Prepare for emergencies

Expecting the unexpected

Whether you live or work in the City of Sydney's local area preparing for an emergency or an unexpected disaster helps save lives.

You can take some simple steps to prepare for an emergency including how to prepare a personal emergency plan, or an emergency management plan if you own or manage a building or business in the local area. 

We've also put together some tips on how to prepare a Go Bag to take with you if and when it's time to evacuate.

We also provide details on building/business owner/manager requirements to keep an up-to-date register of people who volunteer to be an emergency buddy (subject to relevant police checks) and maintaining confidentiality with private and personal information.

We encourage childcare workers and facility managers to take some extra steps to ensure the safety of children in their care during an emergency.

Emergency contacts

Do not dial 000 (triple zero) for general advice or information. Only call 000 (triple zero) during a life-threatening emergency requiring police, ambulance or fire and rescue help.  

For non-emergency situations call the Police Assistance Line on 131 444 or your nearest police station, which you can find in the local White Pages telephone directory.

Alert NSW brings together social media messages from emergency services in one place. 

Links

Alert NSW Office of Emergency Management

Emergency management

Sydney enjoys a reputation as one of the safest and most liveable cities in the world. From time to time, there can be emergencies in the city requiring a significant coordinated response from emergency services and other government agencies such as health and transport.

To manage a coordinated response, emergency service agencies in the local area have worked with the City to develop the local emergency management plan. The plan describes the local arrangements to prepare for, respond to, and recover from emergencies.

Building/business owners and managers should develop an emergency management plan suited to their local environment.

You can help effectively manage emergency events in the city.

• Take responsibility and prepare a personal emergency plan.
• Know who to contact in an emergency.
• Check on your friends, family and neighbours before, during and after emergency events.  
• Monitor emergency events before, during and after an emergency. 

Evacuation plans

The Sydney and North Sydney CBD evacuation plan was developed by emergency service agencies and government including:

• NSW Police Force
• Fire and Rescue NSW
• Ambulance Service of NSW
  
• NSW State Emergency Service 
• Transport for NSW
• City of Sydney and North Sydney councils. 

You can help effectively manage evacuations in the city.

• Know your roles and responsibilities under the plan. 
• Monitor emergency events before, during and after the event.
• Understand when to evacuate and when to shelter in place.
• Be aware of safe evacuation routes out of the city centre.