Bushfire Action Plan

Preparing for a bushfire

Cambrai Primary School & Preschool is bushfire ready

Our school/preschool has detailed plans in place to keep your child safe in the event a bushfire threatens the school/preschool.

Each year, we undertake thorough pre-season bushfire preparations, including:

• managing vegetation to reduce bushfire fuel loads on and around the school/preschool
• updating our emergency management plan and bushfire response plan.

It’s important parents and caregivers understand how our school/preschool will act during fire danger season. The bushfire and your child’s school or preschool brochure explains:

• bushfire risk ratings and what they mean for the school
• what the school will do on catastrophic fire danger days
• how the school will manage bushfire risk on school excursions and camps
• school closures
• how the school will respond if threatened by a bushfire

We ask parents and caregivers read and save the brochure to their device.

Catastrophic fire ban days

Our school bushfire risk rating is R2. This means if the CFS give advance notice of a forecast catastrophic fire ban danger day, our school will be directed to close automatically.

Cambrai PS is part of TWO fire ban districts: Murraylands and Mt Lofty Ranges.

On catastrophic fire ban days, no persons are permitted on the school grounds regardless of whether it’s a week day or weekend. The buses do not run.

If the CFS elevates an existing fire danger rating to catastrophic on the day, our school will remain open unless otherwise advised. We will move to our Bushfire Safety House. We will contact you about this change and alert if you are able to come and collect your children. Buses will likely be postponed.

If a bushfire approaches us

We have a designated bushfire safety house in the Home Economics building with indoor kitchen and toilets. This is the safest place for students and staff during this situation. We are in an invacuation while using this space, and children must be signed out by a parent or nominated emergency contact. If the fire is close, it may be several hours or even overnight until you are able to collect children. We have set up this space to accommodate this. Staff will be on duty until all children are safely with their parents/caregivers. Buses will be postponed.

Management of a bushfire alert is monitored by the Department through direct communication with the Principal or delegate. All direction and decision making is done through the DfE Emergency Management team.

It is likely the school landline will not be contactable. We will connect with families using social media or our school apps like SeeSaw.  You are able to ring the Emergency Information Hotline for updates on 1800 000 279. The school mobile is 0448 884 164.

How you can prepare for a bushfire emergency

To help us keep your child as safe as possible, we encourage parents and caregivers to prepare for the fire danger season by:

• making a bushfire survival plan with your family
• providing us with your up-to-date contact details
• advising the school if your family’s personal bushfire survival plan will impact school attendance
• talking to your child about what will happen if a bushfire emergency occurs
• liking the CFS, SES and SAPOL pages on Facebook
• reading the bushfire and your child’s school or preschool