As with all communities, Bankstown can be affected by various types of natural and human-caused disasters.

The State Emergency and Rescue Management Act 1989 provides a framework of State, District and Local committees to provide management of such disasters. 

The Bankstown Local Emergency Committee is chaired by a senior Council representative and Council also provides executive support. The Committee made up of senior local representatives of each emergency service operating in the local area. The Local Emergency Operations Controller (LEOCON) is a Senior Police Officer and also supported by a senior officer of Council who is known as the Local Emergency Management Officer (LEMO).

The Committee meet three times during the year with the role of managing arrangements for: 

• Planning
• Prevention
• Response
• Recovery

    ...of emergencies within the Bankstown Local Government Area.

The Committee is responsible for maintaining the Bankstown Local Disaster Plan (DISPLAN).

Standard Emergency Warning Signal (SEWS)

As part of a coordinated national emergency plan, an audio signal has been adopted to alert the community to an urgent safety message relating to an identified emergency such as a flood, fire, or earthquake aftershocks.

SEWS is a distinctive audio signal that alerts the community to the broadcast of an urgent safety message relating to a major emergency/disaster. 

The signal is intended for use as an alert signal to be played on public media (such as radio, television, public address systems, mobile sirens), to draw listeners’ attention to an emergency warning that follows.

SEWS will attract listeners’ attention so that they should take notice of the emergency message.

For further information please see the NSW Police and Emergency Services website.