Bendigo Community Health Services has produced a translated and easy to
understand FIRE SAFETY INFO SHEETS . together with the City Council and
CFA
The service has also worked with cultural experts .. to make sure the right
message was delivered .. and migrants weren't sent into a state of PANIC
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BCHS Cultural Diversity and Relationships manager Kaye Graves said refugee
communities helped with the production of the information sheets to ensure
the right
messages were delivered.
“We found some of the translated material was just too complex and there was
fear
among our new refugee communities, particularly after seeing some of the
images
coming out of the big fire at Huntly and the fire ravaged areas in New South
Wales and
Victoria this summer,” Kaye said.
“For many of our new arrivals these are new conditions for them to live in
and understand.
“So we consulted with the refugee communities to review the translated fire
safety
material that was out there and developed new Karen and Dari information
sheets that
were far easier to read and accessible.”
Mrs Graves said working with ‘champions’ in the refugee communities to help
with
education around fire safety and using the Vic Emergency App was another
important
part of the project.
“The CFA community educators have been excellent in helping us along the way
and
their input along with that of the City of Greater Bendigo allowed us to put
together what
we believe are really important fire safety resources for the refugee
communities in the
present climate we are facing,” Kaye said.
City of Greater Bendigo Director of Health and Wellbeing Vicky Mason said
the project
was a great example of groups working together to respond to community
priorities, with
a focus on vulnerable groups such as newly-arrived refugee communities.
‘‘This project has given people the information they need to be able to
monitor emergency
situations and make well informed decisions that will support their health
and wellbeing
and that of their family members,’’ Ms Mason said.
The Department of Premier and Cabinet provided funding support for the
project.
Printable PDF versions of the translated Dari and Karen fire safety
information sheets can
be found at www.bchs.com.au
