Get prepared

A little prep goes a long way

Get prepared

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It is much easier to deal with an emergency if you have thought about it beforehand and planned for what you would do. Here are some top tips to help you get prepared:

Fit a smoke alarm on each level of your home and test them regularly.
Get the household involved - plan and practice together how to get out of the building quickly and safely if there is a fire
Make a home emergency plan. The Devon, Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Resilience Forum has a great document to print off and work through.
Teach children how to dial 999 to report an emergency, and what to do in an emergency
Keep a list of useful phone numbers, websites and social media accounts handy. You can find some to get you started in our useful websites/apps and emergency contacts sections
Talk to your neighbours and get in touch with your local community groups and find out what emergency planning is going on in your area. Your local council resilience teams are good places to start
Make emergency kits for the home and car
Check lists – prepare checklists for what to pack if you need to evacuate your home quickly and what to remember to do before you leave
Take time to find out where the water supply stop cock and mains electricity switch are in your home

Be prepared for an emergency

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Flooding, severe weather, prolonged power cut, heatwave, large smoke plume, chemical leak…how would you cope in an emergency situation?

If there is a major emergency affecting wide areas the emergency services will attend to the most vulnerable first. Being prepared and knowing what to do in an emergency can limit the impact of the emergency on you, your family and the community and help the recovery process.

Find out what you can do to be prepared using the tabs on the right.

The Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Local Resilience Forum (CPLRF) is a multi-agency group made up of emergency services, local authorities, military, public health organisations and others who would all have a role to play should a disaster or major emergency occur. You can learn more about the work of the forum using the tab on the right too.

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Community plans

Be a part of a community that helps everyone.

How your local community can be prepared

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Know your neighbours and their needs. Are they vulnerable? Could they help themselves in the event of an emergency or would they need support? Help them be prepared, especially if your homes are at greater risk of some emergencies such as flooding.
If you are a parent, do you know the school or nursery’s procedure for dealing with an emergency?
Are there local risks nearby that you need to be aware of that have specific action to take, for example a factory or plant that stores a significant amount of chemicals?
Do you have a community defibrillator residents can access?

Your parish council will be able to provide further reassurance about local emergency plans.

Community plans

A major emergency can affect the whole community and tie up the emergency services for some time. The emergency services will attend to the people with the greatest need first. If you can help each other it will make life easier for your community while you wait for help.

In the event of an emergency situation affecting your local community, it will be really useful if you have a Community Emergency Plan.

There is lots of advice, guides and toolkits available on the government's website to help you do this.

Your local council emergency planning team may be able to help too.

How your business can be prepared?

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Businesses can be affected too by emergenices and should also be prepared. We have lots of advice on our Is your business prepared? page.