Becoming Part of a Phone Tree

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I've written several times about bushfires in Australia. Over the years these seem to have become more and more severe. At their height the flames are unstoppable. Whereas once people would have stopped to defend their homes, more and more are realising that their lives may be at stake if they stay and are opting to evacuate in the event of a fire. Techniques for dealing with bushfires are changing. We're being told not to rely on help or even information if there are bushfires in our area. If there is a fire, we are to keep ourselves up to date with the latest situation by tuning into our local radio station (using a battery-operated radio as the electricity will be cut during a severe fire). As part of the self-help regime, our area is organising 'phone trees'. For instance, we live in a valley which has seven properties. The road comes to a dead-end. Because there are only seven of us, we've been allocated another ten properties on a road behind us. We are to organise a key person or co-ordinator who will be contacted by an authority if there are 'catastrophic conditions' or a fire nearby. The key person rings two or three householders who then ring one or two householders. These names are still to be determined. Within a short time hopefully, the seventeen households on our phone tree will be up to date with the latest conditions which may include orders to evacuate. We are going to a meeting on Monday to learn more about this. Some people work away, some are rarely home, some might be out when the call is made so all these problems will need to be ironed out. Hopefully we'll never need to use our phone tree except for a practice run but it's reassuring to know that there are procedures in place to help us all stay safe.