Cheshire Resilience - Emergency Planning

Would you know what to do in the event of a flood or any other major emergency?

Thanks to a new advice leaflet from the Local Resilience Forum (LRF), Cheshire residents will be more aware of how to be safer and more resilient in times of a major crisis.

Major incidents such as flooding, severe weather and industrial accidents are rare but in the event of these happening, the Cheshire Local Resilience Forum are encouraging members of the community to make the necessary preparations to protect themselves and their families.

As part of the Forum’s 'Help Us to Help You – Be Prepared for Emergencies’ campaign, the Emergency Pocket Leaflet is now available across Cheshire, Halton and Warrington in a number of venues ranging from libraries and leisure centres to health premises and hospitals.

Designed to fit in your wallet or purse, the leaflet provides useful information on not only how to respond to a major incident but also how people can help themselves in preparing for a possible emergency situation.

The leaflet provides vital instruction on how Cheshire residents can do things in times of calm to prepare themselves and their homes by creating a Household Emergency Life-saving Plan (H.E.L.P.) that familiarises them with simple but often overlooked details such as how to turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies, or how to tune into local radio stations to receive advice and updates in emergency situations.

In the event of an incident which cannot be prepared for, the easy-to-carry leaflet lists how to put together an Emergency Grab Bag with items ranging from a torch and radio to bottled water and a first-aid kit. The Emergency Grab Bag will come in handy whether you're taking shelter indoors during an incident or you've been asked to evacuate your home by the emergency services.

Cheshire East Councillor Rachel Bailey, Cabinet member with responsibility for safer and stronger communities, said:
 
“Thankfully, major emergencies are rare in Cheshire, however, it is important that we all take responsibility for preparing our families and homes for a variety of situations.”
 
“Although we can’t predict when and where incidents are going to occur, we can be prepared for how best to deal with situations with the help of the information in this leaflet. If an emergency incident should happen, we hope Cheshire residents will be better equipped to deal with it.”

As well as practical advice, the leaflet lists contact numbers and how to tune in to your local radio station which will provide residents with the latest information about any ongoing incident.

For further information on how to prepare for major emergencies, and a downloadable version of the Household Emergency Life-saving Plan, you should go to the Cheshire Resilience website.