What will you do if it happens to you? - Devon, Cornwall & Isles of ...

What will you do ifit happens to you?Stay safe and have a CLEAR planEmergency planningadvice for you andthose you care forPlease read and keep this information where you can find it

Page 1If theunexpectedhappensYou will manage better if you are prepared andhave a CLEAR plan.Events that could happen:• Weather related(flooding, storms, heavy snow, heatwave)• Public safety(fire, unexploded bomb, terrorism, explosion, chemical ornuclear leak)• Disease(pandemic flu or animal disease)• Major transport incident(road, rail, air, sea)• Loss of essential services(electric, gas or water)It does not require anyspecial knowledge, only afew minutes of your time.Talk to the people youlive with about whatyou will do. You couldwrite a home emergencyplan. Make this plan CLEAR.Let’s take a closer look atthis…C heckL istEmergency BagActR ecoverHousehold emergency plantemplates are often available onyour council or local resilienceforum website. They can be usedalongside the steps in this guide tohelp you prepare your CLEAR plan.There may also be community emergency plansalready prepared in your area. Contact your localtown or parish council to find out whether there isone for your area and how it could help you.

Page 2CheckAlways Check the radio, television, social media orinternet for weather warnings and news.Local radio and televisionLocal radio and television news are usually reliable sourcesof information. Find out which radio stations are the mostrelevant and reliable for your area and set them as presets.BBC Radio Devon 94.8 95.7 95.8 96 103.4 104.3BBC Radio Cornwall 95.2 96 103.9Heart Cornwall 105.1 107Heart Devon 96.4 96.6 97 103Pirate 102.2 102.8Radio Scilly 107.9InternetReliable information is available online. Make these sourcesyour internet favourites.Social mediaLook for Twitter accountsproviding information in yourarea which have beenverified by Twitter . Theinformation on these is morelikely to be reliable as itcomes from an officialsource. Good examples arethe emergency services,your local council, the MetOffice and the EnvironmentAgency.www.metoffice.gov.ukLook for facebook groups inyour area. There may alsobe information here when theemergency is over and youare beginning to recover.www.environment-agency.gov.uk

Page 3C heckL istEmergency BagActR ecoverListMake a List of any medication you take, important phone numbers andinsurance policy numbers, and carry this at all times.Keep important documents like birth certificates andpassports above flood levels in a fire proof box. Keepcomputer information on an external storage device. Youmight also want to take all this with you, so keep them in oneplace or in an emergency bag.Save useful numbers in your mobile phone and keep on alist in your wallet or purse.For the emergency services dial 999 (SMS Text 999)Non-emergency Police enquiries 101 (SMS Text 67101)NHS Direct (medical advice) 0845 4647Environment Agency Floodline 0845 988 1188(Typetalk 0845 602 6340)Gas Leaks 0800 111 999Power Cuts 0800 365 900Water Leaks (non household) 0800 169 1144Coastguard Infoline 0870 600 6505Highways Agency Information Line 0300 08457123 50 40 5000 30Have you put ICE contactsin your mobile phone?The emergency services aretrained to check for the ICEnumber.Standing for ‘In Case ofEmergency’, ICE allows theemergency services tocontact someone if you areunable to do so. Thinkcarefully about who youchoose as an ICE contactbecause that person mayneed to give consent formedical treatment.If you don’t carry a mobilephone or you keep it lockedyou can keep the sameinformation on a card in awallet or purse.

Page 4C heckL istEmergency BagActR ecoverEmergencyBagAn Emergency Bag can be useful especially if you have to leave your home quicklyor stay indoors without power for few days. It is easy to prepare one in advance.The bag should be small enough to carry. You should checkthe bag regularly to make sure it has everything you needand that items like torches have batteries that work.Your bag could contain:Don’t forget to take:Also, think about what you willneed if you have to stay indoorsfor a few days. Consider puttingthe following items in a separatebox:• Copy of your householdemergency plan if youhave one• National Health Servicenumbers (ask your doctor’ssurgery)• Toiletries• First Aid Kit• Antibacterial hand gel• Wind up radio• Wind up torch• Spare batteries• Notebook and pen• Medication• Important documents• Essential keys• Items such as glasses forchildren and other peopleyou care for• Mobile phone and charger• Items for pets• Cash/debit/credit cards• Enough tinned or driedfood and bottles of water tolast three days• Candles and matches• Camping stove (only useindoors in an emergency.Place on a stable surfaceand use in a well ventilatedarea with a carbon monoxidedetector)• Remember to check datesand regularly replacewater.Remember: if there is fire oranother immediate danger inthe house don’t stop to grabanything. Just get out.

Page 5C heckL istEmergency BagActR ecoverActShould an emergency happen, Act when you need to.In an emergency dial 999. Do not put yourself or others at risk. Follow the advice of theemergency services.If the danger is outside – STAY IN: Go In, Stay In, Tune In• Stay there until you are told that the emergency is over or you are advised to leave.• Listen to local radio or TV news for updates.If the danger is inside (or you are told to evacuate) – STAY OUT: Go Out, Stay OutIf it is safe and you have time• Take the items you need (including your emergency bag).• Switch off power and lock doors and windows.• Go to a safe place.Safe placesKnow the quickest andsafest routes out of yourhouse and have a safe placeto meet if you get separated.Safe places may be providedby the emergency services.If you make your ownarrangements, such asstaying with friends, pleasetell somebody where youare.In the event of a floodMove valuable items tosafety. If your house hasproperty protectionmeasures (such as floodgates or air brick covers)make sure you know howthey work.Move pets to a safe placewith plenty of food and water.Stay safe when travellingIn the case of severeweather listen to the adviceof the emergency servicesand only travel if you need to.Stay out of flood waterwhether in the car or on foot,you don’t know what’sbeneath the surface.Check if other peoplemay need your help;information may notreach some as quickly.

Page 6C heckL istEmergency BagActR ecoverRecoverTaking the CLEAR steps in this guide will help you Recover and get back tonormal much quicker.After major incidents like flooding, there may also be recovery surgeries and drop ins whichwill provide you with further advice. Look out for information in the local media and fromyour council.Space for making your own notes:If you found this leaflet useful,tell others and help them tomake a CLEAR plan.

C heckL istEmergency BagActR ecoverCheck information sourcesfor weather warnings and news.Make a List of importantnumbers and medication andcarry this at all times.Have an Emergency Bagready.Act when you need to.Recover.Your Local Resilience Forum (LRF)This leaflet has been produced by the Devon, Cornwall and Isles ofScilly Local Resilience Forum (LRF). The Emergency Services, LocalGovernment, Health Services and many other organisations worktogether to form the LRF. The LRF has plans in place to respond tomajor emergencies, to save lives, contain danger, protect the public andto minimise the effects so we can all return to normality as soon aspossible.Everyone has a role to play in preparing for emergency situations. TheLRF has produced this plan to help you develop a CLEAR plan of whatyou would do in an emergency. You can find more information on thewebsite at www.dcisprepared.org.uk.This leaflet has been produced by the Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Resilience Forum to provide generalinformation and advice about how to prepare for an emergency situation at home. It is not intended to provide detailed orspecific advice to individuals and as such the Forum or its constituent members will accept no liability arising from its use.