Notre Dame College Emmaus campus has been identified as being at risk of grassfire and is a Category 4 school. The Emmaus campus will close on a day forecasted as Catastrophic fire danger rating in the Northern Country fire district.

Closure of the Emmaus campus due to a Catastrophic fire danger rating will be enacted when the Bureau of Meteorology forecast and related public safety messaging are confirmed. Due to uncertainties in the forecast, the timing of this confirmation may vary. Information regarding potential or confirmed Catastrophic fire danger days will be communicated to you by SMS / email.

It is also important to be aware that:

· No one will be on site on days where the Emmaus campus is closed due to a forecast Catastrophic day.

· All bus routes that travel through the Catastrophic area may be cancelled.

· School camps will be cancelled if a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast for the fire weather district in which the camp is located, or if the travel involves passing through areas that have Catastrophic fire danger.

As part of preparing our school for the fire season, we have updated and completed our Emergency Management Plan and continue to perform routine grounds maintenance to reduce combustible material.

In addition to days forecast as Catastrophic, our school has prepared for maintaining a heightened state of readiness on days of elevated risk (e.g. Extreme Fire Danger Rating when the Emmaus campus is open). Strategies are in place to respond should a fire break out within the vicinity of the school and should that fire be expected to impact the school directly. Appropriate responses will be determined through information provided to the school from emergency services.

What can families and the school community do to help us prepare?

· Ensure we have your current contact details, including your mobile phone numbers.

· Stay connected with us by reading our newsletters, checking our website https://www.notredame.vic.edu....

· Make sure your family’s bushfire survival plan is up-to-date and includes alternative care arrangements if our school is closed due to Catastrophic fire danger. Further information can be found on the CFA’s website.

· Action your family’s bushfire survival plan if your own triggers are met. Our school community may be spread out across many areas, and some families may be at higher risk than others. Your family’s safety is critical, so please let us know if you are actioning your bushfire survival plan and if your children will be absent on these days. Families are encouraged to action their Bushfire Survival Plan on Catastrophic fire danger rating days in their district. The safest option is to leave the night before or early on the morning of the Catastrophic day. On such days, children should never be left at home alone or in the care of older children.

You can find more information on emergencies, warnings and preparedness actions here:

· VicEmergency app – that can be downloaded on your android and iOS mobile devices

· VicEmergency Hotline (1800 226 226) · Website https://emergency.vic.gov.au · Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/vicem...)

· ABC local radio, Sky News and other emergency broadcasters

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Catholic Education Sandhurst Limited’s policy?

The Department of Education and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO) annually assesses the fire risk of all schools and early childhood services across Victoria. The educational settings are allocated a category of risk (categories 0 to 6). Schools and services that are Categories 0-3 are published on the Bushfire At-Risk Register (BARR). Schools at some risk of bushfire and grassfire are published on the Category 4 List.

CESL’s policies require all schools on the BARR and the Category 4 List to close when a Catastrophic fire danger rating day is forecast in their fire weather district. All school bus routes which travel in or through a district with Catastrophic fire danger must also be cancelled.

Who issues fire danger forecasts?

The Bureau of Meteorology (BoM) provides public fire danger rating forecasts each day of the fire danger period using fire weather district areas. In Victoria, there are nine fire weather districts, which are based on Local Government Area boundaries.

CESL and Notre Dame College uses these forecasts when supporting schools to enact their pre-emptive bushfire actions plans.