Emergency Broadcasting in Australia

The use may be inconsistent, and/or over saturated, but that’s not really the ABC’s fault. The QFES issuing the warnings specify if the SEWS is to be used or not

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With fire warnings in Tasmania having reached emergency warning levels regularly and for a large number of locations it’s been interesting to see the different stations and how they’ve handled it.

Southern Cross… sorry, 7 Tasmania
Have had probably the best news coverage daily and regularly sharing everything to their social media pages. They have also had the ticker scrolling across programming regularly, tonight it’s been about every 45 minutes and it is being updated frequently with the locations.

TDT9
No local coverage as the news hasn’t begun for the year yet that I’ve seen (it may have started this week but I haven’t seen any) but as they’re noodle updates I’m not expecting much. They have had the same ticker as 7Tas though scrolling across the programming.

WIN
Surprisingly not much coverage. They have had the news coverage but outside of that there’s only the regularly timed news updates and they don’t seem to have any sense of urgency or that anything is out of the ordinary. It’s really showing the disconnect by not being local to the state. Haven’t seen anything outside of what is scheduled.

ABC
I’ve written about their radio coverage in the Local Radio thread but they have been doing extra local coverage regularly ranging from half hourly updates (at least 5 minutes usually) to 15 minute updates to full time local coverage usually involving a few presenters, eg. one presenter to anchor the coverage - call for information on the ground, do the interviews with the BoM or TFS etc… and then another person often from the newsroom to read the bulletins with their emergency voices (slow, direct, emphasised reading similar to when reading weather forecasts and warnings)
ABC News 24 seems to have regular coverage too, I noticed tonight that they had a cross to Alison Costelloe (former WIN News weekend newsreader) and their ticker has been mostly yellow for the last couple of weeks with all the information.

Haven’t watched SBS but I’m not expecting they’ve done anything. I’m surprised WIN hasn’t done anything as simple as a ticker with the other two stations having done so.

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Why would SCA spend time and money to produce breaking news updates for a channel that is not their primary one, and where they have to share profits with WIN?

Luckily they seem to have invested their time well on 7 Tasmania.

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Yes, I wasn’t expecting anything on there so was surprised to see the ticker but I guess it’s fairly easy to just flick the same ticker from 7 across on there.

Not sure when the noodle updates start again if they haven’t already (will have to go through my recordings).

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maybe it’s a licence obligation?

The noodle updates already reach current content requirements. My point was, why produce anything live and breaking for the Nine Tasmania JV when they can A) Rely on their current system to fulful content requirements, B) Leave their premium news content on 7 Tasmania where they would want the views, C) Simply use a simple news ticker to provide the necessary information.

Only days after we were talking about it.
Absolutely insane rainfall and flash flooding in parts of Townsville today, the BOM have just put this out.

Seeing the situation and videos coming through, absolutely warranted.

Transmitters serving the area Toolakea, Bluewater and Upper Black River are REQUESTED TO USE THE STANDARD EMERGENCY WARNING SIGNAL BEFORE BROADCASTING THIS MESSAGE.

TOP PRIORITY FOR IMMEDIATE BROADCAST

Severe Thunderstorm Warning

for HEAVY RAINFALL

For people in parts of Herbert and Lower Burdekin Forecast District.

Issued at 1:08 pm Wednesday, 30 January 2019.

Very Intense thunderstorms occurring from Toolakea to Upper Black River, flash flooding likely.

SEWS has been activated in Townsville as the river flooding in the city is likely to inundate multiple suburbs.

Found this on Facebook from the Sunshine Coast area tonight.
Based on the graphics, I’m assuming it’s probably from SCA.

Does anyone have an videos of these warnings airing? @TV.Cynic ?

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The spelling certainly looks like SCA.

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Correcting Stephen Brook in The Age and Sydney Morning Herald

Stephen Brook’s report in the CBD gossip column (“Aunty’s Fact Finding”) misrepresents important research undertaken by the ABC to improve its emergency broadcasting capabilities following last summer’s devasting bushfires.

The research, described by Brook as an “expensive press release”, was seen as significant enough to be requested by the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.

Emergency Broadcasting is a responsibility the ABC is deeply committed to. Australians expect the highest levels of broadcast and digital service and the information we provide during times of crisis can have a critical and immediate impact on people whose lives and property are at risk.

As the Government has acknowledged, the ABC’s actions during the bushfires last summer saved lives.

The number of emergency events covered by the ABC has almost tripled in the past two years.

The ABC undertook research into our 2019-20 bushfire coverage to give us critical information and insights on how communities sourced emergency information and how we could improve our emergency broadcasting coverage. The research by Ruby Cha Cha on behalf of the ABC was a large project done on a relatively small budget. The ABC used internal resources where possible to keep costs to a minimum.

Around 1600 people took part in the research, which included 373 from bushfire affected communities.

The research showed the ABC was the primary source of emergency information for a majority of Australians. It also found the ABC needed to continue to highlight the importance of its local radio service in emergency events, which for many was the only source of information when digital platforms had failed. Communities believed the ABC had an important role in showing the recovery efforts following such events.

On request, the ABC has supplied the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements with a copy of its Bushfire Impact Research.

As we head into the 2020-21 fire season, the ABC is making a number of improvements to its emergency broadcasting service, including an updated website that features aggregated and more localised emergency information. There are also improvements being made to the ABC News app to allow users to opt in to receive localised warnings and alerts.

The upgraded website and app will launch in coming months.

As in previous fire seasons, the ABC will be taking a national approach to our emergency broadcasting with a focus on the delivery of localised information. Our national Emergency Broadcasting team will once again work closely with all 56 capital city stations and regional bureaux to ensure every community affected by an emergency event receives the information it needs, at the time it is needed.

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Emergency Fire Warning ticker during the Women’s ODI on 7Mate Tasmania

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ABC upgrades emergency services

The ABC has announced upgrades to its emergency services in preparation for this year’s emergency summer season.

The ABC’s Managing Director David Anderson today launched the broadcaster’s new Emergency website (abc.net.au/emergency) which aggregates information from key national and state emergency services.

Mr Anderson said last summer’s horrific bushfire season showed that Australians turned to the ABC in record numbers to stay informed and to keep safe.

“The ABC was named the nation’s most trusted source of emergency information* and as we move towards summer we have directed every available resource to our emergency services.

“We understand the advice that cyclones and floods may be greater risks than fires this summer and we have been working with emergency agencies to give Australians the best information possible.”

Mr Anderson was speaking at a special broadcast from Batemans Bay on the NSW South Coast to mark the recommissioning of the region’s ABC local radio transmission mast, which was burnt out on 31 December 2019.

The new mast at Mt Wandera, near Mogo, was switched on in recent days and provides stronger ABC Television and Radio coverage to the greater Batemans Bay region.

The ABC’s emergency website allows users to search for nearby incidents; check on emergency events in other locations around the country; and connects the user with their nearest local ABC Radio station.

ABC Local Radio remains the remains the single most important means of delivering emergency information and warnings to local communities, particularly as an emergency event is developing.

The ABC Bushfire Impact Research was conducted by Ruby Cha Cha between 17-27 March 2020. It involved a survey of 1630 people (aged 18-75 years).

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ABC adds to Emergency Broadcasting in readiness for 2021/2022 season

The ability to access a wide range of emergency information in one source and a post-disaster podcast series produced in partnership with Australian Red Cross and Melbourne University are part of a suite of new ABC content that will help Australians prepare for emergencies this summer.

The ABC’s Emergency website now features a unique interactive incident map that aggregates information from key emergency and support services including rural and regional fire services, state emergency services and the Bureau of Meteorology, allowing users to check emergency events in their locality as well as in other locations around the country.

Complementing its emergency broadcasting services, the ABC today launched a new 15-part podcast series After the Disaster , which helps people navigate the aftermath of a disaster and the challenges they face.

The Head of ABC Regional, Rural and Emergency, Hugh Martin, said the ABC was continually looking for ways to improve and extend its emergency broadcast services to meet the increased demand from communities affected by extreme weather events.

“We know people turn to the ABC to get critical information and we are there, with them, as the come together and rebuild after a disaster.

“We have increased our national emergency broadcast team for the summer, based in Queensland, New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia and are well prepared for whatever this season will bring,” Mr Martin said. “We have also integrated our national emergency team with our regional and capital city teams who are the ones with the expert local knowledge. In an emergency, your local radio station remains the most important source of information.”

Mr Martin also announced that ABC Emergency information would be available on Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker from next month.

“Alexa users will soon be able to quickly access emergency information in their locality as well as check on emergencies in more than 15,000 individual locations across the country.”

Host of After the Disaster and Australian Red Cross’ National Recovery Advisor, Kate Brady said: “After disasters, there is just so much to take in and so many things that need your attention. It can be overwhelming to figure out how to get the information you need.

“Podcasts are a great medium for a lot of people as you can access them when and where you want. After a disaster it can be really difficult for some people to concentrate on written information, so audio is a great alternative.”

You can find After the Disaster on the ABC listen app or wherever you get your podcasts.

Also in partnership with Australian Red Cross, the ABC has developed the Stay Connected Toolkit to help communities prepare for emergencies. Available via the Red Cross and ABC Emergency websites, the important resource offers practical tips including knowing your neighbours and connecting with your local ABC Radio station and ABC Emergency as key steps in any emergency plan.

This Sunday 26 September at 8.40pm, the ABC premieres its six-part series FIRES on ABC TV and ABC iview. Inspired by true events, FIRES is a serialised anthology about the experiences of everyday people at the front line of the devastating fires of the 2019-2020 Australian summer.

Filmed in Melbourne and regional Victoria earlier this year, the series honours the experiences of the many people affected by these fires. It acknowledges the losses suffered and the ways people came together in the face of a devastating natural disaster.

The series will be accompanied by a wide range of support and referral services.

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ABC Emergency Broadcasting for 2021/22 season

ABC teams have spent the winter months training and preparing for the summer peak of bushfire and storm activity while the expansion of reporters in rural and regional areas means comprehensive emergency broadcasting services for local communities.

On Monday (22 November) the ABC is launching its new campaign to highlight emergency broadcasting services ahead of the 2021/22 bushfire season and to reinforce the ABC’s role as a key source of information during extreme weather events.

Audiences will be reminded of the ABC’s role as an emergency broadcaster and the support it provides to affected communities, emergency response organisations and community groups.

Speaking at an event at Heyfield in East Gippsland, ABC Managing Director David Anderson said it is important Australians know they can turn to the ABC in times of emergency.

“Independent research commissioned following the Black Summer bushfires showed that not only was the ABC the most trusted source of information during an emergency, but lives were saved as a result of people acting on information we provided,” Mr Anderson said.

“One in two Australians say they have used the ABC as their main source of information during a crisis.

“We know that for many people, when digital and telecommunications in an emergency fail, ABC Local Radio is the only way to access timely information to help them survive.”

Mr Anderson was joined in Heyfield by the Hon Darren Chester MP, Country Fire Authority brigades from Heyfield and Maffra, State Emergency Service (SES) representatives, Victorian Department of Environment, Land, Water and Planning, and other community representatives.

The ABC launched its campaign in East Gippsland, an area particularly hard hit by bushfires and floods. According to figures from the National Bushfire Recovery Agency, 63 per cent or almost 10,000 square kilometres of bushland and forest in East Gippsland was burned in the 2019/20 fires. More than 60,000 people are estimated to have evacuated East Gippsland with a $125 million hit to the East Gippsland economy.

The campaign will run across all ABC platforms focusing on connectedness and preparedness during emergency events.

“Since the bushfires of 2019/2020 we have continually looked at ways in which we can improve and extend our emergency broadcast services to meet the increased demand from communities affected by extreme weather events,” Mr Anderson said.

“This summer we have introduced new measures and ABC content that will help Australians prepare for emergencies. We have increased the number of staff in our national emergency broadcast team in readiness for this summer – based in Vic, QLD, NSW, SA, WA.

“We have spent the downtime over the winter months training almost 300 Local Radio staff – to get them ready for emergency broadcasting – refreshing best practices in EB communications on radio and on social media and in our dealings with emergency services.

“Last weekend was our busiest of this season – with floods in three states and emergency fires in WA.

“With a La Nina alert issued by the BOM we are seeing a much wetter start to this season, with flooding already comparable to those seen in 2016. Almost 70 per cent of our EB coverage since July has been connected to the threats posed by flooding.

“But the unpredictability of the weather means we must be prepared for any emergency situation.”

The ABC has made a number of improvements to its emergency broadcasting services including creating an interactive incident map on its emergency website, making emergency information available on Amazon’s Alexa smart speaker, developed a Stay Connected Toolkit in partnership with Australian Red Cross to prepare for emergencies, and produced a new 15-part podcast series After the Disaster, which helps people navigate the aftermath of a disaster and the challenges they face.

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Fire emergency warning ticker seen on Channel Ten tonight in Tasmania

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ABC is broadcasting a special program covering the flooding to ABC Brisbane 612, Sunshine Coast 90.3, Gympie 95.3 and 1566, Wide Bay Burnett 100.1 and 855, Gold Coast 91.7, Darling Downs 747 and Southern Downs 104.9.

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I wonder if any AM broadcasts will be impacted by the flooding in SEQ. Flooding is reported on Kianawah Rd Wynnum West that is opposite the 4BC/4KQ transmission site.

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