

STATE SPECIFIC INFORMATION

Western Australia 
Department of Fire and Emergency Services manage the State Emergency Service Western Australia and provide assistance in the event of flooding 
Phone: 132 500 SES 
Flood Smart Guide provides assistance in preparing your School in you are in a flood prone region. 
 

SOURCE 

ABC Emergency: Plan for an emergency – Flood  abc.net.au/news/emergency/plan-for-an-em... 
Australian Children’s Education & Care Quality Authority. (2014). 
Australian Government Attorney General’s Department (2009) Flood Preparedness Australian Emergency Manual Series 
Australian Government Department of Education, Skills and Employment (2020). Help in an emergency 
Australian Government: Geoscience Australia  ga.gov.au/scientific-topics/hazards/flo... 
Education and Care Services National Regulations. (2011).      
Floods: Warning, Preparedness and Safety  
bom.gov.au/australia/flood/EMA_Floods_wa... 
Guide to the National Quality Framework. (2017). (Amended 2020). 
Queensland Government Natural disaster resources  
SES – NSW State Emergency Services ses.nsw.gov.au