Community emergency plan
Why do we need a plan?
An emergency can have a significant effect on your community. It will help if you develop the ability to help each other at a local level. This will assist if emergency services are overloaded and will lessen the impact of the emergency on the community. Examples of emergencies that may impact your community include:
- Fire
- Extreme weather
- Utilities failure
- Chemical spill
- Transport collision
How could your community be affected?
An emergency can cause:
- Death or injury of people
- Loss or damage to:
- Homes, businesses, community buildings
- Road, rail, sea or air transport networks
- Electricity, telephone, water or gas networks
- Supply of goods and services
- Isolation
- Large scale media focus
The local community in the form of the town council may be involved in a number of ways:
- As casualties
- As first responders
- Providing support to emergency organisations
- Voicing community wishes
- Providing input into community recovery
- Helping manage Emergency Funds
Writing your community emergency plan
Plans should be:
- Simple, clear and concise
- Regularly updated
- Complimentary to the arrangements between Emergency Services, National Health Service, District and County Councils and other responding agencies.
Although there is no regulatory responsibility for Local Councils to undertake the writing of an emergency plan, it is good practice to make some preparation for an emergency plan at a local level.
The planning process involves a number of steps, it is imperative that planning is not undertaken in isolation and the relevant authorities are consulted.