The Tweed community can now receive the latest flood and fire warnings in the palm of their hands, with the launch of the NSW Liberal and Nationals Government’s Hazards Near Me app.
Member for Tweed Geoff Provest MP said the NSW Rural Fire Service (RFS) Fires Near Me app, which is used by more than four million people, has been expanded and rebranded to include flood alerts from the NSW State Emergency Service (SES).
“Residents across the Tweed Shire have faced a range of floods and fires in the past few years which is why this app will help everyone to make safe decisions for themselves and their families,” Mr Provest said.
“Having access to the latest information in an emergency situation can quite literally save lives.
“The Hazards Near Me app will provide reliable and timely information directly from the SES and RFS to help people stay safe during floods and fires.”
Minister for Customer Service and Digital Government Victor Dominello said the app has been jointly developed by the Department of Customer Service, SES and RFS.
“For more than a decade, the NSW community has used Fires Near Me for bush fire information, and with nearly three million downloads during the 2019-20 bush fire season, it’s a trusted source for fire information and warnings. I’m excited that app users will see additional features roll out in the future,” Mr Dominello said.
Minister for Emergency Services and Resilience and Minister for Flood Recovery Steph Cooke said empowering people with information is key to improving emergency responses.
“The independent Flood Inquiry identified the need for a single source of advice that can provide warnings for different types of hazards, and this app delivers on our commitment,” Ms Cooke said.
The NSW Government has committed almost $200 million in new funding to implement a number of the recommendations from the independent Flood Inquiry.
Existing users of Fires Near Me will need to update their app through their phone’s app store. New users can download the app by searching for ‘Hazards Near Me’ in their app store.