Sign up now to be prepared
Communities across Suffolk are being urged to sign up to a new campaign designed to help local people be prepared for emergencies.
Although the weather is warm and sunny now, it's only a few months since the severe snow caused major problems for people. It's hoped that the new campaign will get people thinking about what they need to do to deal with emergencies like bad weather in their area.
The campaign, which was jointly designed with residents from Suffolk communities, will be visible across the county over the next few months as posters, leaflets and as a Website. On the Website, community organisations can get advice and tools such as guides and plan templates, view the latest news or can connect with other communities around Suffolk to share ideas and experiences.
Andy Osman, Head of Emergency Planning for the Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit, said: "The campaign is designed to get people thinking about where they live and how prepared they would be if there was an emergency. It features images of real emergency situations that have happened in Suffolk and gives details of where people can go for further support and advice."
Communities can be involved as little or as much as they want in the new campaign - from providing information about vulnerable residents or the location of resources and equipment, to forming a team of volunteers and developing a full emergency plan.
This winter was a stark reminder of how unprecedented weather conditions can trigger emergency situations, which can lead to difficult situations, for many communities.
Andy Osman said: "Severe weather, and not just in winter, is something that can effect any community and can be very distressing when it leads to community isolation, but other unforeseen factors such as outbreaks of animal diseases or industrial accidents can be the cause of serious situations as well."
He added: "The Suffolk Joint Emergency Planning Unit has a lot of expertise which we can use to help people get better prepared – that way we can all benefit if there's an emergency that we need to deal with. Some places will have community emergency arrangements already in place – by using the new Webster they can tell us what they're already doing, and get advice on what else they could do. As they say – it is better to be over prepared then under."
To find out how the community emergency planning campaign is developing in St Edmundsbury, please contact the communications teams at the borough council.
For more information contact:
Alan Points
District Emergency Planning Officer
West Suffolk House
Western Way
Bury St Edmunds
Suffolk
IP33 3YU
Phone: 01284 758461
Email: alan.points@stedsbc.gov.uk
Emergency services:
