Flagstaff officially launch EMBER, a new system to help people with disabilities in natural disasters

Disability aid group 'Flagstaff' is making it easier for people with disabilities during natural disasters with a brand new initiative.

'EMBER' (Emergency Management Backpack Evacuation Resource) is a new initiative created by the group which aims to help disabled individuals with visual aids and information storage during disasters such as fires or floods.

For people living with disability, the need for assistance during a disaster is often greater, with carers, support networks and emergency personnel all working together to ensure the safety of individuals living with disability in emergency situations.

The Flagstaff Group CEO, Roy Rogers said EMBER will be a valuable tool for people with disability and their careers.

"This toolbox not only includes an emergency planning app, checklists, videos and animations, but also an app that is a picture communication board," Mr Rogers said.

"This is ideal to help emergency personnel communicate to people who are non-verbal."

The idea to create a kit and mobile apps to assist people with a disability during natural disasters came from a situation during the 2019/2020 bushfires.

Mr Rogers said they lost communication with Flagstaff workers in Ulladulla on the NSW South Coast on New Years Eve, including one individual with a disability.

"They were just doing their job picking up some cardboard," he said.

"They had no power, no money, in their truck, roads closed - there was nothing we could do.

"The person with a disability needed his medication, it was really bad."

This motivated the Flagstaff group to come up with a solution to aid people with disabilities in a situation like this.

The apps, which are part of the EMBER initiative, will allow for information such as medical needs to be stored, making it easier should the individual have to evacuate.

One app, simply known as 'EmberApp' will provide users an emergency plan with a step by step process on how to fill in a plan specific for people with disability.

The other app known as 'Non-Verbal Communicator' will provide users with a picture communication board to help people communicate to those who cannot talk.

Evacuation kits will include essentials such as a battery powered radio, batteries, emergency plan templates and more.

The apps will also include engaging animations with mascots of the EMBER initiative:

Ember the Koala, Blaze the Kangaroo, Ash the Wombat and Flame the Cockatoo.

Flagstaff Group Executive Manager, Alison Turner worked hard in making the idea a reality, with Mr Rogers calling it 'her baby.'

"This is something that is needed," Mrs Turner said.

"The apps, one being the Ember app and one being the non-verbal communication app are going to make life much easier in case of an emergency for people with disabilities and their carers.

"We needed something accessible, easy to use and easy to understand."

People with disabilities were extremely appreciative of the new initiative, with many who experienced the Black Summer Fires first hand saying it is something that is long overdue.

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Geoff Brodie, a Flagstaff worker and person with a disability has welcomed EMBER and said the system would have been useful in the recent fires.

"If we had the Ember alert app, it would have been so much easier for everyone," Mr Brodie said.

The Ember apps and evacuation kit have been funded by Resilience NSW.

Research was also completed by Resilience NSW and Flagstaff to determine the best way to create the project.

Outcomes of the research which took into account individuals living with disability, their support networks families Councils and personnel identified that people living with disability were at higher risk during the bushfires due to inadequate or inaccessible evacuation plans, communication and information broadcasts.

Heidi Stratford from Resilience NSW said it was a no brainer to fund this new initiative.

"I feel quite proud that we funded this project," she said.

"We only spend about three per cent of our money on preparedness and the rest on recovery, so it is time to change that."

The EMBER apps are now available for download on Android and Apple devices.