Making Plans
Be organised and better able to cope in an emergency before it takes place. This increases the safety of both you and those close to you. Prepare yourself with a plan and include important information, such as:-
- The emergency arrangements for your children at school and at your workplace.
- Where and how to turn off electricity, water and gas supplies at your home.
- Contact details for your family or friends.
- Anyone near you who may need help especially if they are elderly or vulnerable.
- Details of television or radio news stations, to keep you updated.
A short Household Emergency Plan has been produced to help you with this. It includes checklists, contact numbers and useful tips. There are also ways in which as a community you can be better prepared to deal with emergencies such as flooding or severe weather. This can be done through looking at what local resources you have in your community and thinking about how you can look after yourselves in the initial response to an emergency affecting your community. A Community Emergency Plan pack is available to help you with this.
Ready Bag
This is a useful bag that is packed with essentials in case you need to evacuate your home. Handy things to keep in your Ready Bag include:
- Important documents e.g. Passport, driving licence and important phone numbers
- Home and car keys
- Toiletries and personal first aid kit
- A wind-up or battery radio
- Spare batteries
- A torch or a candle and matches
- Mobile phone
- Cash and Credit cards
- Spare clothes and blankets
- Bottled water and any easy food, e.g. tinned food or biscuits.
Remember to stay calm and follow the advice of the emergency services. If you are not involved in an incident but are close by or believe you may be in danger, the advice is:
GO IN, STAY IN, TUNE IN
Further Information
Several other countries have also come up with a personal help scheme: