UK households are being urged to familiarise themselves with the location of three specific items in their home as part of the Government's new emergency Be Ready campaign, which launched last week.
The campaign aims to encourage UK households to take a few simple steps to stay prepared if everyday services are temporarily disrupted. It marks the first stage of a three-year initiative 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.
Security Minister's advice on emergency readiness
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."
He added: "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 backs stockpiling 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."
Three key items to know in your home
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.
In addition to the above advice, people are being urged to familiarise themselves with three key things in their house. To be able to turn off your water, gas or electric in an emergency, all UK households should be familiar with where the following items are in their house: the water stop cock, the gas isolation valve, and the electricity isolation switch.
Part of the Government's emergency Be Ready plan reads: "If you have time and it is safe to do so, you might need to turn off the mains water, gas or electric to your home during an emergency. Familiarise yourself with where these are."
It adds: "WARNING: You can turn the water and electricity back on yourself but NOT THE GAS. This must be done by a qualified engineer."
