| Online | Phone |
| Tablelands Regional Council | 1300 362 242 |
| Police, Fire and Ambulance | Triple zero (000) |
| SES | 132 500 |
| Ergon outages and distruptions | 13 22 96 |
| Bureau of Meterology | Automated warnings 1300 659 210. Weather, water and climate enquiries 1300 754 389. |
| Department of Seniors, Disability Services and Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Partnerships | 13 QGOV (13 74 68) |
| Queensland Traffic | 13 19 40 |
| Queensland Health | 13 43 25 84 |
| Australian Red Cross | 1300 554 419 |
| Telstra Disaster Relief Discovery |
Warnings and other emergency information are available to local radio and television stations for broadcast. Tune into your local radio station for the latest emergency information:
- ABC Far North — 106.7FM, 95.7FM, 720AM
- 4AM — 558AM, 91.3FM
- HIT FM — 97.9FM
- Black Star — 91.9FM
- KIK FM — 88.7FM, 87.3FM
The Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS) is an audible signal broadcast via media in an emergency situation. This would typically occur in an area where a tropical cyclone of category 3 or stronger is expected to affect a community within 12 hours. If you hear the SEWS siren you should stop what you are doing and listen very carefully — your life may depend on it!
Normal communication channels, such as landlines, mobile phones and the internet, can fail during or immediately after a disaster. If they fail, the UHF Citizen’s Band radio network (UHF-CB) is a good alternative. UHF-CB Channel 10 is designated as the alternative initial contact for use in a disaster event, or when standard communications, such as landlines and mobiles, have failed. This is not meant to replace normal communication channels, but to provide a backup or alternative system if required.
Social Media
For general enquiries contact the Senior Advisor Disaster Management on during office hours.
A member of the Local Disaster Management Group is available to speak to school groups, non-government and volunteer organisations and other agencies interested in disaster management measures.
Emergency Communication Network
Experience from disasters like Cyclones Larry and Yasi led to the development of an emergency community communications network for the Atherton Tablelands. Normal communication channels, such as landlines, mobile phones and the internet, can fail during or immediately after a major disaster. When these communication tools fail, the ultra-high frequency (UHF) citizens’ band (CB) radio network can be used as an alternative.
UHF-CB
UHF-CB is accessible to the general community without the need for a license, making it widely available and relatively inexpensive. UHF-CB Channel 10 is the alternative initial contact for disaster events, or when standard communications fail. It is not meant to replace normal communication channels, but to provide a back-up or alternative if required.
Community on Channel 10
In the event of a complete communication failure, people requiring assistance or with information on potential hazards may be able to contact others in the community.
For this system to work, everyone with a two-way radio needs to be listening on UHF-CB Channel 10 when standard communications fail. This applies to residents as well as visitors and travellers, many of whom have CB radio sets in their vehicles. Owning a radio and using Channel 10 is not a guarantee of help, but it does improve chances of contacting others.
In some communities, the initial contact channel may be monitored by members of Community Disaster Teams and other volunteer groups assisting during and after disaster events.