Are You Prepared?
Emergencies are thankfully rare events but they can and do happen. Fires, severe storms, transport accidents, floods, environmental pollution, acts of terrorism, infectious diseases, animal diseases and industrial accidents - these can all have a major impact on our communities.
While Dartford Borough Council has plans in place to respond to emergencies, it is also important that individual citizens, families and community groups are ready too. By being prepared and informed you can significantly increase your ability to cope with an emergency and get your life back to normal when the crisis is over.
This information provides ideas to help you prepare for, respond to and recover from an emergency situation - please keep it in a safe place and refer back to it when necessary. Use the Useful Contacts section to record key information and keep it in your wallet, purse or handbag - give copies to your family members.
TUNE IN
- BBC Radio Kent 96.7FM / 104.2FM
- BBC Radio London 94.9FM
- Heart 96FM / 107FM
Contents
- Before an Emergency - PREPARE
- Things to do or find out
- During an Emergency - RESPOND
- After an Emergency
- Grab Bag contents
- Useful Contacts
Before an Emergency - PREPARE
The most important thing you can do is prepare. Talk to your family, neighbours and any community groups to which you belong about what you would or should do in an emergency situation. It's best to write down a clear plan - but even having discussed it may make a difference to how you cope.
Things to do or find out
- Make up a grab bag or box
- Make sure you and your family know how to turn off water, gas and electricity supplies to your home. Make sure stopcocks and valves are accessible and working.
- Find out the emergency procedures in place at your workplace and at your children's school.
- Decide how your family will stay in contact in the event of an emergency - agree on a rendezvous place with a relative or friend some distance from your house.
- Find out if you have elderly or vulnerable neighbours who might need your help.
- Organise First Aid training for yourself and your family and equip yourself with a good first aid kit
- Don't forget to plan for pets
- Make a list of important contacts - include insurance companies and utility suppliers and keep it in your grab bag or box.
- Make copies of all your important documents and store them away from your home - at work, at a relative's home or even on the internet.
- Find out how to tune in to your local radio station - the Emergency Services will issue messages using these stations.
- If flooding is a risk to you, invest in some flood prevention equipment - modern type sandbags are lightweight and last for years. Floodboards and airbrick covers are also available to reduce water ingress.
During an emergency - RESPOND
If you find yourself in the middle of an emergency incident your common sense and instincts will usually tell you what to do. However, try to remember;
- Make sure to call 999 if someone has been injured
- Don't put yourself or others in danger
- Follow the advice and instructions of the Emergency Services
- Try to remain calm and think before you act - try to re-assure others
- Help yourself before you attempt to help others
- For most emergencies the standard advice is to go indoors and close windows and doors, stay inside until you are advised otherwise and tune in to your local radio station - go in, stay in and tune in. This should be a battery radio in the event of a power cut.
- In some emergencies however, you may be asked to or decide to evacuate - collect your grab bag or box and, if necessary follow the instructions of the Emergency Services or local council.
After an emergency - RECOVER
Emergencies can be traumatic and overwhelming. Each person's response to such trauma is different and feelings may vary in intensity and time. It is normal to feel numb, helpless, angry, guilty, fearful or anxious. You may also feel tired, have trouble sleeping or find it difficult to concentrate.
These feelings are your body's way of protecting itself after an emergency. Over time the feelings will go but it is important to seek medical help if they persist.
If your property has been damaged, it is important to inform your insurance company as soon as possible. If you are concerned about structural damage seek professional advice before entering your property. If your property has been flooded, remember that floodwater is often contaminated and seek advice from your Local Council or the Environment Agency before attempting any clean-up.
How quickly and effectively you recover from an emergency - whether as an individual, a family or a community - is largely dependent on how much preparation you do. You may not think it will happen and hopefully it won't but time spent in preparing for an emergency is never wasted.
Grab bag contents
If an emergency occurs in your area, you and your family could be evacuated at very short notice and for some time. The Emergency Services and the Local Council will do their best to look after you but again, preparation is the key to making the disturbance bearable. Make up a grab bag and keep it somewhere easily accessible, hopefully this will not be needed for many years so try to only put non-perishables in the box/bag.
- Bottles of water
- Snack bars
- A blanket and inflatable pillow
- Details of any prescription drugs your family members may use
- Telephone number contact list
- Copies of important documents
- Spare toothbrush and paste, toilet roll, hand wipes
- Small basic First Aid kit
- Wind up or battery powered torch and radio (spare batteries)
- Notebook and pencil
- Spare keys - house/car/work
- Spare glasses/contact lenses if applicable
- Items for children or babies such as baby food if applicable
- Entertainment - cards, puzzle book, reading book etc
Useful contacts
- Emergency Services 999
- Gas Emergencies 0800 111 999
- Electricity Emergencies 0800 028 0247 (old LEB area)
- 0800 783 8866 (old SEEBOARD area)
- Floodline 0845 988 1188
- NHSDirect 0845 4647
Printable version of Useful Contacts
or visit the following web link:
Dartford Borough Council has no reason to believe that an emergency in the district is likely to occur. This information has been produced as a guide to encourage the public to prepare for an emergency should the unthinkable happen.
This information has been shared with Dartford by Epping Forest District Council, to whom we extend our gratitude and thanks.
