December 6, 2023

The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a forecast for an unusually warm summer for the season ahead, with an increased risk of extreme heat, heatwaves and bushfire weather.

Gunnedah Shire Council, together with the NSW Government, is providing a number of free P2/N95 masks to include in home safety and bushfire emergency kits to be used in the event of fire.
Gunnedah Shire Council Manager Community Safety Wade Berryman said the P2/N95 masks were good to have on hand in the case of an emergency.

“These face masks can help filter out the fine particles found in bushfire smoke, and may help people cope with poor air quality when they can’t avoid exposure,” Mr Berryman said.

“While we all hope it will never be necessary to use these masks and other emergency equipment, preparation is always the most effective tool.
“We are making available thousands of the P2/N95 masks to our community to use in conjunction with their bushfire survival plan or to keep handy for an emergency.”

The masks will be available to the public from Friday, December 8 (subject to delivery) at the Gunnedah Shire Council administration building in Elgin Street, Gunnedah Shire Library and the Civic and Visitor Information Centre.

From Monday, December 11 (subject to delivery), they will also be available from the Curlewis General Store, the Tambar Springs Shop, the Mullaley Roadhouse and the Carroll Store.

Resources:
• To find out more about the P2/N95 masks, visit NSW Health at: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/face-mask.aspx
• To find out more about extreme heat and how to deal with it, visit NSW Health at: https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/beattheheat/Pages/community-resources.aspx#factsheets
• To find out more about making a bushfire survival plan, visit the Rural Fire Service at: https://www.rfs.nsw.gov.au/resources/bush-fire-survival-plan
• To find out more about weather warnings and the weather ahead, visit the Bureau of Meteorology at: http://www.bom.gov.au/
• To learn more about Gunnedah Shire Council’s free P2/N95 masks, contact our Customer Service team on 6740 2100.

Caption: A still from a NSW Health video showing the correct way to wear P2/N95 masks. The video is available at https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/environment/factsheets/Pages/face-mask.aspx

ENDS

For more information, contact Gunnedah Shire Council’s Communications team on (02) 6740 2100 or communications@gunnedah.nsw.gov.au.