Preparing for an emergency

Be prepared at home  /  Be prepared in the car  /  Be prepared abroad  /  Go In, Stay In, Tune In  /  Your emergency contact - ICE  /  Evacuating with pets

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Be prepared at home 

No matter what kind of incident occurs, it always pays to be prepared. By following this easy advice, you can reduce the impact of the emergency on you and your family.

To be prepared, always:

• keep a battery powered torch to hand (avoid using candles during a power cut)
• have a battery powered or wind up radio available
• maintain a supply of ready to eat food that does not require preparation or cooking
• keep a supply of fresh bottled water
• have some warm clothing or blankets available
• ensure that your landline telephone works properly in the event of a power cut
• do not rely solely on a mobile phone as it may need recharging and networks may become overloaded
• keep a supply of spare batteries
• have all medication and prescriptions (or a photocopy of your prescription) in an accessible place in case you are asked to evacuate (and remember to take them with you)
• have a first aid kit
• identify any special needs or requirements that anyone in your house or premises may have (the elderly, young children, those on medication or those with disabilities, etc)
• keep a list of useful telephone numbers to hand (GPs, the local authority, utility companies, etc)
• familiarise yourself with the procedures for switching off gas, electricity and water supplies
• sign up to the emergency alerts service

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Page last updated Oct 14, 2011 2:35 PM