Preparing Your Family

Emergencies can happen in an instant with no notice. Taking a few simple steps now could help you deal quickly and effectively if an emergency occurs’.

Household Emergency Plan

A ‘as household emergency plan’ will help keep most of the information you may need in an emergency in one place, which is easily accessible by you and others in your household.

A simpleas household emergency plan detailing things such as:

• Where to turn the gas off – it may be obvious to you but would the rest of your family know?
• Emergency contact numbers – what if you couldn’t access the numbers on your mobile?
• Radio station frequencies – could save previous moments and frustration when trying to get an update or latest advice.

There are several versions of as household emergency plans available on the internet. Please click the following link to open the Gloucestershire County Council version: Household-Emergency-Plan.

Involving your family in putting a plan together can help them be prepared too.

Emergency Grab Bag

In an emergency situation you may need to move quickly, so it is helpful to have a few essential items to hand.

You have probably got many of the items to include in a grab bag in your home already, but it is useful to keep them in one place.

Ideally prepare a small easy-to-carry bag with essential and store it in an accessible place ready to go. The bag contents will vary depending on your specific needs, but some ideas of items to include are provided on page 7 of the Are You Ready Booklet.

Be a Good Neighbour

In emergencies some members of the community may be more vulnerable than others.

You should always ensure you and your family are safe first. However, helping you family, friends and neighbours during an emergency is also important.

Just checking on your neighbours during and after emergencies and seeing if they need any help can make a big difference. If you are concerned about a family member, friend or neighbour during an emergency please call the emergency services or local authorities.

Priority Services Register

Many utility companies have a Priority Services Register, which eligible customers can join to access extra assistance, particularly during a supply emergency.

If the utility companies don’t know about such customers, they may take longer to get essential supplies to them in an emergency.

You can usually register on each utilities ‘Priority Services Register if you are:

  • Of pensionable age
    • Chronically sick
    • Registered disabled
    • Have other specific needs such as sight loss, hearing loss or a mental health condition
    • Living with children under 5

If you are eligible, you will need to contact each of your utility suppliers separately e.g. electricity, gas, and water to join their Priority Services Register.

Are you Ready?

The ‘Are you ready’ booklet brings together advice from various organisation to help you and your family take simple steps to reduce risk, prepare for and respond to emergencies such as fire, flood and loss of power.