Keen to become a master of disaster?
Do you know what to pack if you had to leave in a hurry?
Thought about where you would go in an emergency?

Emergencies and hazards can occur at any time and be of any size – from major natural disasters to traffic jams, or a medical problem. By preparing for these situations and planning for our relevant hazards well before they happen, we can reduce our risks and impacts, and bounce back a little faster. Preparing ahead of time keeps us all safer.

The Ready Steady Safe app can help you get a little better prepared for emergencies and work out which hazards you should plan for. Play mini-games and challenges and, by doing so, you can create your own custom personalised emergency plan. These games have been designed with children, for children, based on their interests and needs.

Via the various games, you can:
• Pack your evacuation go-bags and learn what items are useful to take
• Identify your support network and how to contact them
• Find out whether you should be planning for storms, fire or zombies…
• Name your meeting place and get yourself there quickly

Plans created can be downloaded, shared and customised to ensure that it is relevant and that everyone who needs to know, can access a copy in a hurry. With this app, you will be able to make a start on reducing your hazards and get ready for the unexpected.

For parents and caregivers:
Children who are aware of hazards and have participated in planning activities have lower levels of anxiety during emergencies, than those who have not. By better preparing our children, we not only reduce the potential impacts and risks to that child during a significant event, but we also increase the likelihood that they will recover more quickly afterward. This app can be used at home to help families and households consider what they need to plan for, as well as empower children to consider their own situations and needs.

Ready Steady Safe was developed by Save the Children, in partnership with IAG and Red Cross Australia. It has been built in consultation with emergency services, education experts and with children themselves.

About Save the Children:
Save the Children are one of Australia’s largest aid and development agencies dedicated to helping children. We work hard to protect children from harm and help them access quality education and health services. With more than 90 years working with children, we are at the forefront of saving children’s lives when disasters strike and create lasting change for children and their families through our long-term development programs. We have programs in 31 countries, including Australia, where we work in every state and the Northern Territory. Our vision is a world in which every child attains the right to survival, protection, development and participation.
For more information on Save the Children and its work in emergencies and disasters, visit www.savethechildren.org.au .