In times of emergency, disasters and pandemic in our community, food is essential to

sustain life, counteract shock, raise the morale of evacuees and provide energy for
workers labouring under stressful conditions. Emergencies can happen anywhere and
anytime, and can have a significant impact on people’s lives. Being prepared for an
emergency can ensure that you and your family can manage if affected by an
emergency such as: bushfire, flood, influenza pandemic, cyclone, storms, earthquake
and utility failure. Emergency incidents like those listed can affect the supply of essential
utilities, including electricity, gas and water, and disrupt the supply of food, groceries
and critical items. An Emergency Food Service is an emergency response organization
designed to provide food for: those who cannot feed themselves, or those without food
or food preparation facilities, and recovery workers and volunteers. To be effective,
Emergency Food Service programs must be able to: help evacuees cope with a disaster
by meeting their needs for a sufficient amount of food to maintain a feeling of well-being,
meet the special food requirements of high-risk groups, including infants, children,
pregnant and nursing women, the elderly, diabetics, and disaster workers, provide
appropriate food service. Assess the potential need for food. Estimate how much food is
available in the municipality and how much more food will be needed to protect the
population from possible food shortages. Work with private sector providers and any
humanitarian agencies present in the municipality to secure essential nutritious food
stocks for later distribution. Work with various public and private organizations to set up
and operate temporary warehouses to receive, store, and distribute the food using
social distancing measures. Coordinate with members of the municipal leadership team
that are working to identify those most at risk of food insecurity to ensure that the most
needy are the people that get food rations first. Distribute emergency food rations once
the pandemic begins to reduce the ability of people to obtain sufficient amounts of food
to meet their daily needs.