Are you Ready?
It may not always be possible for communities to be reached immediately during an emergency such as flooding. The government suggest that communities could use local resources and knowledge to help themselves during an emergency in a way that complements the local emergency services.
How prepared is your community and what can you do?
- Are you aware of the risks you and your community might face? For example, flooding.
- How can you help yourself and those around you during an emergency?
- What can you do to get involved in emergency planning in your community?
Your community will be better prepared to cope during and after an emergency when everyone works together using their local knowledge. Things like understanding what requirements most-at-need groups may have in an emergency can make a real difference. Identifying and planning for the risks you may encounter during a severe flood, heat-wave or snowfall could help in reducing the potential impact on you, your family and the wider community.
Being prepared and able to respond to an emergency can often help people recover more quickly. This illustrates how successful community resilience can be and why many communities are already engaged in this planning.
Community Emergency Plan Toolkit
Community Emergency Plan Template
Emergency planning college community hub
Preparing Yourself and Your Family
As a family you can prepare for the unexpected. Developing a family emergency plan, and creating a ‘grab bag’ of the essential items you may need if you were to leave your home can help you and save valuable time.
Download a template of a Household Emergency Plan
This could include things as simple as:
- If you are experiencing a power cut and you have not received prior notice, find information about power cuts in your area on the Western Power website
- Recording key contact details of insurers, GP, utility suppliers
- Actions each member will take to secure the property
- Where and how to turn off the utilities to the house.
- Escape routes the family can use and where to meet if split up
Grab Bag items could include:
- A copy of your Family Emergency Plan.
- Details of regular prescription items for your family.
- Useful telephone numbers e.g. friends, family, insurance, doctors, utilities, etc.
- Mobile phone and charger.
- Important documents e.g. passport, birth certificates, insurance, etc. Consider keeping these in water proof material.
- First aid kit.
- Bottles of water.
- Wind up or battery powered radio and spare batteries.
- Wind up or battery powered torch and spare batteries.
- Notebook and pen.
- Essential keys e.g. house, car, etc.
- Special items e.g. glasses / contact lenses and solutions, items for babies / children / elderly / disabled.
- Cash, debit / credit cards.
- Non perishable food (cereal bars etc).
- Supplies for very young children or pets.
- Any other items you feel you may require.