News

To mark Harmony Day, the NSW State Emergency Service (NSW SES) has produced a series of animated videos designed to empower members of Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) communities to prepare for flooding.

The animations have been translated into 18 different languages, including: Arabic, Assyrian, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Dari, Farsi, Filipino, Hindi, Korean, Macedonian, Portuguese, Punjabi, Spanish, Thai, Turkish, Urdu, Vietnamese and English.

NSW SES Assistant Commissioner Nicole Hogan said flood preparedness and safety is a community-wide responsibility which includes people of various cultural and linguistic backgrounds.

“Harmony Day celebrates our communities’ diversity, and NSW SES is a committed and diverse emergency service. As part of the NSW SES’ commitment to diversity and engaging with people from all cultural backgrounds, we have released videos to encourage CALD communities to assist in their preparation for the next flood or storm,” Assistant Commissioner Hogan said.

“Following our busiest year on record, in which the NSW SES responded to 80,000 incidents, including 3,800 flood rescues and 250 calls from people who do not speak English, it is our priority to ensure people from all cultures are aware of their flood risk and understand what they need to do in a flood.”

Metro Zone Community Capability Coordinator, David Webber, said the videos are based on the organisation’s flood preparedness advice, which includes tips on creating an emergency plan, avoiding floodwater and how to contact the NSW SES on 132 500.

“The animations are designed to boost the resilience and capability of the broader community by sharing flood safety information in an accessible format,” said Mr Webber.

Each language series has four video components, including a full version covering all flood preparedness tips, and three shorter clips that group tips together.

The videos can be accessed on the NSW SES’ YouTube page here: www.youtube.com/@nswses/playlists