During
In an emergency, it is important to;
- Make sure 999 has been called if people are injured or if there is a threat to life
- Not put yourself or others in danger
- Follow the advice of the emergency services
- Try to remain calm and think before acting, and try to reassure others
- Check for injuries, remember to help yourself before helping others
Find a place of safety and close doors, windows and air vents. Turn off fans, air conditioning and forced air heating systems. In some circumstances, the local authority may have opened a rest centre to provide a place of safety if you have no other options.
Stay inside as long as it is safe to do so. You can use this time to contact your family and friends and make sure they are safe, and confirm that you are safe. Report anyone missing to the police.
Emergency responders may not immediately be able to provide information on what is happening and what you should do. Watch TV, listen to the radio or check the internet regularly for official news and instructions as they become available.
There will be times when it is not safe to ‘go in’, for example if there is a fire in the building. In which case follow the instructions of the emergency services.
If you are asked by the emergency services to leave your home, please do so as this will be for your own safety. A rest centre will usually be set up.
A rest centre is a place of safety where you will be looked after and provided with your basic needs. It is set up and run by the local authorities, with the support of accredited volunteers from various agencies, it will provide you with shelter until you are able to return home or have temporary accommodation provided.
If an emergency happens in your community, it may take emergency responders some time to reach you. You should be prepared to take care of yourself and your family for a minimum of 72 hours, this can be helped by creating a ‘grab bag’.