It was first tested in the Shire of Bridgetown-Greenbushes during the 2012-13 bushfire season and the council retained the system, which has been endorsed by the State Emergency Management Committee.
In an emergency residents may be asked or choose to evacuate their properties. If this happens, the police and other emergency services would like to know if they have received the message about the emergency and if they have chosen to leave.
Residents can help emergency services by placing a weighted-down green bag at the front of their driveways, or securing it to a mailbox or front fence in clear view.
The green bag indicates to authorities that people at a property have already left for a safe place. Officers can then prioritise checks at other, non-flagged, properties, so potentially saving time and lives.
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The Shire of York will be sending out flyers with more information and has free bags available.
For more information, visit dfes.wa.gov.au