Preparing for emergencies

How you can prepare

If an emergency were to occur in your area, household or business, what would your priorities be? 

Do you know who you may need to contact to request support? 

Is there someone that may look to you for help - your relatives, neighbours or colleagues?

There are various risks and hazards to prepare for. Taking action now will make it easier to manage if an emergency were to happen. 

Know your risk

Emergencies like floods, fires, and power outages can happen suddenly. 

Are you aware of the risks in your area and where to get updates? 

By understanding and preparing for risks you might encounter, you can significantly enhance your ability to respond quickly and recover.  

Useful resources include:

• The Community Risk Register provides localised risks to Thames Valley Local Resilience Forum.
• Broader risks faced by the United Kingdom are highlighted in the National Risk Register.
• Check if your Parish Council has a Community Emergency Plan for local risks. 

Be informed

Getting reliable information during an emergency is crucial for making informed decisions and staying safe. Here are some things you can do to be emergency ready and prepare your home:

• sign up for emergency alerts such as flood alerts and warnings.
• visit the Prepare Campaign website designed to help you before, during and after an emergency.
• get severe weather and health alerts from the Met Office.

Sign up to the Priority Services Register:

You may be eligible for additional support in am emergency if there is an interruption to your utility supply. Find out if you are eligible to sign up to your gas, electricity and water supplier's Priority Service Registers.  

Important contacts:

• Emergency services: 999
• Police (non-emergency): 101
• NHS: 111
• Power cuts: 105
• Floodline: 0345 988 1188
• Gas emergency: 0800 111 999
• Thames Water: 0800 316 9800 

Make a plan

Creating an emergency plan is essential to ensure you and those around you are prepared for various scenarios. Being prepared is important - get ready, make a plan, and stay informed.  

Prepare yourself and your household/community/business, write down important phone numbers and anyone you may need to contact in an emergency. To assist with this, download, print and store your Household Emergency Plan for reference in an emergency.

• Individual/Household Emergency Plan.
• Community Emergency Plan.
• Business Continuity.

Have a grab-bag ready in advance of emergencies - See the SSEN Grab Bag Resource for a printable guide.

Protect your household

Protecting your family, including children and pets, during emergencies involves proactive planning and acquiring essential skills:

• complete a home online fire safety check to help keep you and your home safe know how to turn off.
• your gas, electricity and water - complete the Household Emergency Plan for guidance.
• consider what items are valuable to you such as important documentation or photographs; how can you protect these items and whether it is possible to store these in water- or fireproof containers or storing copies with friends or other appropriate location.
• think about insurance policies that could cover you and your property in the event of an emergency.
• think about any family or friends that you could stay with if you live in a flood risk area.
• actions that can be taken to prepare your property.

Get your children involved too!

Talk to your children and family to teach them how and when to call 999 and what to do in an emergency.

Use helpful resources like the Pillowcase Project (British Red Cross for ages 7-11) and Staywise, which offer fun tools and games to teach emergency preparedness. 

Get involved 

Get involved before an emergency strikes.

You could provide local knowledge, help create a Community Emergency Plan, or join a local voluntary group.  Volunteers play a vital role in keeping communities safe and prepared. Knowing your neighbours and understanding what help is needed in an emergency can make a big difference:

• find local resilience activities and become a Community Emergency Volunteer or Flood Warden.
• explore opportunities with charities such as the British Red Cross, Berkshire Lowland Search and Rescue, or REACT Disaster Response.
• visit the Prepare Campaign website to learn more, and volunteer.
• local resilience activities with Communities Prepared.

Additional resources

Additional resources to help you prepare:

• visit the Prepare Campaign for guidance during emergencies.
• check out the Thames Valley Are You Ready leaflets.
• sign up to training with Communities prepared.

Stay safe with these must-have apps:

• what3words.
• CitizenAID.
• Goodsam.
• ProtectUK.