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The government has launched its three year campaign to encourage households across the UK to be prepared for sudden events such as severe weather so that the emergency services can respond to those who need more support when basic utilities such as power and water fail.
A short checklist is the first part of the Be Ready Campaign focused on England and Wales and contains advice on what households should have in place. The list includes three days water supply, non-perishable food and access to alternative sources of power via wind up radios and charged power banks.
The Security Minister, Dan Jarvis, said: “By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.”
Working with the voluntary, community and faith organisations, the government is sharing campaign messages to help reach audiences who may be particularly at-risk in everyday emergencies including families with young children and older people.
Laura Scott from the British Red Cross added: “local people know their communities best and want to play a part when a crisis happens. Having clear and trusted advice for people, especially those who may be more at-risk, could help reduce the impact of crises and even save lives.”
Advice on how to get started includes making small steps and building up readiness over time. For those more vulnerable, it suggests signing up for their energy supplier’s Priority Services Register. Much of this advice aligns with activity that already takes place elsewhere in Europe including France and the Netherlands.
There are separate advice websites for Scotland – Ready Scotland and for Northern Ireland – NI Direct.
To hear more about the government’s resilience work, listen to the COBR Director Roger Hargreaves who gave the keynote speech on the Resilience 360 stage at The Emergency Services Show last month. Available below as the first episode of For Every Response, the podcast from Emergency Services Times.
