UK households are being encouraged to write down five key things and store them somewhere "easy to find" in their home as part of the Government's new emergency Be Ready campaign.
The Government launched the Be Ready campaign last week, aiming to encourage UK households to take a few simple steps to stay prepared if everyday services are temporarily disrupted. It is the first stage of a three-year campaign to help households across the UK feel better prepared for events such as severe weather, which can affect services including power, water, phones and the internet.
Campaign launched amid storm disruption
Just days after the emergency plan campaign was launched, the UK was battered by Storm Austen and Storm Boelo, which led to chaos across the country, including power cuts and major disruption to public transport services.
Launching the campaign, Security Minister and MP Dan Jarvis said: "Those who can follow this advice should follow this advice. By taking simple steps to be ready for everyday emergencies like severe storms, people can reduce pressure on emergency services, helping them prioritise people who need more support in an emergency.
"This is just the sort of community-focused campaign the UK needs to improve our resilience as a nation. It will bring us into line with European counterparts, where advice like this is a normal part of everyday life."
Prime minister defends emergency advice
After the campaign was launched last week, Prime Minister Andy Burnham said that people need to be better prepared for dealing with emergencies, and has defended Government advice to stockpile food, water and other essentials.
He said that "unexpected events seem to be becoming more and more common", and he suggested that as well as the emergency supplies listed, people should be allowed "a glass or two" of wine to get them through a difficult situation. This comes after Housing Secretary Angela Rayner previously joked that her emergency survival kit would include a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc wine.
Mr Burnham said: "I'm not sure that that's the top of the list in terms of the advice that we're giving to the public. You need to have a clear head when it comes to a challenging situation. So some tins of food, some bottled water, I think maybe. But I'm sure people are allowed a glass or two as well to get them through a difficult situation."
What to write down
People have been encouraged to have three days' worth of supplies, which includes food, water, batteries, torches, baby or pet food, among other items. As well as listing the essentials, the Government has published an "emergency checklist" which advises what people should do to be prepared.
But as well as that, UK households have been encouraged to write five key things down on paper, and store it somewhere in their house for safe-keeping.
The Government's plan reads: "Write down important phone numbers on paper and store them somewhere easy to find in a power cut.
"Include the phone number to report a power cut (105 in England, Scotland and Wales and 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland), phone numbers of anyone you would want to contact in an emergency, a list of your regular medication, frequencies of radio stations you use for news updates, and insurance policy details."
Five things to write down
- Your important phone numbers - think emergency contacts, dependents, doctors
- Phone number to report a power cut - 105 for England, Scotland and Wales; 03457 643643 in Northern Ireland
- A list of your regular medication
- Radio frequencies for stations with news updates
- Insurance policy details
