Stay in
Touch
Fires, floods and storms take out power and phone towers together. Plan now for how your family will find each other, hear warnings and call for help without a working mobile.
For a life-threatening emergency call Triple Zero (000). From a mobile, 112 also connects to Triple Zero. If your own network has no coverage, an emergency call can use another network's towers.
Decide Before You're Apart
Emergencies rarely wait until everyone is home.
Your Contacts
- Write key phone numbers on paper. Nobody remembers them any more
- Pick one relative or friend outside your area for everyone to check in with
- Put a contact card in every wallet, school bag and glovebox
Meeting Places
- One spot near home, such as the letterbox or a neighbour's place
- One spot outside your suburb if you can't get home
- Know your school's and workplace's emergency plan
Getting Through
- Text instead of calling. Texts get through when networks are jammed
- Keep calls short and save battery
- Agree on check-in times so phones can stay off in between
Keep Phones Alive
A flat phone is no phone.
Charge
- A charged power bank for each phone
- A car charger and the right cables
- A small solar panel for longer outages
Save
- Low power mode on, screen brightness down
- Close apps and turn off wi-fi and Bluetooth searching
- Download offline maps before you need them
Know This
Most NBN home phones and home internet stop working in a power outage. Mobile towers have backup batteries, but those can run out in a long blackout.
No Bars, No Problem
Layers of backup, from simple to serious.
Start with a battery radio.
ABC local radio is the emergency broadcaster. A battery or wind-up AM/FM radio keeps warnings coming when everything else is down.
Hear Warnings
- Battery or wind-up AM/FM radio and spare batteries
- Your local ABC frequency written on the radio
- The car radio as a backup
Talk Nearby
- UHF CB handhelds for the family, the street or a convoy
- No licence and no network needed
- Pick a family channel and a check-in time
Call for Rescue
- A registered distress beacon (PLB) for remote travel
- Some newer phones can text emergency services by satellite. Check yours before you rely on it
- Whistle, torch and mirror in every go-bag
Skills That Need No Network
Free trainers from the Survival Hub.
Be Heard When It Counts
Emergency radios and backup power so your family stays informed and in touch.
More From the Survival Hub
This guide provides general preparedness information only. Always follow directions from authorities and emergency services. In a life-threatening emergency, call Triple Zero (000).