Make an Emergency Plan
There are many things you can do to help prepare for an emergency including having your own household emergency plan.
This is just another name for a simple document that pulls together all your important information that may not always be readily to hand under normal circumstances, that you might need in an emergency.
Do you know your home insurance details? Do you know the mobile phone numbers of your close family and those living in your household? Do you know where to turn off your water, gas or electricity supply?
We have put together a quick and easy emergency plan template to help you get started at getting prepared.
Make your emergency plan today and discuss it with your family so you know what to do should something happen that affects you and your home.
Other issues to consider:
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Do you have extra communication, access or safety needs or are you of pensionable age? The Priority Services Register (PSR) is a free UK wide service which provides extra advice and support, including when there’s an interruption to your electricity, gas or water supply. Visit thepsr.co.uk to find out if you are eligible to sign up.
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Make sure you have suitable home insurance. The Association of British Insurers website has useful information on home insurance and flooding insurance
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Work out the best escape route from your home if there is a fire or think about what you should do if your home floods.
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Decide on a meeting point for situations where you might not be able to return home – this could be a church or other place of worship, community centre, pub or community hub if you have one nearby. Think about where you would stay and how you would get there if an emergency meant you couldn’t stay at home.
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Add emergency contacts or medical information to your mobile phone (often called ‘ICE’ or ‘Medical ID’ on smartphones) so that emergency services can access this information without having to unlock your phone with a passcode) and let the person you’ve selected as your emergency contact know.
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Talk to children about what to do in an emergency, including how and when to call the emergency services. The Staywise website includes information and resources on emergencies aimed at children. Help them to learn their home address and a parent/guardian’s mobile phone number – practise these regularly.
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Check your child’s school (or other childcare provider) has the correct contact numbers for you in case they need to contact you during an emergency. Your child’s school should have plans and procedures in place to deal with different types of emergency, for example for severe weather, loss of utilities and fire.
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What would happen to your pets in an emergency? Don't wait for it to happen make a Emergency Pet Plan now.
- Always remember to call 999 if you or someone else is in immediate danger.
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