There's a flood heading towards you. What three things would you take, if you had to leave right now? It is probably a question not many people would think about, but it is the question NSW SES and the UNE want you to answer. So, what are your three things?
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In a first for NSW SES, the #3Things campaign comes from a formal agreement with UNE in 2018. SES deputy zone commander Heath Stimson said it was the first of three projects under the agreement launched at UNE on Wednesday morning.
The campaign is asking people to think about what three things they would take if a flood was heading their way.
It really challenges people to think about what's most important in their lives and start the conversation around preparation.
- Heath Stimson
A digital and social media campaign has already been taken up by students and staff, and the state government will provide $96,500 to employ a project officer based at UNE.
"It's about preparing for floods, and what people need to do should they be required to evacuate in a flood," Commander Stimson said.
"It really challenges people to think about what's most important in their lives and start the conversation around preparation.
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"This is the continuation of four years of work. We're looking at different, more flexible ways that we can volunteer through our Volunteer Re-imagined that we launched 18 months ago."
Vice-chancellor and CEO of UNE professor Annabelle Duncan said the SES offered UNE leadership experience that was usually difficult to gain.
"We very much want to develop those leadership skills, particularly in our students," she said.
"They fight hard to get through their courses ... and they often end up being very good leaders in their communities. We need to demonstrate that leadership ... and that's part of being an active member of your SES community as well.
"It's those soft skills that are becoming more and more important for people to get those jobs. They need those softer skills, communication, leadership, resilience and I think this helps them develop all of that."
NSW SES Commissioner Kyle Stewart said the arrangement had wide ranging benefits for communities across the state, both in terms of delivering important flood safety messages and growing NSW SES's volunteer numbers.
"The #3Things campaign starts an important conversation about the practical things communities can do when preparing for flood," he said.
"NSW SES sees the UNE partnership and this campaign as critical in delivering ongoing safety messages while highlighting the risk and dangers around flooding."
