If you discover a bushfire
Call 000, then call Campus Support on 1800 800 707 or extension 7777 (internal phone only).
Information for the Griffith community
Bushfire season for our region typically runs from Spring into mid-Summer. The University has measures in place to help keep our community safe and reduce the risk of bushfires spreading quickly. You can learn more about how to prepare and what to do in an emergency to keep yourself and others safe.
Prepare for bushfire season
In order to prepare for bushfire season, the University has an approach to closely monitor bushfire risk and is implementing a range of measures to reduce the risk of bushfires spreading quickly.
What to do if you discover a bushfire
- Call 000, then call Campus Support on 1800 800 707 or extension 7777 (internal phone only)
- Shelter in refuge is our first response to a bushfire on campus. Take shelter in a solid brick or concrete building, close the windows and move away from the door.
- Follow instructions of building wardens, campus support and emergency services.
- Do not attempt to leave campus or evacuate the building unless you are advised to do so.
What you can do to prepare
- Staff should make sure you are up to date with your Annual Fire Safety training. Students should familiarise themselves with the information on this page.
- Check your contact details in the Staff Portal (staff) and myGriffith (students). Review and update your mobile number, as we may text you in an emergency situation.
- Save the freecall Campus Support phone number to your phone - 1800 800 707. This will save time if you discover a bushfire and need to notify the Campus Support team.
- Find your building warden. Read more about their role in a bushfire in the Roles and responsibilities section.
- Stay updated with the University's bushfire related communications.
How the University is preparing
- We have aligned the University’s response to bushfire risk with the Australian Fire Danger Rating System. This nationally adopted system for monitoring fire danger provides clear direction on when and how to act when the risk of fire is elevated.
- During bushfire season, we are monitoring bushfire risk daily, with clear escalation points for extreme and catastrophic fire danger days.
- We have developed specific actions on extreme and catastrophic fire danger days to minimise the numbers of staff on affected campuses. This may include closing a specific campus on catastrophic fire danger days, asking staff and students to work and study from home and deliver learning and teaching activities remotely.
- We will communicate to staff, students and visitors if fire danger monitoring identifies a high risk to our campuses. Communications may commence up to 7 days in advance of identified risk and will include instructions on what to do next.
- We have streamlined our emergency management, incident response and traffic management plans to ensure the University can act swiftly in the event of a bushfire. Specific action plans have been developed for areas identified with a higher risk of exposure. People in those areas will receive specific information on steps they need to take in an emergency.
- In the event of a bushfire, we ask staff, students and visitors to 'shelter in refuge'. This means you should take shelter in a solid brick or concrete building, close the windows and move away from the door. Building wardens, campus support or emergency services will advise if you need relocate to another building or evacuate. You should not attempt to leave campus unless instructed to do so.
How the University will communicate with you
- Updates will be provided via email and other communications channels.
- In an emergency, we will email and text you, as well as use a range of other communication channels, including the University's social media platforms.
- Listen out for regular updates from building wardens, campus support and emergency services.
- Regular updates will be provided on Griffith’s social media channels to keep the community up to date in an emergency.
Roles and responsibilities
It is everyone's responsibility to keep our community safe. If a bushfire occurs on campus, it's important that you know what to do, understand how the University will respond and be aware of who will provide instructions to you.
See a fire? Report it. Call 000
Whether you are a student, staff member, or stopping by for a visit the most important thing you can do if you see a fire on campus is report it.
- Call 000. Tell the operator what campus you are located at (Gold Coast, Mt Gravatt or Nathan), Queensland and ask for Queensland Fire and Emergency Services (QFES). When you speak to the QFES dispatcher, repeat the campus location and try to give them the exact location of the fire.
- Call Campus support (Security) on 1800 800 707 (freecall). Let them know you have called 000 and tell them where the fire is. Our Campus Support team will help direct QFES and police to the fire’s location as quickly and safely as possible. Look for bushfire zone signs – these are located around campus and will help security and emergency services locate the fire.
- Building wardens are identified by a red cap and lanyard with an ID holder.
- Building wardens will pass on advice from emergency services to their specified building if a bushfire occurs.
- They will provide directions on sheltering in refuge, relocating to another building (if required) or evacuation of buildings or campus (on advice of emergency services).
- Building wardens are responsible for providing updates and communicating instructions to building occupants.
- On discovering a bushfire, Campus support will call 000 immediately.
- Notify key Campus Life staff across our campuses to facilitate the University’s response, including activation of the First Responders and Incident Management Team or Crisis Management Team.
- Direct people from the immediate vicinity and the expected path of the fire.
- Direct Campus Life team members to block access to roads and tracks that lead to the vicinity of the fire.
- Follow procedures for managing the bushfire for the specified zone according to the Bushfire Incident Action Plan (coming soon) until emergency services arrive, including patrolling car parks and managing the flow of uncontrolled traffic (if required).
- Campus Specific Emergency Traffic Evacuation Plans have been developed to regulate the safe flow of both vehicles and pedestrians from campus and the plans will be implemented by First Responders and contracted traffic controllers.
- The Campus support team member is the key contact between Griffith and emergency services and will coordinate with emergency services up to and on arrival on campus.
- When emergency services arrive on campus, they become wholly responsible for the response to the bushfire.
- The University has plans in place for a range of scenarios; however, in the event of a bushfire, emergency services will direct the University’s response.
- Emergency services will provide instructions around continued sheltering in place (the University’s default position) or initiate an evacuation of specific buildings or the entire campus.
- Instructions from emergency services will most likely come indirectly via Building wardens or Campus support staff.
Resources and support
Internal resources
Contact us
Griffith emergencies and incidents
General enquiries
Visit Services@Griffith to see the full list of available services.
