The BBC has disclosed its emergency plans for a UK-wide 'Black Sky event', detailing how the national broadcaster would respond if communications, including the internet, were shut off for three days or more.
Only an estimated 100 people worldwide know the full details of the plans, which include operating a special emergency broadcast radio studio with secure lines of communication independent of internet connections. The studio will have enough water, food and fuel to operate for three days without further supplies.
Emergency broadcast details
The emergency radio service would tell households what to do in such a situation, including how much water people should drink and what to do if water supplies are so disrupted that toilets will not flush.
The BBC's report said: "The BBC's broadcasts will be sent via radio transmission towers, isolated from the internet and equipped with tanks of between five and 40,000 litres (8,800 gallons) of diesel to keep their generators going for three days - FM radio is power hungry."
It added: "The teams will be using satellite phones to keep in touch and if these stop working there are pre-agreed protocols and meet-up points. Why FM? Because it works almost everywhere, even in a blackout or a crippling cyber-attack."
Government preparedness campaign
The plans were made public after repeated calls from government officials, including Prime Minister Andy Burnham, for the UK to be more prepared for national emergencies such as power cuts, internet and phone blackouts, and disruption to food, water or fuel supplies.
Government advice says households should stockpile at least three days of food and drinking water and have a battery-powered FM radio at home to receive broadcasts such as the BBC's emergency Black Sky event radio station. A new Government "be ready" campaign urges households to prepare for temporary disruption of everyday services with three days of key supplies.
Retail response
The checklist advises stocking three days' worth of bottled water and non-perishable food, a battery or wind-up FM radio, and cash in case electronic payments or cash machines are disrupted. According to BBC Newsnight, Iceland supermarket saw a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend, while Robert Dyas reported a 160% increase in radio sales compared with the previous week.
The advice marks the first stage of a three-year campaign to help households feel better prepared for disruptive events such as severe weather, following heatwaves, drought and fires that hit the UK during the summer. Steps include checking essentials like three days' worth of food and water, and signing up for the priority services register for support during outages.
An Iceland spokesperson told BBC Newsnight: "It's clear consumers have listened to the Government's message as we have seen a 40% increase in sales of tinned products over the weekend and strong sales of bottled water too. Our supplies of these products remain healthy."
Defence Secretary Wes Streeting told the programme: "It's encouraging that people are taking practical steps to be ready. Having a few everyday essentials at home, from tinned food to torches, helps households prepare for disruption, whether that's flooding, power cuts or burst pipes. We can all play our part in making Britain more resilient."
