Fun Day Helps Town Get Ready

Tallis George, Carmello Cobbo and Myrtelle Jerome were having fun riding the tea cups at this year’s “Get Ready Cherbourg” day

November 26, 2013

Cherbourg residents will be “ready” if disaster should strike this summer after the town’s second annual “Get Ready Cherbourg” day was held on Monday afternoon.

The family-friendly fun day was held at the Les Stewart Senior Memorial Sports Centre and featured exciting displays by emergency services personnel, rides and other activities for children and a community barbecue.

But there was also a serious side, with the distribution of information about how to stay safe in floods, storms and fires.

The RACQ CareFlight Rescue helicopter also made a special visit, landing at the town’s helipad.

Get Ready Cherbourg Day was an initiative of the Cherbourg Aboriginal Council aimed at educating the community about how to keep safe in an emergency situation.

In the past three years Cherbourg has been hit by two floods – one in 2011 which tragically claimed a life, and the second in 2013 – and the town is determined to be prepared for whatever the coming summer months might bring.

The return of the RACQ CareFlight Rescue helicopter was particularly significant.

The helicopter had to cease services to Cherbourg Hospital in February this year amid safety concerns. This meant patients needed to be ferried to Murgon Hospital by ambulance before they could be airlifted out.

But there are hopes the service can resume now that safety issues have been addressed.

Cherbourg Aboriginal Council will make a donation to CareFlight as thanks for the service’s involvement in this year’s “Get Ready” event.

The day concluded at 7:00pm after an evening concert by popular local band Muddy Flats.

[Photos: Marcus Priaulx]

Related article: Chopper Returns To Cherbourg

Murgon fire captain Peter Angel demonstrates why a tea towel or blanket are the best things to use to smother an oil-based fire in a kitchen

Erica Bond, Ariannah Bond-Duncan and Patricia Bond — Ariannah Bond-Duncan, 22 months, shows a child’s natural fascination with books as mum Erica and Aunty Patricia show her a story handed out by Barambah PaCE’s team on the day

Garry Sippel, of Dreamtime Reptiles, makes Cherbourg State School students Alex Georgetown, Steven Walsh, Shaykeeda Bell and Dee-Anna nervous with an olive python

Gundoo Day Care’s Kangaroo Kids turned out in force to help Cherbourg get ready under the watchful eyes of aunties Sharon Speedy (centre) and Janelle Carlo (right)

Pickles Bond — Julia Bond, 5, Peta Seckold, Pamela Bone and Cherbourg’s fire captain “Pickles” Brown had a great day; Captain Pickles was on the hunt for more volunteer firefighters

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When The Flood Came To Cherbourg

Joseph Jacobs and Barbara Sandow think the flood book is deadly

Cherbourg children have been learning about what to do in floods thanks to a book published earlier this year.

Words and pictures developed from workshops with Cherbourg State School’s Year 5 students tell the story of the disaster.

Safety tips are also included in the book which has dedicated to the memory of the young woman who lost her life during the 2011 floods.

The book was part of a Natural Disaster Resilience Project to help children understand disasters and the importance of being prepared and staying safe. It is part of a series about building community resilience to disasters funded by the Department of Community Safety and the Indigenous Literacy Foundation.