Community Emergency Plans

Ian Travers Smith

Why have them?

Keeping it simple

Added Extras

Community Emergency Plans

22 Oct 2012

25 Sept 2012

25 Sept 2012

What do these emergencies have in common?

Unpredictable

Emergency services able to respond

They could all happen to you

How can you help emergency services to help you?

Develop a community emergency plan

Include a self-help response

Keeping it Simple

Identify an emergency management team

Identify 2 potential survivor reception centres

Identify willing volunteers

Identify those who may be vulnerable

Compile an emergency contact list

Share specific information

Reception Centre Characteristics

Out of the flood plain Accessible in flooding Access from more than 1 direction Accessible by coach-sized vehicles Separated by at least 500 metres

Option in neighbouring community

Volunteering

Identify volunteers & those with particular skills

Ask of volunteers only what is reasonable

Trained or competent to use machinery Think what might go wrong

Do not let a responder become a casualty

Check public liability insurance for activity other than low risk

Rotary Resilience

Rotarians excel at raising monies for good causes

including emergencies around the world.

If a major incident occurs in your local community would you want to

do more?

To be effective we must pre-plan our actions and dovetail our help with the local authorities’ response. Resilience aims to do just that.

If you or your Club wish to be involved in a pre-planned response when an emergency or disaster occurs, please refer to

www.ribi.org/resources/committees/community-and-vocation/resilience and your District Resilience Co-ordinator:

………............................................................... Resilience is part of District Community and Vocational Service)

(With Acknowledgments to District 1040)

Use Common Sense

“You do not need a criminal Records Bureau check to call round and check on elderly friends and relatives”

“You can help clear paths and pavements to prevent slips and falls – don’t believe the myths about being sued”

Source: “Government guidance on community action during severe weather”

Identifying the vulnerable Local Knowledge

Church groups

Neighbourhood watch etc

Social services

Emergency Contacts List Utilities

Local Assets

Local Authorities

Key holders

Oxfordshire County Council

Community Emergency Planning Survey 2012/2013

Parish/Town Council Parish/Town Clerk Email address Contact number If the emergency services need to contact a member of your organisation in an emergency, which numbers should they call? It is important to include at least 2.

Emergency Contact Numbers Name During Working hours 24 hours

Some parishes with significant flood risk have developed specific plans. For the purposes of this survey, please assume that the flood plan is a community emergency plan.

Emergency Plan Information Yes No N/A

We have a community Emergency Plan We are developing a community Emergency Plan We would like assistance in developing a community Emergency Plan We do not want an Emergency Plan We would be interested in attending a community resilience event in Oct 2012 Does your emergency plan cover the risk of severe weather? Did last winter’s weather cause you to change your plan?

Within our Parish/Town council area, the following buildings could be used as a temporary place of safety (survivor reception centre) for local residents evacuated from their homes.

Survivor Reception Centres Facility Address including

postcode 24 hr contact number

to open facility Approximate capacity

(seated)

Survey Results

249 Parish & Town Councils canvassed

75 responses

46 either have or are developing a plan

28 state no interest in producing a plan BUT

Of those 24 provided emergency contact and reception centre details.

Added Extras

If you are vulnerable to specific risks, generally associated with winter weather, you may want to include tailored measures in your plan.

Remember, in these circumstances the emergency services are likely to be stretched and will be giving priority to life-saving activities.

Anything you can do by way of self-help will ease pressure on the community.

Comprehensive guidance on producing a community emergency plan is available on the Oxfordshire County Council web site, together with a series of useful links.

For flooding, contact the environment agency for expert advice

For snow clearance contact Oxfordshire County Council Highways.

Power Failure Is it widespread or has a fuse blown?

Check with neighbours

Telephone the utility company’s emergency contact number to establish anticipated recovery time

How?

What’s the weather like?

Check on the vulnerable Are they registered with utilities companies?

Community Heating Portable generators Portable heaters

Pubs or eating establishments Alternate cooking facilities?