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The Parish Council, together with a small group of residents, have prepared an Emergency Plan that could be activated in the event of a major emergency effecting the village. Below is some advice about what you can do to prepare yourself for an emergency:
This link will take you to Information about West Suffolk Councils Emergency Planning on how they will deal with an emergency in our area.
You can make your own household emergency flood plan. Details can be found on the Environment Agency website by following this link. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/personal-flood-plan
Develop your own emergency plan
Check that you have adequate household and contents insurance.
Find out how and where to turn off power, gas and water supplies.
Store important documents in a fire or waterproof container or safe deposit box.
Keep a list of emergency phone numbers near the phone.
Decide how your family will share essential tasks, such as collecting children from school and checking on elderly neighbours.
Arrange for an out-of-town friend or relative to be a contact point.
Prepare an emergency survival kit (or 'grab bag') and keep it handy.
Get a grab bag
A grab bag can be incredibly useful to have ready in an emergency. It should contain everyday items that will help you to manage for a short period of time until help is available to return to normal.
Key documents (such as passport, driving licence, your personal emergency contact list and insurance details).
First aid kit including any medication.
Wet wipes and/or antibacterial hand gel.
Battery operated radio with spare batteries or wind up radio.
Notebook and pencil/pen.
Mobile phone/charger.
Glasses/contact lenses.
Toiletries (including nappies/sanitary supplies).
Any special items for babies, children, elderly and disabled people.
Spare set of keys (home/car/office).
Bottled water/energy bars.
Coins/cash (small denominations) and credit/debit cards.
Change of clothes and blankets and sensible footwear (if necessary, waterproofs).
A torch and batteries or a wind up torch.
Make a “Community Friend” – this is someone, or some people, that can be called during an emergency to provide practical support –
such as helping move furniture, look after pets, share house keys to look after each other’s properties and maybe know which valuable and sentimental items should be moved, check on you if you are poorly and go to the shops and chemists on your behalf.
In an emergency, people should go in, stay in and tune in to their local radio station for further instructions and updates – unless there is a fire, or any other threat to staying in the property, or unless they have been advised otherwise by the Emergency Services.
The following checklist might help when developing your own plan.
Do you have a household emergency plan?
Have you discussed your plan with family and friends?
Do you know the emergency plan for your children’s school/nursery/college?
Do you know the emergency plan for your place of work?
Have you completed a personal emergency contact list?
Have you prepared a check list for your ‘go bag’, or packed it ready to go?
Do you have ICE (In Case of Emergency) contact(s) in your phone, wallet or purse?
Do you have a contact person – someone unlikely to be affected by the same emergency - who can keep family and friends informed?
Do you have a wind up or battery-operated portable FM/AM radio?
Do you have alternative, agreed meeting points?
Do you have working smoke alarms in your home?
Do you have adequate contents and buildings insurance?
Do you have copies of your most important documents stored somewhere other than at home?
Do you have a written list of your valuables, plus photographs or DVD/video?
Have you undertaken a basic first aid course?
Have you checked if your property is in a flood risk area?
Have you thought about arrangements for pets if you need to leave your home?
Have you identified possible exit routes from every room in your home?
Use the following advice in unusual weather conditions:
Heavy Winds
Secure loose objects such as ladders and garden furniture
Close and securely fasten doors and windows, including garages
Park vehicles in a garage or in a place clear of buildings, trees and fences
Stay indoors if possible
If you need to go outside, do not walk or shelter close to buildings or trees
Don’t carry out repairs whilst the storm is in progress
Do not drive unless your journey is essential and avoid exposed routes
Do not touch electric/telephone cables which may have been blown down
Heat Wave
Try and plan your day to stay out of the heat, keep rooms shaded and, where possible use a fan
If you must go out, stay in the shade, wear a hat and loose fitting clothing
Drink plenty of fluids
Don’t leave animals unattended in cars in warm weather
Seek medical help if you suffer from heat exhaustion or heat stroke.
Remain somewhere cool, sponge yourself with cold water and drink plenty of fluids & eat light moisture rich foods such as salads
Snow and Ice
Carry an emergency car kit – mobile phone, car charger, first aid kit, warm waterproof clothes, blanket, food, water, torch (with spare batteries)
Inform a friend or family member of your intended travel arrangements and expected arrival time
Wear a hat
Watch out for signs of hypothermia – uncontrollable shivering, slow or slurred speech, drowsiness and memory lapse
Don’t drive unless you absolutely need to
Flooding
Listen to your local radio and TV weather forecasts for advice from the emergency services
Move your car to higher ground
Empty furniture drawers and cupboards. Place the contents and any furniture you can upstairs
Fasten plastic bags round the legs of wooden furniture to help minimise absorption of water
Turn off mains gas and electricity
Put plugs in sinks and weight them down to prevent backflow from the drains. Weigh down the loo seat too.
Bring caged outdoor pets inside, move all pets with food, water, bedding and litter trays upstairs Make sure any valuable or sentimental items and important documents are safe
Put any flood protection measures you have in place
REMEMBER flood water will probably contain sewage, which can cause disease. Always wash your hands/arms/legs after coming into contact with
floodwater with hot water and soap. Keep contaminated footwear and clothing away from children
DO NOT allow children to play in floodwater, as well as the risk of disease manhole covers may have dislodged under the pressure of floodwater
creating a drowning risk. If you need to walk through floodwater consider using a pole (brush handle) to test the ground in front of you
o Encourage members of the community to check on their neighbours, especially if they are elderly or live on their own
Prepare for the risk of wildfire
Have an escape plan for your safety in the event of a wildfire.
Make sure your family members (or members of staff, if you run a business in a rural area) know what to do and where to assemble, including how
you will round up and care for pets and domestic animals in the event of a wildfire.
If appropriate, discuss this escape plan with your neighbours.
If you live in a rural area, make sure your home number or name is clearly visible from the road or main access point – so the firefighters can easily locate your address in the event of a fire.
During an Emergency (general advice)
DO NOT PUT YOURSELF OR OTHERS IN DANGER OR AT RISK
Make the right call
Contacting the right people in an emergency is vital in making sure that you get the right help at the right time. It is also crucial in ensuring that emergency services attend the most urgent, life threatening emergencies as fast as possible.
Non-life threatening:
101 Police
111 NHS
Life threatening:
999 ask for police, fire or ambulance