Tel: 023 9282 2251
Be prepared - family emergency plan
Last updated: 18 May 2010 15:53 UKHouse fires... flooding... severe weather... car break-downs... burst pipes... stolen wallets... accidents...
Emergencies can happen at any time, would you and your family know what to do? Follow the checklist and be prepared
Prepare
- Do you live in an area where it might flood? If yes, sign up for the Environment Agency Flood Warnings and invest in flood protection for your doors and airbricks.
- Can you survive in your house for 3 days without power or water? Keep a supply of bottled water and tinned food in the house.
- Have you worked out alternative methods to get to work?
- Does your family know what to do in an emergency? Talk it over with them. For example, keep a spare set of house keys with a neighbour in case someone gets locked out. If you lock your front door with a key at night, make sure everyone knows where it is in case you have to evacuate in a hurry.
- Insure your home and its contents.
- Do you know how to turn off the gas, water and electricity to your house?
- Can you stay in touch with your family?
Link up
- Choose 2 meeting points you can go to if you get separated from your family and cannot get home. One should be close to home and the other away from home in a place you can get to easily.
- Choose a relative or friend who you can phone to say you are safe. Keep their number in your phone contacts list under ICE (In Case of Emergency). You can leave a message with them to pass on to family members.
- Make sure you can tune to a local radio station, as this will be where emergency information will be broadcast.
Home
- Think ahead about where you could stay if you could not go home or were evacuated
- If you have to leave lock up
- Remember pets and make arrangements for them
Necessary kit
Spend a few minutes to put together a grab bag in case you need to leave home in a rush:
- money and bank cards
- torch and batteries
- radio and batteries
- bottled water
- mobile phone and charger
- basic toiletries
- essential medicine
- list of emergency phone numbers
- some form of identification
- home and car keys
- insurance documents
- baby and pet food
Evacuation checklist
- Listen to the advice of the emergency services
- Collect your grab bag
- Check you have phone, wallet and keys
- Grab some warm clothing
- Lock up the house as you go
