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Major emergencies and you

The chances of you being caught up in a major emergency or disaster are low. Nevertheless they happen and these pages show you how you can be better prepared to protect yourself and others.

What is a Major Emergency?

Essentially a major emergency is something on a scale that needs special arrangements to deal with it, such as:

Serious transport accidents - plane, train, motorway pile-up
Extreme weather - storms, flooding
Major crime, terrorism, public disorder
Explosion, fire, industrial accident
Toxic chemical spillage, radioactive release
Shortages of essential supplies - water, food, power etc
Infectious disease outbreak

The emergency services, local authorities, health trusts, voluntary agencies and the utility companies all have co-ordinated emergency plans in place. The aim is to save life, contain the hazard, protect the public and return to normality as soon as possible, but that task is made much easier if the public also knows what to do in an emergency.

Being prepared for a major emergency also means that you can deal more effectively with minor ones. In most situations you will either need to seek immediate shelter from the threat or hazard or to move right away from it, so it makes sense to have a plan to do both. Useful steps you can take beforehand include:

Make a list of important contacts, such as family, friends and neighbours, your children's school, your GP, veterinary surgery, your gas, water, electricity supplier, your insurers and so on - carry this - wallet, handbag - and keep copies handy at home, at work or in the car
Arrange for a friend or relative out of your area to be the family contact point in case your family become separated during an emergency
Make up an emergency pack for home, work and the car
Know how to turn off your gas, electricity and water supplies
Even if you normally listen to other stations know how to tune into your local radio station for public safety information in an emergency
Check that your insurance cover is up to date
If in a flood risk area, keep a stock of empty sandbags and sand