Major Emergencies and You

How to Prepare

The chance of you being caught up in a major emergency or disaster are low. Nevertheless they happen and here are a few pointers to enable you to be better prepared to protect yourself and others.

What a Major Emergency is

Essentially a major emergency is something on a scale that needs special arrangements to deal with it. such as:

• Serious transport accidents (Plane, train, motorway pile-up)
• Extreme weather
• Major crime/terrorism/public disorder
• Explosion/fire/industrial accident
• Toxic chemical spillage/radioactive release
• Shortages of essential supplies - Water, food, power.
• Infectious disease outbreak

The emergency services, local authority, health trusts, voluntary agencies and the utility companies all have co-ordinated emergency plans in place. The aim is to save life, contain the hazard, protect the public and maintain our day to day services, but that task is made much easier if the public also know what to do in an emergency.

Being prepared for a major emergency also means that you can deal more effectively with minor ones. In most situations you will either need to seek immediate shelter from the threat or hazard or to move right away from it, so it makes sense to have a plan to do both. Useful steps you can take beforehand include:

• Make a list of important contacts such as family, friends and neighbours, your children's) school, your GP. veterinary surgery, your gas, electric and water supplier, and your insurers and so on. Keep copies of these in your wallet/handbag and keep copies handy at home or work.
• Arrange for a relative or friend out of your area to be the family contact point in case your family become separated during an emergency.
• Make up an emergency pack for home, work and car (see below).
• Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies.
• Even if you normally listen to other radio stations know how to tune into your local radio station's) for public safety information in an emergency (see above for stations and frequencies).
• Check that your insurance cover is up to date.
• If in a flood risk area keep stocks of empty sandbags and sand. (carrier bags and soil will also be adequate as a temporary measure)

At Home

• Prepare an emergency pack containing:
• A battery powered radio (with local radio frequencies marked)
• A torch
• Spare batteries for both of the above
• First aid kit
• A copy of your contact list.
• Bottled water/canned drinks.

Make an evacuation checklist of items to pack quickly if you are suddenly advised to leave your home. This might include:

• Your emergency pack above.
• Warm clothing.
• Essential medication and personal items e.g. glasses.
• Baby food/nappies
• Wallet, purse and bank cards.
• Mobile phone and charger.
• Pet carrier/collar, lead & pet food.

In the Car

This may vary according to the time of year, but keep these items in the car as a basic emergency kit.

• Bottled water
• First aid kit
• Torch and batteries (All year round)
• Cigar plug lead for mobile phone
• Sweets, long-life snacks
• A blanket, warm tracksuit and woolly hat
• A waterproof coat (October to May)
• Wellington boots
• Spare socks (these can also be used as gloves)

At Work

Know the emergency procedures for your workplace thoroughly.

In some situations you might have to remain at your workplace for safety. Your building may have good facilities but even so it  pays to think about what you would need if you had to stay over night.